22. Screening Literacy:
a survey of European Film Education
Mark Reid
Head of Education, BFI
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23. Research Question
The Tender Specification of the European Commission
requested
‘a report mapping the current practices in
film literacy in Europe’
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24. Research Objectives
A ‘European-scale experts study which identifies and
analyses film literacy provision in Europe – in formal and
informal settings, and all age groups’:
– Film literacy and AV national policy; film industry; broadcasters
– National Curricula: single subject or cross-curricula; learning
objectives;
– Informal sector: film institutes, NGOs, grassroots groups
– Role of film industry and media professionals in film literacy
projects
– Examples of good practice
27 EU, 3 EEA nations, plus Croatia and Switzerland
Policy recommendations to EC, for Creative Europe
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25. EC Definition of Film Literacy
The Terms of Reference for the survey included a definition of
film literacy, later amended, as follows:
‘the level of understanding of a film, the ability to be conscious
and curious in the choice of films; the competence to critically
watch a film and to analyse its content, cinematography and
technical aspects; and the ability to manipulate its language
and technical resources in creative moving image production’
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26. Film, Media or Literacy?
To be literate is to participate fully in a culture
To participate fully in 21C culture, we
have to be literate in the moving image
‘It is vital and obvious that understanding,
manipulating, and appreciating the film sentence
should be an accepted part of the education
system’ Anthony Minghella
Film, Media, as Literacy
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27. National Partners
Polish Film Institute EYE /NDS Film Institute
Irish Film Institute Uni of Algarve
Uni of Roma Tre Vision Kino
Hungarian MPAA Slovenian Film Centre
CZ Nat Film Archive Hellenic AV Institute
27
Station Next (Denmark)
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28. Phasing the Research
Phase 1 Survey -- January until March 2012:
• Online questionnaire sample of 12 nations via Survey Monkey
• Case studies of 3 sectors in each nation
• 2pp summary of film education provision in each nation
• Survey ‘triangulated’ by third parties
• Advisory group seminar on 26th March to refine questionnaires and
absorb initial findings
Phase 2 Survey -- May until July 2012:
• Questionnaires and case studies from 20 nations
• Fewer case studies as examples of good models
• Transnational projects examined
• Additional surveys - heritage, families, cinemas
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29. Deliverables
• 12pp Exec Summary (suitable for presentation to
general public)
• Description of methodology
• 1-2 page summary picture for each nation
• Recommendations
• 50+ case studies incl transnational programmes
• FilmLiteracyAdvisoryGroup.wordpress.com
• www.bfi.org.uk/screeningliteracy
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31. Main Findings
aims and purposes of film education
strategies in place; types of provision
in the classroom, after school, outside school
funded, assessed
providers and recipients
Why?
What?
Where?
How?
Who?
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32. A strong model of film education
What would it look like, for you?
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33. Strong Models of Film Education
• A high degree of co-ordination across sectors supported by a
national strategic plan
• Entitlement on behalf of all people to become ‘literate’ in
the moving image (watching, understanding, making)
• Being part of a wider national culture in film
• Informal valued as highly as formal education
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34. Strong Models of Film Education 2
• Robust and independent evaluation
• High levels of participation, sustained across a period of time,
with measured and recorded outcomes
• Funding across public, commercial, education and cultural
sectors
• Accredited and funded professional development opportunities
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35. • Create and publish a set of
models of film education that cover
different curriculum approaches,
pedagogies, learning resources,
and training.
• Establish a ‘Translation Fund’ for
extending programmes and
resources that are valued in other
nations
• Support for further research
especially on funding, take-up and
impact of film education
programmes
•
• Priority to be given to exploring
and developing programmes for
families and diverse communities,
and for developing activity in
accession states
• Support and guidance on
exploiting heritage film, and
changes to IP law required
• Develop models of professional
development across the sector,
including a European MA in Film
Education
• A Film Literacy Advisory Group to
advise on priority areas for
funding, and to steer research
Recommendations
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36. What next?
• Report publication: www.bfi.org.uk/screeningliteracy
• Film Literacy Advisory Group:
http://filmliteracyadvisorygroup.wordpress.com/
• Derry seminar in June followed by Warsaw seminar
October, 2013
• Creative Europe-funded Film Education Framework 2014
• EFAD Research Semonar, London, October 2014
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Notes de l'éditeur
Thank you for inviting me to speak here today; I would like to share with you some of the outcomes from a research project funded by the European Commission, to survey film education programmes across 32 European countries. It’s the first time this has been done in a generation, so we welcome the chance to add to intelligence in this area. I’ll present this in two media: in words, in a moment, but first, in pictures.
Calling ‘action!’ in Poland
It’s learning at the Cinema - in Austria, at the FilmMuseum
Czech Rep
It’s asking questions in Lithuania
In Germany, Schools Film Week
The very young, in Holland
And their grandparents.. Or great grandparents
Sound recording, Greece
Knife wielding children in Denmark, at StationNext
Being a pirate in Belfast
Film represents the world, whatever is in it; it creates new worlds. Why not geese in Hungary?
You have the whole world to shoot in Barcelona; or you can turn your back on it
It’s on the street, in Rome
And it’s looking back at the past (IN LITHUANIA)
Os filhos do lumiere
Playing the soundtrack in Llubjiana
It’s a serious business in Sweden
And especially in France..
But it’s not always serious…
It’s the young film-maker looking back at you
Those pictures weren’t taken as part of the data gathering process, but still reveal significant aspects of film education in Europe - both continuities and individual distinctiveness, which would stimulate rich discussion - but for another time
This is the question we were asked to answer by EC..
The first part of our research was to insist that ‘making’ film was as important as watching it. Film literacy is an entitlement for all citizens and, like print literacy, the making or ‘writing’ is as important as the ‘reading’ or watching. So the EC definition is now the one you see here.
For the BFI, our definition goes back to UNESCO in the early 1990s (but I don’t have a reference, sorry!) It says that being literate is to participate in society, and that to participate fully in contemporary society and culture, we have to be literate in the moving image. Anthony Minghella, who used to be Chair of the BFI, put it very eloquently.
We split the research programme into two parts: an early trial of questionnaire survey, with a small group, and which enabled us to refine our research questions. Then a much wider trawl of nations and partners, with a re-calibrated research mechanism. This approach allowed us to identify and address gaps in knowledge. We made sure our surveys were ‘triangulated’, or double checked, by a third respondent in each nation. We think we arrived at a pretty accurate national picture of each country.
We have had our final short report approved, and have published a fuller report online at www.bfi.org.uk/screeningliteracy
This is what a sample national picture looks like: 2 to 3 pages on each country, under these headings.
After surveying 30 countries, we made some judgements on the support and the features which characterise strong national models of film education provision. Each of these features is more often than not absent in Europe. No country has it all, though Norway, Denmark, Croatia, NI, France, have national strategies jointly owned by Ministries of Culture and Education. In other countries there are high levels of co-ordination, and some film institutes have published their own national strategies.
After surveying 30 countries, we made some judgements on the support and the features which characterise strong national models of film education provision