Sunday, March 27, 2022

2022 Post #13 -- "We Are Made of Star Stuff"

by Angela Stockman

Recently, Abigail Lund shared this wonderful post intended to help writing teachers bring stop motion video making into their classrooms. I've been sinking into this work myself in recent weeks, in preparation for my own work with young writers in my little studio here in Buffalo, New York.

Once upon a time, I would have been daunted by such invitations, but now--thanks to technology--it's not so difficult to create these quick animations anymore. There are so many different apps and tools that support stop motion creativity, and even our youngest and least experienced writers are able to navigate many of them.

And National Poetry Month is the perfect time to try! I know that we often situate stories inside of these frames, but in many ways, poetry is even more accessible. Really! Let me explain.




I was so inspired by this poetry in motion short, inspired by Georgia Heard and narrated by Namakula. Notice how the images align to the words? This kind of creation is as clean as it is complex, don't you think? Linking images to lines as opposed to scenes is a simpler something for new and inexperienced writers. Try this. You'll see what I mean.

Beginning is as simple as storyboarding a poem, line by line, and snapping, drawing, or locating open source images that represent each line. How might you use Namakula's video as a mentor text for one that your own student's might create? And how might Abigail's post inform you further? If you'd like more support, including storyboards and examples to share with the writers and designers in your workshop, visit this Drive folder. I've left some goodies for you there.

Further Reading: 


Angela Stockman is the founder of Make Writing Studios in Buffalo, New York. An Instructional Designer and adjunct faculty at Daemen University, she's published several books about the relationship between making and writing. You may find her on Twitter @AngelaStockman and on Instagram @angela_makewriting.

1 comment:

  1. So many possibilities with this. Thank you for sharing your idea and your support materials!

    ReplyDelete