Cinematic Arts in ELA: Teaching Cinematography Basics with Student Film Labs

Ready to push past “film as literature” and dive into cinematic arts? Quarter 3 of our curriculum adds a hands-on Cinematography Workshop so students write with light, shadow, and motion—not just pen and paper.

• Key Takeaway #1: Six core cinematography elements—exposure, mise en scène, movement, angle, shot size, color & lighting.
• Key Takeaway #2: Collaborative research and presentations turn learners into on-set experts.
• Key Takeaway #3: Free preview lets you test a complete movie guide before committing.

Why Teach Cinematography in an ELA Class?

Visual storytelling dominates students’ media diets. By treating camera work as text, you hit CCRA.R.7 while building 21st-century media literacy often missed in traditional “film studies” or “movie literature” units.

Semester 2 Placement and Unit Context

The Cinematography Workshop anchors Units 5 & 6 of Quarter 3—War Movies and Historical Biographies. Students apply exposure and color theory to scenes from Midway or Lincoln, then reflect in comparative essays. The workshop slots into weeks 3–4 of each nine-week block, leaving time for group presentations and summative assessments.

Extension Activity: Six Elements of Cinematography

How the Lesson Works

After a brief teacher demo, students form six groups—one per element. Each group researches sub-elements, creates visual examples, and teaches the class in a 5-minute mini-lesson. Use the organizer below to kickstart research.

Student Organizer Template

• Exposure: Over/under exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, frame rate.
• Mise en Scène: Composition rules, thirds grid, level horizons.
• Camera Movement: Static, boom, dolly, zoom, pan, tilt, handheld.
• Camera Angles: Low, high, eye-level, POV, Dutch, OTS, 180° rule.
• Shot Size: EWS, WS, MS, CU, ECU.
• Color & Lighting: Natural vs. hard light, key lighting, warm vs. cool color palettes.

Lesson Ideas and Classroom Activities

Pre-Viewing Anticipation Guide

Post still frames with blown-out exposure and balanced exposure. Ask: “Which image makes you trust the narrator?” Students predict how exposure affects tone in 1917.

During-Viewing Discussion Stops

Pause at the trench-run scene in 1917. Discuss how handheld movement amplifies urgency.

Post-Viewing Projects

• Shoot a 30-second dialogue using three shot sizes and two angles.
• Create a color-grading before/after still in free software such as DaVinci Resolve.

Standards Alignment

Activities address CCRA.R.7 (analyze multimedia), CCRA.W.2 (informative texts), CCRA.SL.1 (collaborative discussion), and CCRA.L.4 (academic vocabulary). Each daily plan also lists WIDA Key Language Uses for multilingual learners.

Download the Complete Quarter 3 Curriculum

Get 11 movie guides, 6 comparative essays, 2 summatives, and the full Cinematography Workshop.

Get Quarter 3 →

Prefer a sneak peek first? Download our free preview to test a complete guide.

Final Thoughts

Cinematography turns abstract storytelling terms into concrete, camera-based decisions students can analyze and replicate. By the end of Units 5 & 6, learners don’t just watch films—they think like directors of photography, ready to “write with movement.”