The course was set in motion with various activities, spurring students to discover their creativity, imagination and capability for writing a script and creating a story board. These initial exercises helped to get rid of the trepidation some students felt and led to the sowing of seeds for ideas needed to make films using the theme; I Have a Dream - Youth & Climate Change - Making Mother Earth Cleaner and Greener. Numerous sessions were conducted to ideate and create a strong knowledge-base of skills required. Camera handling and optimal camera angles were an integral part of this course.

Film is a visual medium that dramatizes a basic story line. Teacher-Mentor, Gail Fernandes, assisted and guided students through the entire duration, especially with revision of the scripts. Just like pearls on a strand, she enhanced the student’s creative scenes and strung the sequences together with dialogues and description for the short films.

Fr. Fernandes held 15 sessions on film making for about one and a half hours each during school hours. After thought-provoking, vigorous sessions on direction and writing; cinematography and editing; photography and financial budgeting; students were urged into selecting the topic for each film and to write good content. This enabled them to unlock entirely new dimensions of film making. The students had to save their pocket money and obtain contributions to fund their own films. The school pitched in to defray part of the expenses and finance some short film projects.

They put down on paper details about camera angles needed while shooting and locations, scene-wise. Scripts got underway and the buzz around the school campus was noticeable. Actors from within the school (students and other staff members) were roped in. Locations were identified. The school allowed optimal usage of the facilities available, auguring for team work and collaboration at its best. Shooting began with great exhilaration and the torrential rains were no deterrent.

Alston D’cunha (Student Film Director/Actor) said, “I shot the same scene nearly fifty times to ensure that it came out right. Film is a visual medium that dramatizes a basic story line.”

7 short films and 1 documentary on the conservation of mangroves were the result of this endeavour. Two Short films “ Green Desk and Eco Caregivers” from our school have been selected for screening at the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival (DBGYFF) Rome, an annual film festival for diverse audiences, aimed at encouraging, educating and empowering youth all over the world.

Delisha Gonsalves (Student Director of the Short Film – Green Desk) said, “While making our short film, the main character was a 4-year-old girl. To convince her to take shots was difficult, yet, we had so much fun. We went to various locations, shot from different angles, spent hours, and then we created a beautiful film.”

Professional cameras and cameramen were used, especially for the 9-minute-long documentary which boasts many natural, outdoor locations.

Krish Sinha (Student Director of the documentary – Eco Caregivers) said, "This is the first time I have worked with professionals. As I began researching and planning, I realized how complex and fascinating the world of mangroves is. It was not the beauty but the resilience that struck me that struck me. Mangrove forests have adapted to survive in one of the harshest environments on earth.”

The software used for video-editing was V & N and quite a few students excelled. In this regard, Sameer Meena deserves a special mention. This no-holds barred, entertaining yet demanding course, served not only to discover and view the immense talent and abilities of the students but was also a great learning experience. The importance of environmental conservation struck home. Sapling plantation was a way to put this into practice.

Taking this initiative ahead, Don Bosco High School and Junior College, Naigaon East, will screen each film for the staff and students. The documentary on mangrove conservation will be used to facilitate learning in every classroom and debates will be held at the inter-class level.

This film-making course enabled students not only to craft their own short films but also to peek into the more pressing topic of environmental conservation.

Gail D. Fernandes

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