JCC ManhattanAbout Film

The JCC Manhattan nursery school is a Reggio Emilia preschool that centers on child-led, play-based learning. As big fans of this educational approach, we were excited to create a promo film for them to feature on their website and social media channels. The film has also been a fundamental tool for fundraising and enrollment, and is screened during school tours for prospective families.

We wanted to make sure to authentically communicate the essence of the school, and therefore decided to let the children themselves do the talking. We used an Interrotron–a mirror system made famous by documentarian Errol Morris–which allowed a trusted teacher to talk to the children from behind the camera, while their eye-line was recorded straight into the lens. This direct-to-camera address provides an intimate connection between the viewer and the children.