Making Movies Matter REPORT OF THE FILM EDUCATION WORKING GROUP Acknowledgements Cover Still: The Boy Who Stopped Talking, available from BFI Video Photographs courtesy of: Artificial Eye British Film Institute Buena Vista International (UK) Ltd. Eros International Ltd. Marysia Lachowicz Metro Tartan Miracle Communications PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Yvonne Salmon Transit Films United International Pictures Warner Bros First published in 1999 by the British Film Institute 21 Stephen Street London W1P 2LN Copyright © British Film Institute 1999 The British Film Institute promotes greater understanding and appreciation of, and access to, film and moving image culture in the UK. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 0 85170 766 1 Designed by Amanda Hawkes Printed in Great Britain by Norwich Colour Print Ltd. Contents Summary 2 CHAPTER THREE: TEACHING 49 The Working Group’s Proposals 3 Who Teaches? 50 Introduction: Why Movies Matter 6 Teaching the Moving Image in Schools 51 Glossary of Acronyms 8 Continuing Professional Development 53 Teaching in the Post-16 Sectors 55 Teaching “Practice” 57 CHAPTER ONE: ACCESS 9 CHAPTER FOUR: RESOURCES 59 The Cinema Experience 10 Video 60 Who Has Access? 11 Copyright 61 Cinemas as an Educational Resource 16 Digital 61 Film Societies 18 Knowing What’s Available 63 Access to What? 20 Archives and Museums 64 Increasing Access through European Funding 24 Classroom Resources 68 The Child Audience 26 APPENDICES 71 Appendix One: Members of the FEWG 72 CHAPTER TWO: LEARNING 29 Appendix Two: Becoming Cineliterate 73 “Cineliteracy” 31 Appendix Three: Key Skills for Initial Teacher Training 80 Film Education in Mandatory Schooling 33 Appendix Four: Protocol: “reproduction of moving image material in educational resources” 81 Film Education Post-16 38 Appendix Five: Evidence Submitted 83 Film Study in Lifelong Learning 41 Appendix Six: Organisations Represented at the Informal Learning Opportunities 42 Invitation Seminars 83 Practical and Creative Learning 45 Appendix Seven: Research Reports 90 Routes to Cineliteracy 47 Appendix Eight: Films and Print Publications Referred Looking Ahead 48 to in the Report 91 making movies matter 2 Summary THE CHALLENGE I extended access to cinema It also argues that wider educational screenings for education audiences access to the moving image requires The Working Group calls for a new through discount schemes; changes to copyright law, improved attitude towards the moving image I all students in initial teacher on-line services, and more resources amongst education policy-makers. training to be taught basic moving for the classroom. They should recognise that critical and image teaching skills; creative moving image skills will be I a model of moving image learning a key element of literacy in the 21st progression to underpin curricular IMPLEMENTATION century. planning, assessment, teacher training, inspection and classroom The Film Education Working Group The Group calls upon the UK moving resources; hopes that its report will stimulate image industries to invest in education I research to provide better evidence discussion between agencies and as a long-term strategy. This will help about the effectiveness of moving institutions at many levels: notably to create the knowledgeable, critically image education. between Government departments; aware audiences upon which the value between schools and cinemas; and and integrity of their future output between the public and private depend. THE ARGUMENT sectors. Many of the FEWG proposals require only modest changes in The report argues for stronger established policies: implementation THE PROPOSALS infrastructural support for moving can begin now. Others are more image education through a national fundamental and, for that reason, Moving image education in the UK has library strategy and regional networks require prompt action. developed in random and piecemeal linking cinemas, educational ways for 50 years. This report institutions, archives, libraries, film proposes consistent standards of UK- societies and other relevant bodies. wide moving image education, accessible to everyone. The Group has paid particular attention to the needs of younger audiences The Working Group makes 22 proposals and learners, to informal and lifelong which, taken together, constitute a learning, and to opportunities for coherent strategy for change. practical production, while acknowledging the importance of academic study in Key proposals include: formal contexts for older students. I moving image education in UK The report advocates teaching and curricula at all educational levels, learning about the cultural and and an acknowledgement of the historical value of the moving image moving image in the National as well as about its importance in Literacy Strategy; conveying information and ideologies. making movies matter The Working Group’s Proposals 3 PROPOSAL IMPLEMENTATION (glossary of acronyms p 8) FUNDING 1. All publicly funded film activity in the UK should include a relevant educational component. (para 2.4) Film Council 2. Production of film drama, animation and documentary for children under 12 should be made a policy priority by the appropriate Lottery distributors. Arts Councils, Film Council, (para 1.38) Scottish Screen 3. Media III should be lobbied to support initiatives in film education, including video publishing. (para 1.35) DCMS ACCESS AND RESOURCES 4. A discount scheme should be established to provide standard discount rates for school and college student groups at cinemas. (para 1.12) All UK exhibitors 5. A scheme should be established to reduce film hire charges for student-only screenings. (para 1.13) All UK distributors 6. The European Copyright Directive should take full account of the needs of moving image education and ensure that the “right to copy” moving image material for educational purposes is no less than that for print, and that the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 be amended accordingly. (para 4.7) HM Government 7. The capabilities of digital technology to support film education should be more thoroughly explored through research and software development. (para 4.11) BECTA, SCET, DENI 8. A national strategy should be developed for collaboration between libraries with substantial moving image-related holdings and other relevant organisations, possibly in the form of a Library and Information Plan. (para 4.17) BFI National Library 9. Educational access to film archive holdings should be improved through central negotiations with rights-holders and an accelerated video publishing BFI Collections and other programme. (para 4.21) UK film archives making movies matter 4 PROPOSAL IMPLEMENTATION (glossary of acronyms p 8) PROVISION 10. Cinema-based educational provision throughout the UK should be improved BFI, Film Education and and expanded. (para 1.18] partner venues 11. Practical production opportunities in non-vocational contexts should be made more widely and consistently available through: I research into existing provision; I a UK-wide conference for providers; I co-ordinated bids to the New Opportunities Fund for a UK-wide programme BFI, Scottish Screen, Sgrîn and the of such provision in after-school clubs. (para 2.50) Northern Ireland Film Commission FORMAL EDUCATION 12. The model of moving image learning progression provided in this report (Appendix Two) should be developed in consultation with teachers and published as guidance to teachers, inspectors and trainers. (para 2.52) QCA, SCCC, CCEA, ACCAC 13. The mandatory curricula in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland, and the curricular guidelines in Scotland, should specify the study of “moving image” as part of the national language curricula at all age levels. (para 2.14) QCA, SCCC, CCEA, ACCAC 14. The National Literacy Strategy should advise teachers to acknowledge children’s film and television experience, develop their understanding of it through classroom talk, and link it to text-level work. (para 2.18) DfEE 15. Curricula in History, Modern Foreign Languages and other relevant subjects at all levels, and specialist post-14 syllabuses in these subjects, should take account of the ways in which moving image media can support and enhance QCA, SQA, SCCC, CCEA, ACCAC learning. (para 2.20) and the Awarding Bodies 16. Media Studies syllabuses should always include moving image study and Film Studies should continue to be recognised as a distinct subject in its QCA, SCCC, CCEA, ACCAC and own right. (para 2.23) the Awarding Bodies 17. Moving image education should be designated as a mandatory element of inspections, and training should be provided for inspectors in how to evaluate moving image education practice. (para 3.10) OFSTED, OHMCI, HMI, DENI making movies matter PROPOSAL IMPLEMENTATION 5 (glossary of acronyms p 8) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 18. In order to ensure better and wider provision, research is needed into the locations, processes and outcomes of informal personal learning about film. (para 2.39) NIACE, BFI, HEIs 19. Planning should begin now for a more substantial incorporation of moving image education in future revisions of school curricula. (para 2.52) QCA, SCCC, CCEA, ACCAC 20. Higher priority should be given to funding moving image research, and to research into teaching and learning about the moving image at all levels of informal and formal education, and findings should be appropriately and widely disseminated. (para 2.54) ESRC, AHRB TRAINING