Shenandoah Students Create Short Films at Animation Festival

As an introduction to the connection between science and technology, 45 Gifted Resource students from Shenandoah Elementary School attended the Red Stick Animation Festival downtown recently. Sessions led by international experts and producers of popular digital animation shared their expertise in the field of animation films.  Fifth grader Kevyn Pham enjoyed the film ‘Spontaneous Fantasia’ “because we got to interact with the shows. The most challenging part of the trip was making 3-D clay monsters for the movie clips,” he said. He was joined in creating clay monsters for an original movie clip by students Jackson DeGraff, Hailey Vicknair and Madisyn McAlister (pictured, left to right).

Students enjoyed the opportunity to see science concepts used with technology devices and software, especially in digital animation.  The hands-on lesson enhanced the academic experience for students. As a result of the field trip, a group of fifth-grade students plan on creating a Claymation film for the literature circle selection for “The Odyssey.”  When completed, the film will be sent to animators in Great Britain and be on display at the International Digital Film Festival in 2011.

Thanks, Ms. Mundinger, for such an enlightening field trip!