Making Movies at School

Cherbourg is an Indigenous community near Murgon in the South Burnett area of Queensland. Cherbourg State School is where Indigenous leader Chris Sarra implemented his “Strong & Smart” strategy. This strategy continues today and is advocated by principal Jo Ross.

Film classes have been running in Cherbourg State School since 2003, initiated by Robyn Hofmeyr through the Strong and Smart Program. We continue to work closely together on the film projects.


The film classes are an incentive based co-curricular program, that is, students from Years 4 – 7 who are following the strong and smart philosophy and “doing the right thing” are given the opportunity to take part. This creates a wonderfully creative environment because the students strive to come to the class, and once there, really work towards the outcome of a finished film.

The workshops give the students the opportunity to learn about the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as how to use cameras, microphones and editing equipment and the intention is to increase and encourage literacy as the students write and develop their own scripts. We often find students who think they cannot write or tell stories willing to take a chance in the film classes. Filmmaking becomes a creative outlet and a learning tool for students who are fearful of mainstream learning practices. It can assist students to engage with story telling and the different genres in a less formal environment.


The classes also help boost confidence as students contribute and workshop their own ideas, and increase their technical literacy. Performance workshops are an integral part of the classes, a highlight of which is the students acting in their films, and watching their own performances back on tape.

Each group aims to complete two short films per year, giving the students the voice and means to tell their own stories. Therefore, the expected outcomes for each class are quite defined, as certain parts of a film need to be completed each week. At the beginning of each lesson, we have either a worksheet or a to-do list, which the students can tick off themselves. A clearly defined goal for each class is very important in engaging the students.

Due to the potentially chaotic nature of filmmaking (what can go wrong will go wrong!), we need to be somewhat flexible in the classroom. It is always most important to achieve a good end product so that the students can feel that their hard work has paid off, and they are indeed called upon to work very hard. They often stay behind at lunchtimes of their own accord, so that they can watch back their rushes, or finish a particular shoot.

The films, once completed, are then entered into various film festivals across Australia. This is very important, as it connects the students to the wider community, and also means that their hard work continues to reap rewards.

So far, the students have had great success with festivals, winning major awards over the last three consecutive years at the Australian Primary Schools “Dream-A-Better-World” Film Festival. Cherbourg State School has also won awards at the Liquid Lens Festival (as part of the Brisbane RiverFestival 2007), the National Wakakirri Story Competition, and “The Giggly Cake” was also selected to screen at the Brisbane International Film Festival in 2008.

A wonderful aspect of being selected for various film competitions is the potential for an excursion to the festival. Students have had the opportunity to be present at many Awards Nights in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast in order to accept their prizes. The students are developing an ever-growing pride in their work, and confidence in their ideas and abilities. They write thank you speeches, memorise them, and then present them to crowded theatres. This assists to dispel the inherent psychology of “shame” that is sometimes prevalent amongst young indigenous students. The other classes clamour to make films that will take them on these exciting excursions.

In 2008, the film classes were also involved in an Early Years Literacy Project, in which CSS created and published 8 books. We produced 3 films to accompany some of the books. The film classes worked with other classes and teachers within the school community, and this gave more children an opportunity to be a part of the filming process. The project was a whole school project and the teachers and other staff at the school integrated different ideas and learning opportunities into every day learning in the classroom. For example the Year 6 class had to make a book and a film for the Year 2 classes. They had to think about target audience and genres as well as design and simple story lines.

An important aspect of indigenous education is building relationships within the school and with the community. The film classes have really given the students an opportunity to do this. Many of the films tell historical stories, dreamtime stories, or include elders as an important character in their narrative. There is an abundance of elders in the community willing to be involved, and allow the kids to tap into their knowledge and stories.

We often invite elders to the class, so that the students can interview them for research for their scripts / stories (this is always done on camera, whether the interview is to be a part of the film or just research. The students love watching themselves, and it gives them a good opportunity to critique their techniques and skills in filmmaking). This increases the students’ awareness of their local history and culture and their pride in it.

Palm Island and Woorabinda are some other Aboriginal communities that have run similar media programs, and the Cherbourg students love watching the films from other schools. It connects them to other communities, and critiquing them is an important learning tool, as we discuss what and why the students like about the films, how problems could have been overcome: “how we could have done it better”.

The film classes in Cherbourg have been very valuable, not only because of the students measurable success in competitions adding to their confidence and pride, but in contributing to literary outcomes in the classroom, and self-confidence in voicing ideas and participating creatively. The students really care about the films, and thus become engaged in the educational processes. They hope to continue their success throughout 2009.

(Tanya won the EnhanceTV ATOM Award for Teacher of the Year in 2008)

Related links:
Cherbourg State School

Video
Cherbourg students’ film

Study Guide
Teaching Television in the Primary School