This document outlines an educational film program called Lumière minutes that teaches young people filmmaking techniques inspired by the early films of the Lumière brothers. The program involves students practicing techniques like long takes using a fixed camera position, watching a variety of film clips to study techniques, and reflecting on directors' choices. They are challenged to film unscripted minute-long scenes in the style of the Lumière brothers from a single camera position to gain experience operating within constraints and capturing a spontaneous moment on film. Resources for educators are provided.

1. Lumière minutes
From ‘Le Cinéma: Cent Ans
de Jeunesse’ (CCADJ)
A pan-European film programme
for young people from the
Cinémathèque Française in Paris,
in partnership with
British Film Institute
A still from The Little Fugitive (Maurice Engels 1953)
Photo: Pierre-Marie Goulet / Os Filhos de Lumière 2011

2. Praticing:
• Operating within set constraints
• Being alive to the unexpected
• Taking practical action using
their own cultural experience
• Playing with shots & collecting
visual vocabulary
Practicing

3. Watching:
• A wide range of
unfamiliar film clips &
genres
• Their environment
• The frame - with an
audience in mind Watching

4. Reflecting on:
• the directors’ choices
• different interpretations
• ambiguity and visual
metaphor
Reflecting on...

5. The long take:
Early cinema shots were all long takes because of reel space & time

6. • Captures a moment
• Unscripted
• Fixed camera position
• Associated with every day
life, street scenes and the
serendipitous
Alasdair Satchel’s collection of
long takes
London training session for
teachers following the CCADJ
Programme:
markreid1895.worpress.com
The Lumière minute
L’arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat
Louis Lumière 1895

7. • Choose a place, a subject, a
moment and film it for one
minute Lumière Brothers
style
• From a FIXED camera
position
• Take a couple of separate
minutes - without
influencing anything in the
shot - and choose the best
one
• You will have 10-15
minutes to scout, plan and
take your shots
Laveuses sur la rivière Louis Lumière 1897
• We will try to see all the
groups’ film The brief

8. BFI’s Le Cinéma: Cent Ans de Jeunesse site:
markreid1895.wordpress.com
•Long Take exercises
•London Long Take training session
Scotland’s CCADJ - You tube search:
Alasdair Satchel – Understanding Cinema – Long Takes
links
Cinémathèque’s CCADJ site:
blog.cinematheque.fr/100ans20132014/les-minutes-lumiere-par-atelier/
Downloadable film education CPD material: thefilmspace.org
School movie making resources: learnaboutfilm.com/ Making Movies Make Sense in App
Store
Try iMovie app or Pinnacle Studio app for editing with iPads
Michelle’s After School film making club blog/journal in an East London primary:
theclipclub.co.uk
Michelle’s email: shelleuk@gmail.com