Students interested in storytelling from page to screen will have new opportunities this semester with the introduction of Film and Cinema Studies and the continuation of Creative Writing, both taught by Mrs. Warren. While the two courses focus on different mediums, Warren sees them as deeply connected by one central idea: storytelling as a human necessity.
In Film and Cinema Studies, Warren plans to frame film not just as entertainment, but as a cultural and narrative force. “I plan to start the semester by framing storytelling as a vital part of the human experience,” she said.
The course begins with books and their historical, cultural, and social influences before moving into film adaptations, allowing students to see how stories change depending on who is telling them. “Storytelling is at the mercy of whoever is telling the story, regardless of whether the narrative is the same or not,” Warren explained.
The class will balance how films are made with what they mean. According to Warren, both aspects are equally important. “We are concerned with the film creation aspect just as much as we are with the impact of the film as a narrative,” she said. Students will study directors’ techniques alongside the historical moments that shaped their films.
One director Warren is particularly excited to teach is Alfred Hitchcock. “I feel students in this generation aren’t as well-versed in [his films] as they should be,” she said, noting that while older films may initially meet resistance, they often end up being appreciated once students learn how to watch them more critically.
By the end of the course, Warren hopes students will never watch films the same way again. “Films are sending messages to them all of the time, and it is our job as consumers to decode what exactly the different narrative and cinematic techniques are trying to accomplish,” she said. A strong film analysis, in her view, is a multistep process that includes studying a director’s patterns, researching historical context, analyzing plot, and breaking down cinematic techniques.
While time constraints will limit the course mostly to national film, Warren emphasized that comparison will be key. Students will examine books alongside their adaptations and even look at musicals to study “the difference between acting on stage vs. acting for a screen production.” She also acknowledges the challenge of balancing personal interpretation with theory. “It is hard to keep my personal interpretations out,” she said, “but I plan to provide students with ample access to film theory information to hopefully steer them toward making their own decisions.”
Warren believes the skills gained in Film and Cinema Studies extend far beyond film. “Dissecting media is super important,” she said. “Critical analysis skills translate to so many areas of life.”
That emphasis on analysis and self-expression carries into Warren’s Creative Writing class, where she believes creativity is the most difficult and most important thing to teach. “I can teach writing skills and techniques all day long,” she said, “but without creativity, technique means nothing.”
Rather than encouraging students to imitate writers they admire, Warren pushes them to find their own voice. “What can you add to the style to make it your own?” she often asks her students. She notes that one of the biggest issues new writers face is surprisingly simple: “Grammar mistakes are horrific.”
When it comes to feedback, Warren prioritizes honesty without discouragement. “I love the compliment sandwich,” she said. “You did this well; you need to work on this, but you did this really well also.” She pairs critiques with practical tips for improvement so students know how to grow.
Warren believes strong writing comes from a balance of reading and practice, and that structure and intuition are “equally important until intuition negatively affects readability.” To unlock creativity, she uses exercises like “rant writing,” where students write passionately about something that angers them. “It typically helps them realize just how much fun writing can be,” she said, adding that confidence often follows.
For students who feel they “aren’t creative,” Warren offers perspective and encouragement. “Rome was not built in a day,” she said. “You don’t know the limits of your creativity until you try to push those limits.” She emphasizes that improvement requires effort and motivation, calling creativity something that can be nurtured over time.
Teaching creative writing has also impacted Warren personally. “If anything, it makes me wish I had more time to write creatively like I used to,” she said. “It really is fun, but adulting is time-consuming!”
Warren also enjoys blending film into her writing class, sometimes having students narrate a character’s inner thoughts while watching a film clip. Though time limits how often she can do this, she sees strong connections between the two art forms.
Together, Film and Cinema Studies and Creative Writing offer students new ways to understand stories, how they’re built, how they’re interpreted, and how they shape the world around us.
