To capture something on camera is to frame, represent and record it. Capturing your world, story or ideas on camera involves much more than just pointing your camera at a subject or scene and pressing the shutter button. It is important to consider your vision and aims as an artist and how you communicate these to your audience. Capturing their attention and interest is essential to the successful realisation and resolution of your work.

Moving images have the power to capture or create stories, scenarios, worlds, moments, events and even time itself in ways that still images cannot replicate. Film is a powerful story-telling medium that has become increasingly relevant and accessible in our contemporary world. Digital technologies, such as smartphones and apps, create everyday opportunities to make, edit and share films with ease.

Short films represent an important and unique genre of film that allows artists to convey their directorial vision to audiences in dramatic, highly engaging ways, often with minimal resources.

Through this filmmaking project, you will explore the visual and sensory language of film, working with your peers and teacher(s) to create a short film through a process of development, pre-production, production and post-production. You will have exciting opportunities to develop your understandings and skills in filmmaking, inspired and informed by industry professionals and the diversity of knowledge and skills in creative arts.

Films take us on journeys and immerse us in worlds and stories beyond the surface of what we see. They can challenge our perspectives and lead us to ask meaningful questions about our world and ourselves. What filmmaking journey will you start today?

This resource focuses on developing skills, knowledge and understanding of filmmaking for Stage 5 students across dance, drama, music, photography and digital media and visual design.

This resource provides strategies and suggests activities for the development of short films through a deep exploration of film conventions. 

These approaches can be tailored to fit any creative arts subject as standalone units or collaborative work across multiple classes. Teachers can set standalone activities from the resource or work sequentially through the entire series of activities. Teachers can adapt or add resources and/or feedback tasks to further differentiate learning.