Multisensory filmmaking

Now, you’ll get a chance to experience the benefits of taking and watching mindful walks by completing an easy filmmaking activity.

You may be concerned about the equipment and time it may take to facilitate filmmaking in the classroom, so we’d like to introduce you to Shoot and Screen – a simple one-shot filmmaking activity that can be completed in minutes.

All you need is a mobile phone, tablet or camera. After that, it’s as simple as pressing ‘record’ at the start of the shot and ‘stop’ at the end.

Activity

1. Think of a relaxing place nearby with plenty of aural and visual details to dig into. While visiting green spaces has additional health benefits, you do not need to be ‘out in the wild’ to reap the rewards of mindful walks. They can take place anywhere and at any time, with the right mindset.
2. Take a short walk through the area and plan how you’ll capture the sights and sounds in the space. Then, make a list of the elements you could draw the audience’s attention to in your film.
3. Make notes in the Mindful Walk Planning activity sheet, available in the Downloads area.
4. Create your film. Select the video function on your device, press ‘record’ and start shooting. Keep it simple and no more than one minute long.
5. Exhibit your masterpiece. If your mindful film is smaller than 30MB, upload it to the Mindfulness Through Film Padlet. If it runs bigger, please upload it to YouTube and share a link here in the Comments or on the Padlet. Instructions for how to upload to YouTube can be found here.

Don’t worry if you final film isn’t perfect – it’s all part of the learning process. We’ll dive further into filmmaking strategies and consider top tips for using different camera shot types and movements in Week 2.

Teaching practice
Before setting students off to make their films, why not show them your own? It is a great opportunity to model your own mindfulness journey, reassure students that their films don’t need to be professional-looking and offer practical tips for completing the task.

If time is limited, consider setting the filmmaking as homework. One major advantage is the variety of settings that you can screen in your lessons afterwards.

If any films contain young people, be sure to follow the safeguarding policies of your school and seek permissions from parents before screening in public spaces such as online.

Let us know how you got on in the Comments section. What challenges did you face? What did you enjoy the most? How might you use the activity with your class?

To further explore the role of nature in promoting wellbeing, download Mental Health Foundation’s Connect with Nature schools pack and Thriving with Nature guide.