ARCHIVED - Our Voices, Our Stories:
First Nations, Métis and Inuit Stories

Educational Resources

The Story Blanket

Activity 2.3
Recording the Story Blanket Video

As a further extension of the story blanket, your class may wish to create video productions of their stories, incorporating narration along with their blanket illustrations.

Here are some simple instructions to help plan this activity.

1. The Opening Credits

• The title page and credits (name of school, grade, etc.) should be done using the same artistic technique as the illustrations. Provide a generous white margin for print.
• Place visuals and credits on a rest so that they are filmed at a straight angle.
• Put your camera on a tripod or other stable surface.
• Shoot a blank screen for approximately 15 seconds at the beginning of the tape.
• Start with the title of the story and the author. Shoot each credit for 3 seconds. Use the camera's pause function between each credit.

2. Shooting Scenes

• Each student reads their own dialogue into the microphone.
• Film each illustration separately.
• Ensure each student speaks slowly and clearly.
• The microphone is very sensitive to background noises, so use a quiet separate room for recording.
• Roll the camera for 3 seconds before each student begins speaking to create a slight pause between each scene.

3. The Closing Credits

• The microphone can be turned off during this filming.
• Begin with the closing credits listing the students.
• Shoot the printed names of the class on one page, for three seconds, followed by a group shot (students can wave and smile while being filmed.)
• Be sure to mention film crew, author of story, musical artist and any other acknowledgments or thanks that need to be mentioned.

4. Background Music

• Music can be chosen and dubbed over the opening and closing credits. (You can create your own music or ensure that the music you choose is copyright free.)
• Students should select a piece of music appropriate for the story's theme.
• Ensure that the music is not overpowering, soft instrumental can be effective.

5. Film Editing

• There are film-editing programs that can help with the editing and production of videos, as well as importing music and burning the video to disk. I-movie for Mac users and Movie Maker for PC users are easy to use and produce professional results.
• Share your videos and stories with others.

Note: Please see Evaluation Tools to evaluate student participation.