Project Overview: Singapore Shorts

Last semester, I gave my Digital Filmmaking students the challenge of creating informative shorts. It was a new genre of video that I was venturing into, so I wasn't quite sure how they students would feel about the challenge and how the videos would turn out. Luckily, my students are rock stars and completely dominated the project.

Here is the overview that I pitched them with, along with the grading rubric:

You have just found out that your best friend from the States is moving to Singapore in the new year and has sent you the following Facebook message:



Your challenge for this upcoming project is to take one aspect of Singaporean culture, be it food, transportation, sayings, holidays, neighborhoods, traditions, and make a 1-2 minute short about it's origins and how it pertains to Singaporean culture. Your goal is to make the video as interesting and informative as possible; you want to make a video for any teenager that is moving to Singapore, therefore you should have the most relevant information for a teenager. Below is the project overview document & grading rubric:

Once the project wrapped and we premiered the films, I asked the students what they thought about the project. Several of them said that while it wasn't the most entertaining project they had worked on, it was one of the more useful ones for them because it gave them a chance to experiment with taking information and presenting in a way that appeals to a particular audience. These shorts also got a more attention outside of school than I thought because through students' connections, individuals started using the films to inform others about Singapore. Authentic audience win!

Check out our Singapore Shorts playlist below and feel free modify the project for your own classroom. Enjoy!