From Theory To "Action!": Video Production and Choir Collaborate
In Chris Schwalm’s Upper School Video Production class, students accepted a challenge to create something truly unique. In collaboration with the Middle School choir, they have written, filmed, and edited a music video to accompany a piece the choir is singing at their final concert of the year!
The project ties directly into Schwalm’s course curriculum. Sequencing, shot size, continuity, transitions, types of cuts, and more are all key parts of the content he teaches, and this opportunity allowed students to connect their learning to real output. It’s one thing to study what makes a video “good.” It’s another thing entirely to make one!
The opportunity came up when MS choir director Kristina Rey reached out to Schwalm to see if his class would be interested in taking on the project. The choir is singing “Mad World” by Tears For Fears — a song not exactly known for being bright and cheery. It’s the perfect opportunity for the Video Production students to delve into the meaning of a song, build characters that align with the lyrics, and then choose how they interact with each other onscreen to reflect the tension in the song.
A big part of the challenge for the students was creating those characters. According to Schwalm, three groups of students have each created a character who functions parallel to the other two. But those differences must be communicated visually, so students have been learning how to develop them “using the tools of the craft.” Key to this video are themes of community and how, by joining groups that are accepting and supportive, our social health, mental health, and self-expression becomes stronger.
Despite the scope of the project, Schwalm says one of his guiding philosophies is “to give the best opportunities for students to produce meaningful content for audiences,” and this seemed like one of those opportunities! It hasn’t necessarily been easy for students to pull off. Between learning the video editing software (Adobe Premiere Pro), creating a storyboard, writing the script, planning the filming, acting, and editing the content… it’s been no small feat for the students in this introductory course! But they have been hard at work, and the video will premiere tonight.
