LAADM is the spanish acronym for “Licenciatura en Animación, Arte Digital y Multimedia,” which translates to “Bachelor of Arts in Animation, Digital Art and Multimedia.” This program is offered at Universidad del Valle de Atemajac in the City of La Piedad, Michoacán.
The goal
This project was created for the culmination of the Narrative and Cinematic Languages course at UNIVA La Piedad. As a component of their final evaluation, students were required to write, produce, and present their own five-minute short films. To celebrate their achievements, I devised this enjoyable activity to uplift the students’ morale and inspire them to continue their journey of accomplishments in the realm of audiovisual expression.
Inspiration
Taking inspiration from esteemed events such as The Oscars presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, my aim was to devise an invigorating and enjoyable activity for my students.
Distinct categories were established for various awards. These encompassed accolades such as Best Screenplay, Best Actor/Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, and Best Short Film. Subsequently, students participated in a voting process via an online platform to select their preferred nominees, thus determining the victors in each category based on the consensus of popular choice.
Similar to a real event, I curated a sophisticated slideshow that portrayed each category, complemented by awards-themed music, refined background animations, graceful typography, and a wholly distinctive golden statuette for the award. I would like to confess that this unique trophy was crafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
The result
Consequently, an engaging in-class event was orchestrated, fostering an atmosphere of enjoyment and enthusiasm. Students enthusiastically watched as each category was unveiled on the screen. Concluding the activity, the students involved in the victorious “Best Short Film” entry stood before the classroom, offering insights into their journey, the knowledge they gained, and, in a customary fashion, expressing gratitude to the Academy for their accomplishment.
By watching the slideshow below, you can gain a glimpse into the classroom experience encountered by my students.