1. How to Make

2. WHAT IS A MOTIONPOEM? Let’s watch some. A motionpoem is a short movie
that uses a poem as its script.
Let’s watch some.

3. TRIOLET FOR LAIKA, FIRST DOG IN SPACE
They sealed your steel sarcophagus;
they made no plans to bring you home.
(Perhaps they thought you Anubis.)
They sealed your steel sarcophagus
and let you burn – like Sirius,
the other dog star in the dome.
They sealed your steel sarcophagus.
They made no plans to bring you home.
By Ann Eichler Kolakowski

4. Triolet for Laika, First Dog in Space

5. TRIOLET FOR LAIKA, FIRST DOG IN SPACE
They sealed your steel sarcophagus;
they made no plans to bring you home.
(Perhaps they thought you Anubis.)
They sealed your steel sarcophagus
and let you burn – like Sirius,
the other dog star in the dome.
They sealed your steel sarcophagus.
They made no plans to bring you home.
By Ann Eichler Kolakowski

6. LIGHTS! CAMERA! MOTION!
You’ll be working in groups of three to make a Motionpoem.
It will (probably) be 2-5 minutes long.
It will be awesome.
Today, we will:
-Go over our production calendar
-Choose teams and roles
-Go over Motionpoems’ best practices
-Choose three favorite poems

7. PRODUCTION CALENDAR During this unit, we will:
1: Get into your groups, choose a poem you love, and
pick your roles.
2: Brainstorm your concept, storyboard it, start thinking
about sound.
3: Prepare—what do you need? Costumes? Props? Pictures?
Look at your storyboards, and grab what you need.
4: Film!
5: Edit, add final touches, and double-check the credits.

8. FILMMAKING IS A TEAM SPORT
WHO ELSE?
DIRECTOR
PRODUCER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Who are your Exec Producers?

9. Manages the project / Gets the resources / Keeps everyone on schedule
FILMMAKING IS A TEAM SPORT
WHO ELSE?
DIRECTOR
PRODUCER
Manages the project / Gets the resources / Keeps everyone on schedule
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Who are your Exec Producers?

10. FILMMAKING IS A TEAM SPORT
WHO ELSE?
DIRECTOR
Has an artistic and dramatic vision / Guides the process
PRODUCER
Manages the project / Gets the resources / Keeps everyone on schedule
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Who are your Exec Producers?

11. FILMMAKING IS A TEAM SPORT
WHO ELSE?
What else does your motionpoem call for? An animator? A music/sound supervisor? An SFX specialist?
DIRECTOR
Has an artistic and dramatic vision / Guides the process
PRODUCER
Manages the project / Gets the resources / Keeps everyone on schedule
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Who are your Exec Producers?

12. BEST PRACTICES
What we’ve learned from 8 years of motionpoems
The poet is not your client; the poem is your client. You
don’t have to be true to anything but the poem.
Let text be subtext. Don’t be too literal.
Make it matter. If the poem says it’s about Grandma
Ellie, but it seems like it could apply to U.S.-China
relations, make it about U.S.-China relations.

13. BEST PRACTICES
What we’ve learned from 8 years of motionpoems
The poet is not your client; the poem is your client. You
don’t have to be true to anything but the poem.
Let text be subtext. Don’t be too literal.
Make it matter. If the poem says it’s about Grandma
Ellie, but it seems like it could apply to U.S.-China
relations, make it about U.S.-China relations.

14. BEST PRACTICES
What we’ve learned from 8 years of motionpoems
The poet is not your client; the poem is your client. You
don’t have to be true to anything but the poem.
Let text be subtext. Don’t be too literal.
Make it matter. If the poem says it’s about Grandma
Ellie, but it seems like it could apply to U.S.-China
relations, make it about U.S.-China relations.

15. BEST PRACTICES
What we’ve learned from 8 years of motionpoems
The poet is not your client; the poem is your client. You
don’t have to be true to anything but the poem.
Let text be subtext. Don’t be too literal.
Make it matter. If the poem says it’s about Grandma
Ellie, but it seems like it could apply to U.S.-China
relations, make it about U.S.-China relations.

16. Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
More BEST PRACTICES
Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
Don’t be afraid to add time. If a line needs extra
space to be understood or be felt, give it extra space.
There is no formula. This is your motion poem.
Music (and sound!) is key. The right song—or silence—
can make all the difference.

17. Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
More BEST PRACTICES
Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
Don’t be afraid to add time. If a line needs extra
space to be understood or be felt, give it extra space.
There is no formula. This is your.
Music (and sound!) is key. The right song—or silence—
can make all the difference.

18. Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
More BEST PRACTICES
Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
Don’t be afraid to add time. If a line needs extra
space to be understood or be felt, give it extra space.
There is no formula. This is your.
Music (and sound!) is key. The right song—or silence—
can make all the difference.

19. Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
More BEST PRACTICES
Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
Don’t be afraid to add time. If a line needs extra
space to be understood or be felt, give it extra space.
There is no formula. This is your motionpoem. Go with
your gut.
Music (and sound!) is key. The right song—or silence—
can make all the difference.

20. Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
More BEST PRACTICES
Do voices. Voiceovers—be dramatic; be funny; be bold!
Don’t be afraid to add time. If a line needs extra
space to be understood or be felt, give it extra space.
There is no formula. This is your motionpoem. Go with
your gut.
Music (and sound!) is key. The right song—or silence—
can make all the difference.

21. CHOOSE YOUR GROUP
AND YOUR ROLES

22. Now that you’re in groups, let’s talk about your skills:
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU HAVE?
Now that you’re in groups, let’s talk about your skills:
-What’s your major?
-Which arts do you have experience in?
-Do you know any video or audio editing software?
-What do you WANT to do (photography, editing, directing, coming up with the big ideas, making sure everything in the credits is spelled right, etc.)

23. Now that you’re in groups, let’s talk about your skills:
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU HAVE?
Now that you’re in groups, let’s talk about your skills:
-Make a list of which skills your team already has.
-Make another list of the additional skills you’ll need (You’ll have to outsource these tasks).
-Assign roles (Producer, Director, Other).

24. CHOOSE YOUR POEM!

25. Talk until you come to a consensus on three poems. Make a list.
WHICH POEMS DID YOU LOVE?
Go around your group and name the poem(s) that you feel most passionate about.
Talk until you come to a consensus on three poems. Make a list.
On a separate piece of paper, list the reasons that you chose those three poems.
Hand in the list from #2. Keep the list from #3 until next time.

26. Homework: Watch “Crows, Reckoning”* and list of all the surprises
on a sheet of paper.
motionpoems.org/episode/crows-reckoning/