Dear Polytechnic School,

I’m pleased to be applying for the position of Film Teacher at Poly. I am currently the Media Arts, Film Production and Digital Photography teacher at Alverno Heights Academy. I have a deep passion for the art of film and photography and love teaching high school students. Currently at Alverno, I offer a Video & Media Production (Level 1) video class that focuses on filmmaking for beginners as well as an Advanced Filmmaking (Level 2) class for more experienced short film makers. In the level one course, students also host a live news broadcast show called KATV. In addition, I teach Digital Photography and moderate the Yearbook class.

I have enjoyed developing these courses and watching my students become filmmakers and broadcasters. This year we will be hosting our first Film Festival at our Visual and Performing Arts night, where students will showcase their short films. The curriculums for the above mentioned courses have been developing over the last 5 years and they are University of California approved courses in Visual Arts. With an emphasis on visual storytelling, the media production course teaches students the technical aspects of creating a complete video, from pre-production to filming to post production. Students analyze the history of film, well known films, directors and screenplays to better understand how to create a successful short film or video piece. Students also became well versed in video editing software. We also had a lot of fun going live on Youtube with our weekly KATV broadcast where students learn interviewing skills, cover school events, create fun pieces and explore the fundamentals of news journalism.

In my career I have spent the last 13 years working in marketing, photography and video production.

I have a deep passion for the camera, for storytelling and for introducing these art forms to students.

I hope to be able to expose students to real world events around Los Angeles where they can learn more about video production. I have also brought in a variety of guest speakers to my classes, from short film directors to a Marvel storyboard artist. I also know the value of taking students out on

LA studio tours or field trips to see live sets. I believe all students have the capacity and ingenuity to tell stories and I would love to show them how film can bring those stories to life. I believe in fostering a welcoming classroom where student feel free to create.

In the classroom I understand the importance of lesson planning, creating a syllabus, timely assessments and proper grading. At Alverno, I also held a variety of roles including Student Council Moderator, Academic Advisor and Varsity Soccer Coach. I am familiar with an active high school campus and I am happy to help wherever I am needed.

I have heard so many wonderful things about your school and would love the opportunity to join your Visual Arts department and encourage students to become filmmakers or broadcast journalists. Enclosed you will find my resume, which further details my skills, experience, and qualifications. I look forward to discussing with you how I can contribute to your school. I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you,

Susana Capra

The ONE HOUR film

Here is your mission. You have 60 minutes starting now...

Your prompt is...
FIRST DAY OF SENIOR YEAR. 

Your story line will include a typical senior arriving to school on her last first day of high school. Will you feature her in class? Walking around? Seeing her friends? Will there be voiceover? Music? Sound? Will she be excited? scared? comfortable? 

You will have 60 minutes!

Choose from these concepts:

-Student cannot open her locker and attempts to

-Student is late on first day and receives a detention

Your work will include:
(10 minutes) Creating a main character and movie style
(10 minutes) Create a 1 page script!
(15 minutes) Filming your short movie - with your phones! Choose a cinematographer, actors, a director, and a set designer. Film the short piece. Be sure to get a variety of angles and shots.
(25 minutes) Editing your short movie (Sound, titles, etc) The editor will make all final decisions with the guidance of the director. Title the film & let’s watch!

Requirements:
Due today by 1:55pm
Must be at least 60 seconds
Must include a main character
Must be filmed & edited by your group
Get creative & try your best!

FINAL VIDEOS:

Become the Director

Present on your favorite director. You are encouraged to become the character and present as if you are the director telling us your story. 

Must be: 
5-10 minutes
Must include Director's philosophy, theory and style
Must include Director's history and story
Must include mention of films director has created

Presentation Example:

Lighting Workshop

Exploring a variety of lighting techniques, lighting styles and utilizing different lighting equipment.

ALL CLASS EDIT

Part 1: The idea behind the film was built from a student’s concept of a one page essay titled, "If my body could talk." The story is that a body is found somewhere in the woods and the investigator or coroner realizes he/she knows the victim because of a scar, tattoo or piece of jewelry. You will fill in the blanks and create a storyboard. This is due on Tuesday in class. We will choose one storyboard to go out and film! 

Part 2: Choose storyboard that is best fit to film in class. Choose a storyboard that is concise, clear and creative. Choose a cinematographer, actors, a director, an editor and a set designer. Film the short piece. Be sure to get a variety of angles and shots.

Part 3: Everyone will edit their own version with the clips filmed during class. We will then watch all the different versions together in class.

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP

Using StudioBinder students learned how to create a screenplay. We used ARC Studio’s free screenwriting software to create scripts.

KATV

Alverno’s News Station

Weekly news station produced and directed by students. The episodes stream live on Youtube and include school announcements, real world news, specialty segments and more.