In July 2020, Disney + (or Disney’s new streaming service) offered a new, inside look into the world of Disney animation in their new docu-series “Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen II.” Any teacher - especially our elementary peeps - can belt out “Let It Go” and have probably followed the Frozen franchise since day one. As a parent of a 7 year old, Frozen continues to be heard in our household - and, when Disney decided to stream this new series, curiosity got the best of me.
And, I’m so glad that it did.
For what I thought going to be light-hearted and song-filled actually turned into many magical epiphanies about teaching and learning. To provide a little context to the series, directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck met with a documentary crew over a time of 13 months from the premier date of Frozen II. Throughout this time, they narrated for the audience the highs and lows of putting together such a massive Disney production.
While the series is told through the primary directors’ perspective, the documentary storytellers also capture the various personas that contribute to the overall production of the animation. From the music composers to the character animators to the visual effects, each step of a Disney product is met with an incredible amount of detail and hands-on care. But what fascinated me the most with this docu-series is their attention and celebration of feedback and failure. Not only did the Disney animators and directors have an amazing bond with one another, they strived to work hard and push each other to stretch the boundaries of their creativity.
How does teaching connect to all of this? I observed the directors create a sense of community among their teams that not only channeled this deep passion to create something amazing for the world but also establish a true sense of passion for the content they were working with over the course of time. Everyone knew that their role and the work put into that role was both meaningful and important.
Isn’t that what we want for our own classroom culture? Don’t we want our learners to feel valued and understand that their contributions matter to the bigger picture of learning? Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck made this happen for their hard working crew both in-person as well as in virtual spaces. Whether we might be teaching face-to-face as we head to our classrooms or we’re meeting students remotely, building a sense of community, trust, and safety should be a priority for any teacher.
And, as you move forward in your thoughts around designing this community with students, take time to think about the strategies used by Disney animators:
Dailies
For animators, dailies represent a meeting with the directors to share the work they have been creating for their assigned task or scene in the film. It’s a screening room with soft seating positioned in a circle around the perimeter of the room. All of the chairs are black with the exception of one red chair - or the hot seat - and animators one-by-one sit to receive director-specific feedback.
For teachers, classrooms could be redesigned to create a community of sharing and feedback with others. In addition to feedback, it also could be an environment that celebrates learning as others witness the praise and critique of individual or collaborative work. Having a daily check-in with students around their progress as learners can empower students to stretch the boundaries of learning.
Story Trusts
For animators, this is a small group of outside directors and animators as well as key people from the production that circle together to provide critical feedback. In many ways, these circles seem to be the most intense because it drills into the major questions and changes to the film as it continues to take shape. The dialogue in this setting contains mutual respect but it also doesn’t hold back on the necessary conversations needed to push creativity forward.
For teachers, imagine the power of meeting with small groups to discuss learner progress. Whether it be in the writing process or working on an ongoing project, establishing small, trusting groups to engage in feedback dialogue that pushes learning into new and exciting ways.
The Reference Room
For Disney animators, the Reference Room can be seen as a playroom. It’s filled with different props, screens, and devices that allow animators space to create and record certain movements for their characters. In many cases, animators record themselves performing actions they eventually want to transform into animation.
For teachers, think about what it would look like if students had a chance to play with their ideas? What if we created time and space for them to experiment without punitive strings attached? Also, think about what play can do for students as they try on ideas, wrestle with failure, and seek to take risks on a regular basis.
On-Site Observations
For Disney animators and directors, it was not only important for them to participate in research that shaped their decision making process for the film but also to go on location to places that became the epicenter of their creativity. Not only did they research the climate and landscape of northern territories but they also took a trip to see glaciers in person. Everything from the five senses to the emotional pull of such settings became a factor in the work they folded into their production.
For teachers, it’s hard to conceptualize on-going field trips or coordinate larger trips that would be on the level of Disney animators - But! What if we afforded students more opportunities to explore their thinking outside of the classroom? Maybe this might take on the form of Google Earth but it could also be as easy as asking students to go outside or around their neighborhoods to collect observational data. Any moment of pause learners can take to create depth to their learning would be a worthwhile experience.
Screenings
For the directors, the screens offer an insight into the ideas and concepts that might be overlooked or interpreted in different ways that allow them to think differently about the production. It differs from “Dailies” because it focuses on the whole story rather than in smaller pieces. Additionally, the audience is a lot greater than what might be in a “Dailies” setting or a “Story Trust” meeting. This mass amount of feedback affords the directors to see the big themes of both problem areas as well as celebrations.
For teachers, small class settings or even small groups within those class settings can be really powerful for peer-supported feedback - but what if students could share their works with those beyond their small group or class? Maybe the entire grade level? Or community? Not only could this opportunity strengthen learner performance but it also has the potential to exercise a growth mindset, practice effective communication, and push student thinking in new directions.
As we head into a new school year, think about what kind of community you can create with learners and how learning can be stretched to new heights that go above and beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. Don’t be afraid to venture into the unknown to try new things with kids….they’ll thank you for it!
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