Posted by Howard Richman on July 02 2008 at 07:41:15:
Filmmaking is a great homeschooling activity. It gives the student a project framework for learning about a wide variety of things including script writing, film editing, and working with people. It also gives students a natural audience for the final product of their work. There are various contests where the work can be entered, giving students a chance to get some recognition that could further their careers.
The above photo of Katelyn Abel accompanies an article by DJ Smith in today´s Dogttown Wire. Here is a selection:
Katelyn first made the documentary on the North Little Rock Animal Shelter for the very first Arkansas Student Filmmaking Competition, winning first place for her age group in March.HowardKatelyn intended the documentary to be used by the shelter as a promotional tool, said mom Shirley Abel.
Katelyn filmed the documentary as she rode around town with shelter employee Julie Coulter to help viewers learn what it is the shelter does for city residents. The main point of the film was the success of its spay and neutering program and the subsequent adoption rate for these dogs and cats.
Though she found out about the Arkansas Student Filmmaking Competition rather late, with the support of her parents this home-schooled student completed the documentary fairly quickly, and said the ride around wasn’t the time needed.
“I spend about three days editing it … and filming was about half a day,” Katelyn said.
Shirley Abel said Katelyn will be starting the Pulaski Technical College Teen College next week where she will be taking the digital video 101 and 102 classes. This will be Katelyn’s first exposure to professional training in film, she said.
Hollywood is the moniker Katelyn must suffer now from her parents, but Shirley Abel said coming from a family that embraces humor, “it rolls off her back.”
Katelyn said he plans to submit more films to the competitions in the future and might pursue a career in film, “but something may change.”
(Katelyn re-edited the documentary for the T Tauri Film Festival after borrowing a computer to remove street noises that she felt were overly loud, her mom said. To view the unedited documentary visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxNaRpToaM.)