Back in November I first wrote about my aspirations to create a secondary school class lip dub. I am not sure a Year 9 class is the best place to start, but they are a great bunch of hard working students, so lets through caution to the wind. Do you need reminding what a lip dub is? Well. it is a
type of video that combines lip syncing and audio dubbing to make a music video. It is made by filming individuals or a group of people lip synching while listening to a song or any recorded audio then dubbing over it in post editing with the original audio of the song.
Today is an exciting day, or at least I am very excited. After just six lessons we are about to attempt our first full length take, giving us just one lesson to fall back on. What I have I learnt? Lipdubs are an OUTSTANDING group task that has absolutely heaps of educational potential perhaps not obivously ICT, but heaps of potential nevertheless. This is a very rich learning experience, for me as a teacher and learner, and for the students. What did we learn?
Research and Negotiation – Which track should the group select? Why? Has the track been lip dubbed alread? (We were beaten to our first choice track.) We ended up using a choice activity to vote. Researching prior examples, getting idea.
Organisation – Not only do you have to be organised in creating / filming the lib dub but in our case, working a lesson by lesson, booking facilities, organising where we meet, where to store school bags. In the later stages, what props were needed, who was getting the face paints, Workign around the PE classes and customers in the sports centre. This would lend itself better to a day event, but I dont think this would be possible.
Commitment – Its a long task to execute. You have lyrics to learn, places to stand – basically you have to know your role. Student had to remember props, buy make-up and so the list goes on.
Patience – Sometimes you are planning within the entire group, sometimes within your mini sections. Some times you just have to wait as retake after retake is required to get it right. Mid point car crashes made it a long wait for some students.
Manners – a lip dub works in a live setting. We had to work with and around staff, sports centre customers. Our students had to be trusted and reminded that this was not ‘a typical lesson’ and that their behaviour was paramount. They were excellent.
Logistics – What was achievable in our time frame, 4 weeks, 8 lesson, 60 minutes long, the number of students 25-30 and budget, £15.
ICT – Camera work. Camera angles, wide shots, close ups, it was full of video terminology. If we had more time, we would use a lesson on file types, converting file types and Movie Maker.
However, the last two learning aspects were the most influential.
Creativity and Leadership – It was all about how the students interpreted the lyrics. Their is an ideas, their insights and the leaders that emerged to make it happen.
Teamwork – 3 minute video, 30 students, X number of interchanges. We had to work together. The that took on rolls without asking, the audio team, the camera team. The students that covered one another when absent, the students that improvised and shared ideas off camera.
On the way into her achievement evening, I bumped into a student. Following pleasantries she noted, ‘mum, that’s the lesson I was telling you about. The miming thing.’ It would appear that its captured at least her attention.
Rest assured, I am not the only wacked out teacher out there! There is a very simple hints and tip page @ Universitylipdub page and Lipdub are now offering corporate creative lip dub workshops! Event the Simpsons have there own micro lipdub. I am moving to English next year and I will find a place for another Lipdub. Somehow, I think it would fit better her than in ICT, even better in Creative Arts?