Four years ago, Colonia High School introduced a new elective called Lit & Film. The present teacher, Mr. Carew, teaches students just how much hard work goes into the process of creating films.
The Lit & Film class was first introduced four years ago by a fellow teacher at CHS, Mr. Hutchinson – who had taught the class during its first two years. Lit & Film is an R track English class open up to juniors and seniors. However, this is no ordinary English class. According to Mr. Hutchinson, people are “largely ignorant on how to read films.” This was the idea that had initially sparked the concept for creating the class in the first place.
In class, students will learn to read in between the lines while watching various films from multiple different genres. Students will recognize concepts that they’ve seen in a normal English class such as symbolism, plot, and characters. In addition, they’ll also learn things such as the roles and processes of filmmaking and techniques – some being editing, lighting, and color. They will learn to analyze a film not only by the plot but by observing the film’s techniques alone. Although he no longer teaches the class, Mr. Hutchinson loved the time he had with it, believing that “kids relate to [movies] more so than books.” Yet all good things must come to an end, and one person’s ending is another one’s beginning.
Mr. Carew has been teaching the class for the past two years, making this his fourth semester teaching the class. For those students who have yet to take it, he would describe it to you as “awesome.” A great bridge between things we do to entertain ourselves and a normal English or literature class.” From the two years with the class, Mr. Carew admits that he loves teaching Lit & Film not only because he loves movies, but also because he likes seeing students recognize and see things differently inside and outside of the classroom.
For students contemplating on taking the class, Jillian Kornberger, a senior at CHS, recommends it and said, “it’s a great way to learn more about something you watch all the time. Very interesting.” Kornberger is currently in the Lit & Film class and enjoys it because it makes one think about how much goes into making even the simplest movies, things that most people wouldn’t think twice about. She explained how the workload in this class is “okay, most are fun assignments that are not usual in other classes” such as video projects. So far from taking Lit & Film, Kornberger believes, “Mr. Carew has a lot to teach my class and I hope to keep enjoying his lessons” along with gaining more insight about the what else the class may have in store for her.
