The Shoot-Out

One of the activities on the day will be called 'The Shoot Out'. From the warped minds of myself, Keiran Jones and Rachel Sowden we decided that it would be great fun for the students to create a mini film in the style of a spaghetti western. Drawing inspiration from films such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West, we will be getting the students to think about the effects and use of a variety of shots to create tension. So from the establishing shots, to medium and to extreme close-ups.

Our first idea was to have the students themselves act out in the film. However, it then dawned on us that they may feel under too much pressure. So Rachel and I decided to volunteer ourselves as the actor and have the students as the film crew. It is going to be a very time-pressured activity so will require dedication and quick-thinking from the students. Hopefully the students will learn what is possible in a matter of about half an hours worth of filming.

Room Recce

The room recce went very well with Rachel, Tom and organiser Chloe. The room did actually change though which was at first seen as a disadvantage. However, when it came to it, the room we used on the day, NAG03 turned out to be perfect as we had a projector and computer at our disposal, and access to outside if the weather was on our side.

Props

Rachel and I decided to get props for authenticity (and a bit of fun). We conversed with marketing regarding our budget and it turned out we had around £20 to spare. So we decided to buy three cowboy hats, guns and fake moustaches. Rachel also managed to sort out bales of hay to decorate the place.

General Rules

I thought it would be a good idea for the students to be able to draft some kind of short script for us. I suggested it could be like the old school game of consequences, where one person comes up with one line, then another the next etc.

We decided that each line should probably have some sort of theme. So we thought of this:

• An accusation: Eg. “You stole ma' Woman.” “You burnt ma' barn”

• A defence: Eg. “I had to, the townspeople depended on it”

• A threat: Eg. “I'm gonna make you eat hay.”

• Another threat: Eg. “You're gonna pay!”

• An outcome: Eg. Who dies...

This then allows the students to come up with something completely original which will be fun and hopefully they will learn from working under pressure. One way we though to set the mood would be to have country and western music playing when the students entered the room like Johnny Cash.