Students in Kolkata Learn About Environmental Filmmaking

Few media are as effective at conveying a message as film, especially to a young audience. That’s why Earth Day Network India collaborated with Shishu Kishore Akademi and Bichitra Pathshala to conduct a workshop on the basics of environmental filmmaking for children of ten Government and non-formal schools in Kolkata from November 2 – 5, 2012.

The four-day workshop aimed to educate and inspire young minds to start the journey of making a powerful film. The children, bubbling with enthusiasm, were also assured of technical support for all the deserving ideas to ensure that the films see the light of the day.

The workshop was inaugurated by Arpita Ghosh, chairperson of Shishu Kishore Akademi; Ladly Mukherjee, renowned filmmaker; and Meghnad De, secretary of SKA. They offered words of encouragement to all the participants, emphasizing that filmmaking is no longer an expensive and difficult endeavour. All that is required is a good idea and a clear roadmap to actualize the idea.

The first part of the workshop focused on teaching students the fundamentals of visual language. They were shown early films by Lumiere Brothers and Melies to make the point that cinema is a medium to capture dreams as much as it is to record the reality around us.

The afternoon session featured an audio-visual presentations on pressing environmental problems followed by discussions. The students also watched interesting films on the environment made by children, which were followed by a lively interactive session where the children discussed what they can do on an individual level to protect the planet. Lastly, the students did a scavenger hunt to learn about biodegradable and non biodegradable waste.

The first day ended the day with pledging an act of green (as a part of A Billion Acts of Green®) on a leaf made out of reused paper. The leaves with the individual pledges were placed on a tree that blossomed with the students’ diverse pledges.

Over the next three days, the participants received instruction on the basics of animation, camerawork and editing. They had to pitch their final ideas during the last session of the workshop, where they were assisted by EDN India’s photographer and representatives from Bichitra Pathshala to develop their ideas into a fully-realized film.

This endeavour has created renewed enthusiasm in these students, who are now ready to take on the challenge of furthering the green revolution through film. We look forward to watching the films made by our green ambassadors as they unleash their creativity and ingenuity.