Observing digital editing

by Bob Hooper

Background

Secondary school in Devon. The teacher observes 2 groups of students editing using the Avio Casablanca system: one is a group of Year 10's making a documentary, and the other, Year 12 students making a short video with no brief.

Focus on

This project is situated in the context of a broader survey of moving image work across the school, and across the curriculum.

Summary

• The students embed and extend concepts learned in film analysis by making them active in video production.
• The software is intuitive and enables them to move quickly beyond the mechanistic assembly of shots.
• The language the students use while editing develops in sophistication and appropriateness.
• One group of girls is very positive about the social aspects and potentials of editing as a learning process; they also confidently use an elaborate code of language to articulate and share their working processes.
• One group of boys does the opposite, retreating into a restricted language code, to reinforce their exclusive and internalised group dynamic.
• One boy working on his own, who is usually disengaged from the curriculum, was engaged for long periods and saw the task through to completion.