Students arrive at the Dallas Museum of Art for High School Day
Last Friday, we had nearly 400 students visit the Dallas Museum of Art for High School Day, a free educational event that was held in the Dallas Arts District. This event was presented by the Dallas International Film Festival, and the students attended discussions and workshops at the DMA, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Asian Collection, and the Annette Strauss Square at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
High School Day was a day chock-full of workshops and discussion panels from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., during which the students had the opportunity to work with local and regional filmmakers and professionals.
Digital Cinematography with Paul "Bear" Brown
One of the three sessions held at the Museum was Digital Cinematography, which was held in our outdoor sculpture garden. This workshop was led by Paul “Bear” Brown, a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Students in this session learned what type of digital cameras are commonly used in filmmaking, such as the Canon 5D MKII. Other topics included popular production tools such as Sliders.
Students experiencing "Cinematic Response" in the galleries at the Dallas Museum of Art.
While half of the students interacted with Mr. Brown, the other half were making connections between art and film in the Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties exhibition. Cinematic Response, a DMA staff-led experience, allowed the students to be the film “critic” of works of art that are featured in the exhibition. Each student was given an award title, such as “Best Cinematography,” and they selected the work of art that best fit this description. This was a great way to get the students discussing the art of the Roaring Twenties in the context of film.
Another workshop featured at the DMA was The Nuts and Bolts of Screenwriting with Carolyn Hodge, the president of the Dallas Screenwriters Association. Ms. Hodge broke down the fundamental basics of a script and gave some pointers for the students. Then she discussed loglines, and had the students create their own logline based on the movie The Hunger Games. A logline is basically a summary of the film in one or two sentences. This is what one group came up with:
“A young, impoverished girl who struggles to survive a totalitarian government is forced to fight to the death in a competitive feudal match. ”
The Nuts and Bolts of Screenwriting with Carolyn Hodge.
Lighting as Storyteller session with Michael Hofstein
The third and final workshop held at the DMA was Lighting as a Storyteller with SCAD professor Michael Hofstein. Students learned to match specific lighting techniques with the story being told. Holfstein used examples of cinematic lighting rendered in paintings and popular films, and then discussed the importance of lighting within a specific story.
Overall, High School Day was fun and educational for all. The event provided many opportunities for local students to connect with professionals in the filmmaking world. I can’t wait to see what the future of filmmaking holds!
Cheers,
Loryn Leonard
Coordinator of Museum Visits
