Props

Ebony class have been working together to make a film all about maps.

They worked as a whole class to plan or storyboard their film, then they needed to make lots of different props to use in their film.


Props are objects used to help tell the story in a performance. The longer name for them is "theatrical properties". Can you see where the word prop has come from?


Ebony class needed to make a lot of props for their performance. What a lot of different art and design skills they must have used!

Planning the films

Every class will work with Savinder this year to make a film.

Representatives from each of the classes have been meeting with their teachers and Savinder to plan their filmmaking project this year.

During the meeting the area of learning is decided and everyone is able to share their ideas. Savinder and the teacher especially want to know what the children think.

When Savinder goes into the classroom the whole of the class will share their ideas with her. The class will work in groups to develop their ideas .

Finally they will storyboard their film together and start to plan other jobs that need to be complete before filming begins.

Learn to Edit

Teachers have been having one to one editing workshops with filmmaker Savinder Bual.

The teachers are brushing up on their editing skills as part of our commitment to use film as a tool for learning more often at Columbia.

We have been talking to pupils about using film to learn and they have been overwhelmingly positive about this way of learning which they find exciting and interesting. Pupils enjoy making and watching their own and other classes' films and think it is important to see their teachers learning too. This way classes will continue to use film even after the end of the project.


Lila said: it's a "much more fun way to learn" and that she remembers much more about a topic by being involved in learning this way.

Learn to Film, Film to Learn

This academic year, 2010-2011, we will continue to focus on how we can use film in school. The focus will be on learning to film and using film as a way of learning

We will be working alongside filmmaker Savinder Bual who many of you will recognise as having worked with us on many occasions before.

The filmmaking will continue to be planned by children and teachers working together and integrating film into the curriculum of each class.

Camera rolling!

Film crews have been spotted all over Columbia School.


Pupils have been taking active roles in the filming of their documentaries.
Taking turns in their groups, they have been actors, directors, camera operators, sound engineers and boom operators.



These Year 3 pupils have been thinking about how to share what they've learnt about Ancient Greece. They will edit their film with Mark before sharing it with other classes.

Documentary Filmmakers

Mark Levermore has worked alongside pupils in 9 classes to plan their documentaries.

These sessions have been an exciting mix of sharing pupils' film experiences, storyboarding, thinking about locations and props.

This Year 1 class went one step further and began making some of the props for their documentary about where paper comes from.

Big Drawings...

Here are some of the sketches from the Big Draw.