Action Clip

A fast way to bring a freeze frame to life – with no preparation!

Action Clip is an incredibly easy way to bring freeze-frames to life. Just say “Three, Two, One, ACTION!” Participants don’t need to rehearse in order to move from a still image into a few seconds of dramatic action – just like a clip of film!

How to create an Action Clip

1 Start with a freeze frame created by a group.

2 Use thought tracking to find out what each of the characters are thinking and feeling.

3 Explain that you would like the group to bring the scene alive for a few moments with speech and movement. Initiate this by saying “3-2-1 Action!” or simply clapping your hands to start the scene.

4 Let the improvisation run for a short time (before the performers run out of steam) and end it with another signal such as “Cut!”, “Freeze!” or by clapping your hands a second time. The improvisation should last for just a few seconds.

Action Clip gives students the chance to enjoy acting out a small part of the story without worrying about how to start or finish a scene.

The teacher can easily control how much is shown, especially if students start to repeat themselves or run out of things to say.

After a few sessions of working in this way, students will become more confident about devising and presenting short scenes.

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Market Scene, Northern Town (1939) by L.S.Lowry

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An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.

3D Living Pictures

Bring characters from works of art, book illustrations and photographs to life through drama.

Action Clip

Action Clip is a quick way to bring a freeze frame to life – with no preparation!

Conscience Alley

One person walks down an alleyway made by the group and makes a decision based on their advice.

Cross-Cutting

What is Cross Cutting? The dramatic action switches quickly between two scenes in the same space. Cross-cutting (also called split-screen)

Developing Freeze Frames

Developing freeze frames in exciting ways through movement and exploring the curriculum.

Drama For Writing

Drama provides children with a meaningful and immediate reason for writing.

Flashbacks and Flash Forwards

Expand on a freeze-frame to create the before and after images. Great strategy for story building in drama.

Forum Theatre

Members of the audience step into a scene and change the action.

Freeze Frames

Freeze frames and still images can be used to communicate ideas, tell a story or bring images to life.

Hot Seating

A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation.

Hot Spotting

An amazingly fun and easy way to mix up hot-seating and freeze frames to develop characters

Image Theatre

Image Theatre is the use of still images (freeze-frames) to explore abstract concepts such as relationships and emotions, as well

Mantle of the Expert

Mantle of the Expert involves the creation of a fictional world where students assume the roles of experts in a

Marking the Moment

A drama strategy used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation, using slow-motion, freeze-frames and more.

Narration

Narration is a technique whereby one or more performers speak directly to the audience to tell a story, give information

Role on the Wall

Role on the wall is a collaborative class activity for developing thoughts and ideas about a character.

Role Play

Role play is the ability to suspend disbelief by stepping into another character’s shoes.

Soundscapes

The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.

Spotlight

Spotlighting is a useful teaching technique for sharing improvised drama when you have divided the class into smaller groups. When

Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most compelling forms of dramatic and imaginative activity.

Teacher in Role

Teacher in role is an invaluable technique for shaping the dramatic process and developing students’ learning. The teacher takes on

Thought Tracking

In Thought-Tracking, characters in a freeze-frame speak thoughts and feelings aloud.

Whoosh! Bringing Stories Alive through Drama

An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.

The Inspiring Drama Teacher

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