Multifaceted Short Films Suitable for the Classroom

Independently produced short films are often presented to audiences on the film festival circuit as an opening act for feature film screenings. Many of these titles are entertaining enough to serve their purpose as a quick and satisfying pastime for viewers while other shorts provide an educational aspect in the story that can be utilized in classroom settings.

These films have proved to be great choices for homeschooling initiatives, community panel discussions, and critical thinking activities, making shorts a viable option for teachers, parents, and other leaders among the general movie-going audience.

A Quick Look into Ethnic and Cultural Studies

"The Tribe," directed by Tiffany Shlain, examines the history of the Barbie doll to reveal what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century. By blending a staple in Western culture such as Barbie with the history of Jews in America, this short film teaches viewers about the importance of finding and examining their own identities while also understanding where they originated.

At a running time of 18 minutes, "The Tribe" leaves room for open discussion or brief essay assignments while being a useful lead-in to the current or upcoming lesson in social studies and related areas of study.

Opportunities for Hands-On Experience

After completing the horror short "Broken," Alex Ferrari created a DVD featuring information on how he made the special effects and other noticeable elements that helped this independent film garner rave reviews from critics and film festival screenings nationwide. While Ferrari had success selling this title on home video to horror movie fans and filmmakers who wanted to learn additional tricks of the trade in this particular genre, his film also offers an opportunity to challenge film, media, and production students in a variety of areas.

"Broken" is a 20-minute short film that can be dissected and recreated scene by scene during lessons on lighting, photography, sound engineering, and computer-generated graphics.

Short films fit comfortably within most typical class schedules, making it a sometimes more appropriate and effective visual aid when moviegoers implement film into their core curriculum or community programming. Shorts also give presenters enough time to get their points across on a particular topic without the need to modify the classroom or learning schedule for the needs of setting up multiple viewings for different parts of the same film.

Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!