Should those surfing the internet take other people’s creative work for free, because they can? As most readers of Ink Pellet will know, there’s a fair amount of debate and confusion surrounding copyright and Intellectual Property. Teachers will probably have questioned what it means when it comes to photocopying or using music and film in the classroom. One great resource designed to help teachers make full use of copyright material is www.copyrightandschools.org.
In today’s digital society where we are all connected, all the time and most forms of entertainment, games, music, film and TV, are available at the fingertips of a touch screen, teaching young people to understand and value copyright is essential for several reasons.
First and foremost, copyright plays a major part in the UK economy. The UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport has conducted research that shows our creative industries are outperforming all other sectors of the economy, increasing employment to 1.68 million jobs, accounting for 5.6 per cent of all UK jobs.
Copyright is the foundation of the UK’s creative industries and underpins an array of future career opportunities available to young British talent. Educating future generations of consumers to value the content they enjoy – helping to win hearts and minds on legal ways to access that content so its creators are rewarded for their hard work – will play a vital role in securing the future of entertainment, maybe even their own careers in film or television.
The issue of copyright is at the forefront of the education charity Into Film’s efforts to integrate film into the UK curriculum, in partnership with Industry Trust for IP Awareness, the Intellectual Property Office, and Aardman Animations.
One resource, dedicated to the subject, is called Creating Movie Magic. As well as teaching students the basics of copyright and intellectual property, it also allows them how to become creators themselves. Aimed at Design and Technology, Art, Film and Media Studies teachers and students, the free, curriculum linked resource pack (www. IntoFilm.org/creating-movie-magic) examines the skilled and intricate process of film-making, at each stage championing the positive role copyright plays in protecting the future of film, and the creative work of those involved.
Students (and teachers!) will learn how to create basic stop-motion animation and special camera effects, and embark upon a journey to become film-makers. Some have already taken part in a competition to create a storyboard for a trailer to encourage their peers to respect copyright, the winning entry from which will inspire an Aardman animation that will be screened at the Into Film Festival to over a quarter of a million young people later this year.
The resource also showcases careers available in the UK film industry – an industry that creates employment, contributes significantly to the UK’s GDP, and as demonstrated this year by UK-based productions Gravity and 12 Years a Slave, can sweep the board at awards ceremonies. For the UK to maintain its vaunted position, young people need genuine opportunities to find out about the many skilled jobs that go into film-making.
Time and again we’ve seen that film, because it is easily accessible, can be an invaluable tool to them becoming motivated as they get involved in a vocational element of school life. Projects and resources such as these will help young people of all abilities and backgrounds to explore and experience the meaning and value of creativity, which, in turn, may inspire them to become the creators of the future.
Katy Carter is Senior Marketing Manager at the Industry Trust for IP Awareness, the UK’s film, TV and video industry body.
The small print…
Creating Movie Magic is a free resource offering:
Opportunities to teach pupils about copyright and spark a debate about film piracy
Ready-to-use curriculum-linked resources that explore the magic behind special effects
Inspirational ways to teach students about career opportunities in the film industry
Resources which help students to prepare ahead of making their Year 9 option choices
Activities which develop skills that students can use in other lessons.
This new resource has been developed in collaboration with Into Film and National Schools Partnership, supported by the IPO (Intellectual Property Office). Into Film is an education charity which places film at the heart of young people’s learning and cultural experiences. For information visit: www.intofilm.org