Visual Impact
Some general thoughts and guidance.
From the very beginning, a key feature of OPEN THE BOOK has been the use of good quality props and visual aids to make the stories come alive for the children, and to make the whole experience special and memorable.
As the project has grown, different teams and areas have developed their own approach to visual impact - some simpler, some more elaborate. We recommend that teams try to ensure that the stories are presented with some form of visual impact, using good quality props or costumes, even if they are quite simple and inexpensive.
Thus visual aids need to be :
· eye-catching
· add visually to the story
· facilitate the storytelling
Given that OPEN THE BOOK teams are storytellers not actors, the key to a successful assembly is visual impact. How do we get that?
· Children remember what they SEE, so make your visual resources as eye-catching as possible
· However, some of the children will not be familiar with the Bible stories so anything dramatic or visual has to make the story clearer, not more confusing!
· Make sure any props are large enough to be seen easily, especially if your school hall is a large one.
· Churches are full of gifted people! Some in your church may be horrified at the thought of presenting a story, but might be amazingly talented at making props or costumes.
· Aim for VARIETY of visual impact. A number of stories in a row presented in exactly the same way with similar costumes could be dull. Why not try puppets? Or forget costumes and use large props such as the boat front or some MDF cut-outs? Variety – and the element of surprise! - keeps anticipation alive.
· Above all, PLAN AHEAD! Don’t leave it until the night before. Look through all the stories as soon as you can, in order to decide what visual resources you need. By planning ahead, you will find it easy to prepare on a weekly basis – with no last minute panics!
How to create this visual impact?
· Keeping it big, simple and good quality. Its better to have a single prop which the children remember and which conveys the story clearly than lots of bits and bobs which just muddle things
· Costumes don’t need to be authentic in every detail – they need to simply and clearly identify who and what the character is. A crown clearly conveys kingship even if the rest of the costume is black trousers and tee-shirt. Similarly, where women may be taking on the role of a man, a sword and shield conveys “ soldier”, and gender becomes unimportant.
Good Quality :
· Don’t let this put you off - good quality doesn’t mean costly or complicated – it simply means applying care and thought to what will communicate effectively to young children.
· In many cases, a prop can be used over and over, and so it’s worth someone spending a bit of time on building something that’s not going to fall apart.
· BUT this has to be balanced with cost, skill in making, portability, storage. We haven’t always got that balance right!
Getting Started
Don’t panic at this stage if you feel that this may be difficult. We have lots of suggestions to support you, including lessons we have learned from our own experience.
1. Build up a basic kit.
Time spent gathering a core of multipurpose props and costumes is well-spent, and avoids weekly rushing about! You find ideas for the basic kit within each story
2. Look on the resource pages. For most stories there is advice about making very effective props and costumes. Photos sent in by real teams will show you what can be achieved, and clear directions and advice will have you confidently tackling the projects in no time. And don’t forget, there may well be someone in your church who has real expertise in this area and would love to be involved.
3. Consider sharing special props and artefacts within your area.
If you have spent a lot of time making a fantastic creation banner, you might be able to share it with another team, and they in turn might be able to share their cut-out boat when you need it. We can put you in touch with other local teams, or use the training events as a networking opportunity.
If you are interested in working in this way, please contact us for further explanation.