MY PHILOSPHY
A new language, suitable for all
Audiovisual expression might not exactly be a “language,” but it’s definitely its own kind of layered communication system. It’s about our ability to “read” and “write” using images and sounds. We come across this kind of content almost every day now—both online and offline, across all kinds of screens. So getting familiar with how images and sounds create meaning in general, and with film in particular, is just as important as knowing how to use language itself.
To get there, we need to follow two paths that go hand in hand: watching films and clips in a more focused way, and actively trying to create things ourselves.
To make that happen, we need to follow two paths at the same time that support each other: watching films and clips with intention, and making a conscious effort to create things ourselves.
The second element, the creative part, mostly happens through hands-on audiovisual activities. These have an artistic aspect to them and help us get used to seeing things from different perspectives—different ways of looking at the world around us. Well-designed, experience-based activities help us realize that anything—even something ordinary we see every day—can take on different meanings depending on how we approach it.
As far as education is concerned, these activities can be done in groups, and they don’t need to be a separate subject—they can run across the whole curriculum.
The activities we suggest can be supported by teachers of all specialties, in any school, without needing special equipment or advanced expertise. The way students work through ideas together—discussing and deciding between different options—is just as important as any knowledge they might gain along the way. The way children and young people work through ideas together—talking things over to decide on one solution or another—is just as important as whatever knowledge they might end up gaining. Experimentation with forms and concepts in a playfull manner, reveals a great deal of the possibilities we have and the variety of versions which occur in real life, their value, strengths and weaknesses.
Individuals and groups can deepen their understanding of reality by creating simple audiovisual projects that are thoughtfully planned.
Paying attention, noticing details, thinking about balance and harmony in an image, understanding how images and sounds work together, experiencing what it’s like to tell our own stories, recognizing the importance of a clear beginning, middle, and end, exploring how to produce a complete and engaging sound, and combining elements of theater, literature, and visual art—as happens in any kind of film—are just some of the skills developed during the creation process.
After that, discussing and analyzing the work as a group brings out even more skills and knowledge: working through ideas together, practicing democratic behavior, forming and expressing opinions, making arguments, and developing a sharp eye for comparing different versions and thinking critically about them within the group.
Understanding each person’s perspective also helps build communication, a sense of equality, and a broader cultural awareness.
