The Making of a Blockbuster: Using Cinematic Techniques in ...

The Making of a Blockbuster: Using Cinematic Techniques in

e-Learning Laura Kratochvil, Northrop Grumman

Produced by

January 15 & 16, 2009

301

DevLearn 2008 Favorite Sessions

DevLearn 2008 Favorite Sessions January 15 & 16, 2009

Page 1Session #301 – The Making of a Blockbuster: Using Cinematic Techniques in e-Learning, Laura Kratochvil, Northrop Grumman

Agenda• The Story

– How can it be told?

• Cinematic Technique– What is it and how is it done?

• Learning and Cinematic Techniques– Why and how?

• Resources and Inspiration

• Q&A



My Story: Laura Kratochvil• Learning Specialist at Northrop Grumman

• Work in: eLearning planning and implementation for the enterprise, work with learning management system within corporate HR, have a design/development background

• Education:– MA in Organizational Learning & Instructional Technology, University of NM– BA Communications, University of NM

• Community Theatre, Media Production

Contact:[email protected]

What story does this house tell?



A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

by Phillip SextonSimple exercises to invigorate ideas of what a picture really could say. Telling stories with pictures.

View some pages:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1582974721/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader‐link

1935‐1943• Federal photographs taken were distributed by the agency to newspapers and

magazines to build support for the government’s New Deal rural programs.

Pictures with a Story to Tell



Story?



Can you identify a famous “story” in the media during the past election?



Foundations of a story



A story with visuals, motion,

sound???

Cinematic Theory

The “Voice” of the storyteller (instructional designer). Applying media elements: motion, visual, audio, timing/presentation in a particular way to tell the story.



Wheee! Movie Night!

I love movie night!

“Acting is all about honesty.

If you can fake that, you've got it made.”



I want to make people cry even when they don't understand my

words.

Every time I get a script it's a matter of trying to know what

I could do with it.

I see colors, imagery. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love.



Writers, speakers, and filmmakers know the power of the "hook" — the content that gets the audience engaged

immediately.

Why do we see so many e-Learning applications that utterly fail to hook us?

What are the best methods for engaging learners?

– The eLearning Guild Learning Solutions, Edge and Emotion What eLearning Programs are Missing, Paul Clothier and Carmen Taran, October 27, 2008

The eLearning Guild Learning Solutions, Making It Matter to the Learner: e-Motional e-Learning, Clark Quinn, April 3, 2006,

Also see:



Throw things at them, hurl them off a cliff, or pull them into adangerous story…make them laugh!

Use characters to tease and pull them along to their goals.

Make it meaningful to them.

…They know that nothing will really happen to them.

1. It’s for the audience

Particular uses of visuals, sound, motion, should involve knowing what emotions you want the audience to experience at a particular time.

2. See, hear, motion the emotion

•A close‐up will fill the screen with emotion, and pulling away to a wide angle shot will dissipate that emotion.

•A sudden cut from wide to close‐up will show a sudden surprise.

•A strange angle will heighten the dramatic meaning.

•Give a visual perspective or camera view “through another’s eyes” to involve the audience.

•Montage, a sequencing technique of edited short shots arranged to show (or provide the illusion of) a particular emotion or situation.



3. A little less conversation, a little more action

Keep it conversational and short! You don’t have to tell everyone everything. Show a smile, disappointment…voice “inflections” in narration…a little sarcasm, humor, can help get the point across…

See blog.cathy-moore.com for ideas

Writing Ideas: http://blog.cathy-moore.com/?cat=9#SlideFrame_1

4. Twists, Tension, and TimingMake them WANT to go to continue your training the WHAT NEXT factor…

Have some things happen at once.

Visuals move faster on screen to show tension…create pace. For example, faster cuts show “panic” or danger…

Appropriate sounds…voices that may annoy, cause tension.



For example…

Did you hear that?

Chaotic sounds, unsettling busy visual motion creates early tension, can’t hear…gives the something is wrong feeling.



More At the Movies…

Notorious

POV in courtroom; can’t “see” stranger but others can…seems mysterious, questionable; Close ups, Ingrid’s view after some drinks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0wFV6D3‐2E



Mystery Man

Visuals of drinking and driving



The next day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3MJjoQivRM

POV: Close up with drink; cut to strange angles sense dizziness



The CameoThe cameo was Hitchcock’s “Easter Egg” or personal signature

A little surprise or hidden gift that may or may not be related to the actual story or software program.

Out of his 52 films, Hitchcock was a cameo in 37

Why?

Creates an underground following, “Buzz”, Gives the audience a treasure hunt and your own special signature

Others known to do this…Microsoft, Pixar…check your DVDs!



eLearning

Cinematic Techniques

+

eLearning “Episode”

Actors, audience follows characters, typically more polished. Characters present information, staged…



eLearning “Documentary”YouTube style, personal, close face shots, personal perspective on a topic—what really happens, “on the ground”

Use low-fidelity or high fidelity: flip cameras, simple edits….to more professional versions.

Example:

Film others at work, have them welcome new employees.

AND

Don’t forget Images..

Photos: Close ups and text, or sound bites and photos

Museums on the Web - Best of the Web: http://www.archimuse.com/mw2008/best/index.html

Stories - no video, pictures and the power of sound http://www.itvs.org/facetoface/intro.html

TED Wish – PangeaI wish to bring the world together for one day a year through the power of film.

http://www.pangeaday.org

http://www.6billionothers.org – video close ups“Portrait of contemporary mankind” – universal questions, what can we learn from life’s

difficulties….

Smashing Magazine:http://www.smashingmagazine.com/category/monday-inspiration

Typography (Smashing Mag)http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/11/19/monday-inspiration-typography-in-motion

Optimal Prescribing: http://multistorymedia.com/optimalprescribing/00_menu.html

Hitchcock Cameos: http://www.filmsite.org/hitchcockcameos.html

Resources and Inspiration



Flip Videos Created DevLearn 2008 Session 402 Get Hi-Fi from Lo-Fi

See your eLearning counterparts in action! Instructional Video “stories” created on‐the‐fly on making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Use of Actors• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADloRNFup4o

Napkin Drawing Style• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmmNanoBLsw

Common Craft or Cut Out Paper Doll Style• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi‐Plzs5_JAThanks to George Aston and Mark Chrisman!!!!

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