As a Filmmaking professional, I have been teaching the subject to MA Television students for quite some time now. However, I recently faced a unique challenge when I was asked to condense my 3-hour session into just 20 minutes. I was apprehensive about how to deliver my lesson effectively in such a short time.

The lesson I choose to teach was Filmmaking with the iPhone and the opbejct I showcases was the iPhone 14 Pro. I started by using my existing lecture slides as a foundation. Still, I quickly realised that I needed to simplify the content by focusing on the most important aspects of the subject. I even continued to cut down my lecture on the morning of the class, but in the end, my lesson still lasted for around 25 minutes. Although I tried my best to fit everything into the limited time, I couldn’t help feeling a bit rushed and superficial in some parts of my presentation.

In hindsight, I have learned several valuable lessons from this experience. Firstly, it is crucial to keep track of time when teaching. Not only is it respectful of the student’s time and attention, but it also ensures that I can cover the material in an organised and effective manner. In the future, I will make sure to leave some extra time for questions and interactive activities to help the students practice what they’ve learned.

I also received some positive feedback from my colleagues, which was encouraging. They mentioned that I was a dynamic and engaging speaker, who was knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.

However, I also received some constructive criticism regarding the inclusiveness of my session. It was pointed out that not everyone may have an iPhone, and those with older models may feel left out. This is a valid concern, and I need to find a solution to address it.

To make my lessons more inclusive, I could start by setting some context at the beginning of the class. I could talk about the increasing role of smartphones in the content we consume today, from social media and citizen journalism to documentary filmmaking. I could also show examples of high-quality footage shot on an iPhone to give the students an idea of what is possible.

Additionally, I could ask the students about their experiences with smartphone video and what they use it for.

Finally, I would like to incorporate some practical exercises. This could involve having the students work in pairs to go out and shoot some footage and then review and discuss their experiences together.

I could also slow down when demonstrating filming techniques and settings and get the students to follow along. This would help make the lessons more hands-on and interactive, allowing the students to practice their newfound knowledge.

In conclusion, teaching Filmmaking on an iPhone in a 20-minute session was challenging, but I learned several important lessons from the experience. I thank Sam, Tonicha, Will and Susana for their support and suggestions. I will use this feedback to improve my teaching and make my lessons more engaging, inclusive, and interactive.

Link to view the sldies of my presentation on Google Slides.