Idea No. 1 – good old cinema
Every generation has its favorite films and TV series. Take the kids’ favorite picture as the basis for a school film. Superheroes save the school, but it's time to fly to another planet. Finally, they have to complete a task, for example, saving their favorite school from evil. The role of the heroes is played by the graduates, and the role of evil is played by a cool magazine. The result will be a hot story, full of ups, downs and the triumph of good.
City entertainment
Today, the urban entertainment industry offers the most incredible variations of events, including graduations.
- Many people love bowling, where you can not only enjoy ice cream or a cocktail (non-alcoholic, of course), but also play and organize team competitions. And for extreme sports enthusiasts, paintball or laser tag awaits - you can let off steam after a busy school year by “shooting” your classmates or, perhaps, teachers, if they keep company with the younger generation.
- Celebration in a cafe or restaurant. This is what graduates most often choose. Catering establishments will offer the menu themselves, but you will have to take care of the entertainment yourself. It is imperative to organize a photo zone where teenagers will take the selfies they adore, invite (or choose from their parents) a presenter announcing competitions, etc.
- Theme party. Today it is very popular. To choose the style of the event, you need to conduct a survey (secret vote) among graduates in advance, offering them 5-7 ideas. It is better to decide on the topic in advance, because preparation will take quite a lot of time. In addition, students will need to take care of costumes, and this will also take more than one day. To hold a themed party, you don’t have to rent a cafe; a suitably decorated hall at the school is enough. Perhaps for most this will be the most acceptable celebration option.
It also happens that not everyone comes to the event. For a small company, a reality quest, attending an interesting master class, shooting a short film or an excursion to some interesting place is suitable.
Idea No. 2 – computer games
Another source for ideas. Just be careful and don't choose warlike themes. A creative Minecraft, in which the guys will build a new world, is a good idea.
A quest with a detective who is investigating the mysterious theft of graduation ribbons will become a film vying for an Oscar in the opinion of middle school students and their parents.
How to organize filming
A good script is only half the battle. The rest is the work of the organizer, who controls the entire process. He is responsible for ensuring that all participants are present at rehearsals and on set. This responsibility can be entrusted to the class teacher or one of the parents.
It is important to consider how ready parents and children are to immerse themselves in the process. According to the experience of Rustam Vagapov, creative joint work brings people together, even if at first it was a burden:
“When we made the first parent video, mothers came to the gym almost every day for 2-3 weeks and rehearsed with the choreographer. At first they moaned that it was hard, and then they regretted that it was all over: “Why didn’t we do this in first grade? We became friends, got to know each other, felt like actors, and it was very cool!”
The distribution of roles is also important: someone’s mother may be a first-class doctor, but she is not required to know the Stanislavsky system. Sometimes you need to conduct a casting among parents or come up with a story for a specific person so that he fits harmoniously into the video. A good script move is to include dancing in the video. It looks bright and doesn't require any special skills. And if you invite a choreographer, he will help with the production.
Where to shoot the video? Places can be different: a gym, classrooms, a courtyard, a square in front of a school - it all depends on the idea. For example, Rustam Vagapov’s video “Ice is Melting” was filmed in a school yard, gym and school bus, and Konstantin and Tatyana’s video “Time Machine” was filmed on a country road and at school.
Idea No. 3 – documentary
Not every class will be able to try themselves in the role of real actors, but even in this case you can make an interesting picture. Documentary cinema is a complex genre. To implement the idea, you need to take the maximum number of interviews from schoolchildren and teachers, and perhaps add the thoughts of parents. The main thing is to choose the right vector and collect memories from your years of study or, on the contrary, plans. Add archival photos and videos from your personal archive. It will be interesting.
Application for Oscar
The standard version of the graduation video is a collage of children’s photographs of students, footage from the last bell and the presentation of certificates. It looks boring, you must agree! The works of Rustam, Konstantin and Tatyana are of a different format: their videos are real films with a thoughtful plot, more like short films for a film festival. They are interesting to watch not only for graduates, their parents and teachers, but also for YouTube users.
Rustam, a professional director, shot his first graduation video in 2017 - a parody of the video “The Ice Is Melting” for students 11 “B” of Gymnasium No. 5 in Korolev. The video received 7.8 million views. Another of his mini-films, a clip in the style of the 50s and 60s with the participation of parents of graduates, was watched by 5.3 million people. The works of Tatyana and Konstantin also have hundreds of thousands of views and nothing but admiration in the comments: “Cool!”, “Powerful,” “This is worthy of an Oscar!”
Is it possible to repeat their success “at home”?
It is possible, but many factors need to be taken into account. Professionals warn: creating a graduation video is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. If you decide to shoot such a video for your class, then start preparing before the New Year to complete filming for the Unified State Exam.
Idea No. 5 – music
What else is teenage life filled with? Well, of course, music. If you got a music class, you can make a graduation video instead of a graduation film. You can write a song specifically about the class, or create a medley of popular tunes. Select passages that characterize the students or describe specific moments in the life of the class. The work will be difficult and interesting, but the result will be worth it.
Where to get ideas
According to Konstantin, video scripts are born in different ways:
“Sometimes children say: “Let us film what we came up with ourselves.” Other times, half of the ideas are proposed by alumni, half by us, and the result is great collaborations. Or the guys trust us, and we can do what we think is necessary.”
Konstantin and Tatyana believe that the most advantageous way is the joint work of the screenwriter and children, their parents and teachers:
“A professional screenwriter will write logically and interestingly, but he has no idea what is important to graduates, what will hook them and what school events will cause the maximum response. Therefore, it is better to meet everyone together and talk about the brightest moments of school life.”
Ideally, the result should be a logical, interesting and relevant script that reflects school life, specific events from the history of the class, children's jokes, and recognizable characters. Often good scripts are born on the basis of famous films, TV series or music videos - for example, in the video “Time Machine” they played up the meeting scene of the “brothers” from the TV series “Brigada”.
Remember the main thing
Not all children in the class want to become video stars, but you can’t ignore those who don’t like to shine in front of the camera. We create special roles for even the shyest ones, so that every student has screen time.
When the YourKino film crew takes on a film about a school, we carefully discuss the clients’ ideas and wishes. And only after collecting information we begin to develop a scenario taking into account all wishes. If you want a unique and high-quality film that will sum up your school years, we are always happy to help.
Call us +7 (499) 113-59-64
What budget to allocate
The cost of the video depends on the prices of specialists: director, cameraman, editor, screenwriter. The work of an experienced team will cost about 150 thousand rubles, but you can find cheaper options. After filming, editing will still be needed: cutting out some frames, adding special effects, title, credits. If one of the students or teachers cannot do this, an additional payment will be required.
As a separate line in the estimate, include the costs of the choreographer, make-up artist, costumes and props - sometimes very special ones. For example, one day Konstantin and Tatyana specifically bought a car so that they could drown it in a pond during filming.
A good video can be made with minimal investment, even with an amateur camera. The main thing is that all participants in the process are charged for success. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment and implement bold ideas to create prom memories that will last a lifetime!
Actually, the script (approximate plan)
Graduation year 2021 is approaching, but you don’t have time to come up with an unusual scenario for 9th grade? It's time to take into account the shortcomings of 2015 and write even better! We offer you a template according to which you can spend the evening, of course, comparing it with the concept and traditions of the school.
Official part
The ceremonial part of the farewell evening
The event begins with children, parents, teaching staff and invited guests entering the hall to the music.
Music recommendations:
No matter how tender and piercing the melodies of the school waltz “When we leave the school yard...” and the waltz from the movie “My Affectionate and Gentle Beast” are, we should understand that we are faced with a new generation with its own values and guidelines. And this does not mean that they are worse or better than us. They're just different. This means that the music for them should be their own, special, and not the kind that has been heard at school evenings for several decades. Take the time to find out what the students themselves want? What are they listening to today in 2016?
Ask graduates what kind of music they would like to hear at their graduation.
(music fades out)
2 hosts of the evening appear on stage (traditionally a boy and a girl).
Presenter No. 1: Dear graduates! Dear teachers and parents, as well as everyone who came to congratulate our graduates today! You know that today is a special day for all ninth-graders: some of them will leave the school yard very soon, and some will move on to high school. In any case, the gates to another life open for all of them.
Presenter No. 2: Someone will have to master a profession in college and school, and someone will have to gnaw on the granite of new sciences for another 2 years and repeat what they have previously learned. Today we want to congratulate all graduates and wish them...
Then a 9th grade student suddenly appears on stage and makes the following remark: “I don’t want to study! I want to get married!" (hooligan image: tousled hair, shirt collar open, lying unevenly, for the surroundings you can use an old textbook and other props symbolizing laxity)
Presenters (surprised in chorus): Marry???
Graduates themselves can participate in skits
Presenter No. 1: Isn’t it too early for you to get married?
Presenter No. 2: Who will allow him?!
Student: And I won’t ask anyone! I'm tired of this study - I'll get married and that's it!
Presenter No. 1 (in an edifying tone): Do you know, young man, what you are not entitled to by law?
Student: I don’t care about these laws!
Presenter No. 2 (with irony): Well, okay, so you get married, and what next? You will have to learn even more lessons!
Student: Why is that?
Presenter No. 1: The kids will go, and we also need to learn lessons with them. And if you yourself are ignorant, how will you help, what example will you set for the children?
Student (thoughtfully): Yeah... And it’s true, it’s too early for me to get married, I’ll probably go and study some more (leaves).
Presenters (in unison): That’s right!
Presenter No. 2: We wish all our graduates to find their path in life, and for this they need to work hard and diligently, no matter where: in the field of secondary vocational education or within the walls of school.
Presenter No. 1: Well, the first stone in the foundation of education has already been laid, today everyone will receive a certificate of secondary education.
Presenter No. 2 (solemnly): The school director, Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, is invited to present certificates on stage (fanfare sounds, the director rises to the stage).
The director reads out the order, presents certificates, and says parting words. Separately highlights those who graduate from school.
Presenter No. 1: Now we would like to invite to this stage the class teacher of class 9 “A” Petrova Maria Ivanovna (then we call all the class teachers in turn according to the number of graduating classes).
Teachers Awards
Teachers congratulate the graduates and ask them not to forget their school and their class.
Presenter No. 2: We thank our teachers for such wonderful words and hope that our graduates will not forget their home school and will visit their teachers more often.
Presenter No. 1: It is traditional to reward students with nominations, but this year we decided to deviate from tradition and reward teachers in gratitude for their work, for everything they have done for us.
Teachers are awarded in humorous categories.
Next, creative numbers are announced one by one, and at the end of the ceremonial part, the students dance a waltz.
Banquet part
Banquet hall for graduation
The formal part of the graduation evening smoothly flows into a feast. So that the guys don't get bored, it's time to think about the entertainment program. Having replenished your reserve of strength at the table, you can move on to competitions. It is recommended to play this part of the graduation ceremony in such a way that there are no winners or losers. The presenter’s task is to praise everyone in competitions, and at the end to present gifts. Everyone tried their best and everyone did well.
Let's give a few examples of competitions that are essentially known to everyone, but invariably delight both adults and children at all holidays. They require minimal props, but the payoff is many times greater than expected.
Look at me - dance like me!
Dance competitions for graduation
Props: hat, musical compilation of various melodies.
The first step is to warm up a little and dance. But it’s not easy to move to the beat of the music, but in a special way. Children stand in a circle. The presenter explains that everyone who is wearing a hat will have to go to the center of the circle and show everyone one funny dance move. Everyone else must repeat. The point is that music is constantly changing, and you have to constantly adapt to its rhythm. Children see how funny others move and begin to laugh themselves. So simple, but a laugh! If you wish, you can also include adults, especially since we will need them for the next competition.
Who is stronger?
Tug of war
Props: rope.
It is proposed to find out who is stronger: children or adults. In case there are no plans to include adults: boys or girls. Next we move directly to the tug of war. All this happens to the accompaniment of cheerful music and jokes from the host. We try to encourage the participants and bring them to the conclusion that friendship has won. To do this, it is necessary to stop the competition before the advantage falls on one of the sides.
After two competitions, it’s time to eat a little, drink, and at the same time play a little. For such a case, tasks from the category “games with the audience” are suitable. Here is one of them:
You tell me, you tell me...
Music competition
The hall is divided in half into 2 teams. The essence of the task is to remember lines from songs containing a question. The opposing team needs to quickly figure out how to respond: also with a line from the song.
Team No. 1: “Where are you, my black-eyed one, where...?” - question.
Team No. 2: “Beyond the pink sea, on the blue coast...” - the answer may be taken out of context, no big deal - as long as it’s on topic.
This is the basic concept of the entertainment part of the event. Outdoor games are interspersed with “sedentary” games so that children do not get tired. There is no need for many competitions either, because teenagers are already waiting - they can’t wait for the disco. For them, this is an opportunity to communicate in their close circle, express their sympathy in a slow dance, and “have a blast” like adults.
Based on the proposed script template, you can hold an unusual graduation, supplementing it with the individual wishes of 9th grade students in compliance with the best school traditions.
And remember, even a birthday or New Year is an ordinary holiday compared to graduation in 9th grade. This day is only one and it will be impossible to repeat it, which means everything must work out the first time!
Presenters, musical accompaniment, and what else?
You can invite high school students to be presenters. It is better to invite two 11th grade students as presenters, thereby emphasizing the continuity of generations and to avoid offense and misunderstandings. At 14-15 years old, teenagers are leaders through one, and many will want to be leaders!
The table for graduates and for adults should be separate.
As for musical accompaniment, in this matter it is better to seek the help of a specialist and invite a professional sound engineer or DJ to sound the event. People who have been working with sound for a long time have their own equipment, which means that you can be almost 100% sure that the event will go smoothly. Believe me, overlays with sound will leave an unpleasant memory, in particular for the performers themselves.
And what else? Great mood, funny jokes, laughter, joy, and maybe a few tears... It is important to remember that everything that happens today is about children and for children. This applies to competitions, jokes, where in no case should there be even a hint of vulgarity, and the organization of the banquet part. Whether children are allowed to drink a glass of champagne is up to parents to decide, but children's and adults' tables must be separate.
Another idea: before the general ceremonial part, in each class you can separately spend a symbolic “last hour”: decorate the office beautifully, have a heart-to-heart talk, congratulate each other.
