For the last year, my 12-year-old has been asking to start her own YouTube channel. And for the last year, I’ve been putting her off. I realized I would eventually need to address her desire to make videos. But, filmmaking isn’t as simple as recording something with your phone and then uploading it to YouTube. Well, actually, it is. However, GOOD filmmaking requires a little more effort.
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Filmmaking is not something that is in my wheelhouse. I can make a video that is functional. I can watch a video that I recognize as amazing. But, I can not put these two things together. I have never been artistic, so the challenge of teaching my daughter to create a work of art was daunting. I looked to my friend, Amanda at Raising da Vinci. Amanda’s videos are amazing. She has a photographer’s eye for detail, and she draws you into her story. Recently, Amanda introduced a new filmmaking course for kids. I was excited to find something that would help my daughter to express herself creatively.
[bctt tweet=”I was excited to find something that would help my daughter to express herself creatively. #ihsnet” username=”atlsjkdm”]
How Filmmaking Teaches Creativity
Can you teach creativity? On the surface, I would say “No.” However, sometimes creativity is hidden, and it just needs the proper path to find its way out into the world. Such is the case with L~. She is a creative type, but she lets self-doubt and worries keep her from expressing herself in the way she wants. This course gave her the outlet she needed. It led her in a direction that was before untried. By letting her step out of her box, she was able to express her creativity in a new way, and it became an adventure.
After learning about different camera angles and lighting, she decided to produce her first movie. With the help of her little sister, she wrote a script, posed her dolls, and snapped pictures. She then imported them into video software and created her video. Take a look at her first project in filmmaking.
It’s her first video and, honestly, she’s told me it needs a lot of work. But, I’m proud of her for trying a new medium for her artistic abilities. She discovered there was a lot more to filmmaking than she initially thought.
How Raising da Vinci’s Filmmaking Course for Kids is Set Up
Amanda organizes the course into two parts. The first part is an e-book. The e-book has eight chapters that detail everything from the type of equipment you will need to lighting, editing and setting up your YouTube account. The chapters were a great starting point for this mama who needs some direction. I honestly had no idea where to start teaching filmmaking.
The second part is the videos. The e-book has links to videos that show the action each chapter describes. These videos are simple, to the point, and gorgeous! They bring filmmaking to life and help you to see what the student should try to achieve within the course.
What My Daughter Loved about Raising da Vinci’s Filmmaking Course
When I asked L~ what she loved the most about Raising da Vinci’s course, she quickly said it was the ability to have free reign in her work. It wasn’t easy to be creative when a course is telling you exactly what to do. But, this course didn’t do that. Raising da Vinci’s filmmaking course let her be creative while giving her the tools to take that creativity to the next level. It’s a self-paced course that allows the student to work on their own schedule.
Finding ways for my children to embrace their creativity is important to me as a parent. I know that as adults much of their creativity can be squashed by the rules of society or the workplace. I want them to be able to see themselves as brilliant adults who have unique talents and gifts. I want them not to get lost in the world of cookie-cutter jobs. No, I don’t expect a filmmaking course to solve all of our society’s woes, but if it can help my daughter to see herself in a brighter light, then my job as her parent just became a little easier.
Hi, I’m Dachelle. I’m a homeschooling mom of 3 in the South. I love chocolate and have been known to hide it from my children. I can often be found reading a good book (or even sometimes just an okay book) and enjoying a jar of Nutella — don’t judge. I blog, here, at HideTheChocolate.com when I’m not creating book clubs and making lists…lots and lots of lists (it’s an addiction). Learn more…
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