Welcome to Movie Bites Learning
Kids are natural storytellers.
They come out of the womb bursting with ideas to share. They love to make up magical worlds and to keep you entertained with adventures, dilemmas, antics and dramas.
Some kids take it just a bit further. At home, they’re constantly coming up with new ideas for films, plays, tv shows, and books. They use their stuffed animals, dolls, and Legos, to create the story worlds that they want to bring to life. When it comes time to share their stories, they run into the living room, full of excitement, and drag mom, dad, siblings, grandparents (anyone who will listen!) into their room to see and hear the latest epic adventure.
I was that kid.
As I got older, my friends and I would spend weekends writing, acting, costume designing…skits that we would put on for our families and friends. Directing came naturally. Jo March (Little Women) was my constant inspiration.
The sound of a movie camera can determine a life.
As a hardcore storyteller…I LOVED going to the movies. One of my favorite childhood memories is watching The Empire Strikes Back with my cousin. For the first time ever, we were allowed to sit, without our moms, in the front row of the theater. We just had to behave. We nodded our heads and promised. However, as soon as the lights went down, we slipped onto the floor and watched the movie…upside down. It was all too ridiculous and awesome for words. We laughed our heads off. Junior Mints never tasted so good.
BUT, it wasn’t watching movies that determined my destiny. Instead, it was the first time I saw (and heard) my uncle’s US Army issued 16mm Bolex camera. The moment I heard the purr of the film going through the film gate, I knew. I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. And, I needed to get one of those cameras.
I was 6.
A life full of storytellers
Years later, I’m still the kid that loves storytelling, cameras and movies. In fact, I love it so much I earned an MFA in Film Production so that I could teach it. I own my own Bolex 16mm camera now. I write/direct/produce/edit/animate films that focus on topics that matter to women and girls. And, I use my film sets to create inclusive spaces where all filmmakers can work in all departments (directing, producing, camera, sound, screenwriting, art, post-production, etc…).
I play make believe for a living.
And, my life is full of storytellers.
I’m the super proud mom of a talented young writer. His style is funny and slapstick. Usually, his stories involve talking animals and joke-telling aliens. He cracks me up daily.
My niece, she’s an aspiring animator. She likes her stories to star characters that are awkward and dark and touched with a little snark. She’s a girl after my own Gen X heart.
Unsurprisingly, I’m married to a filmmaker. He makes environmental documentaries. He helps me to consider worlds I’ve never thought about until I see his films.
The styles of the storytellers in my life are all so different, but the energy is the same. We are all breathing life into ideas with words and images (and, of course, film sound!).
Movie Bites is designed to support the parents of young storytellers.
Having taught storytelling and filmmaking for over 20 years (to students of all ages), I decided to create a space that provides resources for parents to support their own young storytellers and aspiring filmmakers. This will be a place to find educational materials, classes and camps, ideas, activities, tips and more. Basically, the hope is to provide all the things I wish my parents had access to when I was a kid.
If your child loves telling stories - you’re in the right place.
If they often create books (or comic books) to share fantastical ideas that are developing in their minds - you’re in the right place.
If they constantly engage in make-believe activities: playing dress up, using their stuffed animals to act out dramatic or silly scenarios, making up funny characters and voices, or talking with their friends about making their own plays or films - you’re in the right place.
If they absolutely light up anytime you mention that it's “movie night” - you are in the right place.
As I build it out, Movie Bites will provide ways to support your child’s creative nature, help them communicate their ideas to an audience (which right now is you!), and to grow their confidence in their own storytelling abilities.
If there is something in particular that you’d like me to write about… just drop me an email at: hello@moviebiteslearning.com. Like any good teacher, if I don’t know the answer, I’ll do my best to find it out and learn along with you!
