AUTHOR - SCHOOL VISITS:
HOW FILM TECHNIQUES CAN STIMULATE
CHILDREN'S CREATIVE WRITING

A NOTE TO TEACHERS..AND BUDDING CREATIVE WRITERS

From the age of ten, I dreamed of working in film or TV. School holidays were spent making short movies with friends using my dad's 8mm camera - and we edited the shots together with evil-smelling glue! I quickly learned to use a camera to amaze, amuse or terrify an audience. It was my first step to becoming a professional storyteller.

My passion for moving images came in very useful in creative writing at school because thinking filmically helped me to bring stories to life on the page. It also enhanced my enjoyment of reading because I was able to imagine myself at the heart of the action.

I am now freelance after over 30 years with the BBC where I made programmes on a wide range of subjects from terrorism to talking dogs, from missing people to movie stars, from celebrity challenges to Children in Need. So how can a TV producer/director help children develop their creative writing skills...?

While I was writing my children's novel, "Newskids on the Net", planning every scene as a movie in my head, it struck me that an understanding of film techniques could help young writers at school. Children are growing up in a media age, but very few have any real knowledge of how creative film-making works. My presentations and workshops help children (usually, though not exclusively, from 9 - 12 years of age) to think of stories as connected, well-crafted 'sequences' (rather than paragraphs). Sequences are made up of 'shots' (the equivalent of 'sentences'). Each shot has a part to play in telling the story and is designed to have a certain effect on the audience. Children quickly learn to see 'shots' in their heads and are able to visualize situations more effectively - even using lighting and sound to create atmosphere. All storytellers must be able to 'see' before they can 'write' - and my approach stimulates that process.

Some testimonials from schools I have visited:

"Visualising a story as a film is something children can directly relate to.This helps motivate them into the writing process and gets them involved from the start (particularly important with reluctant writers)." (Mandy Parsonson, Literacy Co-ordinator, Bell Farm School, Walton on Thames).

"As Head of English, I could not have wished for a better outcome. The children are reading more and asking for more opportunities to do creative writing." (Gareth Tindall, Parkside School, Surrey).

"Nick was a source of great entertainment and inspiration for our pupils. He captured the children's imagination and encouraged them to use visual stimuli as a basis for creative writing. His talk appealed to a wide range of abilities on different levels." (Helen Skrine, Headteacher, Belmont School, Surrey).

"I have taken great pleasure in reporting back to the head teacher the success of your workshops and how much they have been enjoyed by the children. As teachers, we are working towards developing in children an understanding of narrative in different multi-media forms such as TV and film. This is a clear reflection of the way our society is developing." (Alice Kiddell, Head of Literacy, Cranmere School, Esher).

"Nick left teachers inspired and full of practical ideas to apply back in school. I have subsequently recommended him at every available opportunity." (Lindsay Pickton, Literacy Consultant, Royal Borough of Kingston).

 

If you would like to contact me about a possible presentation and/or workshop at your school, please use the e-mail contact link at the end of this site. It would be great to hear from you.

Next: Contact Nick Handel