Braggin' on Walden

I mentioned Walden Media, who are the driving force behind getting The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe into theaters, in my review of the movie. I’ve been following them for awhile now and am a staunch supporter of what they are trying to do; namely, putting out high-quality entertainment products with educational value that can be enjoyed by families.

I’m paraphrasing their mission statement of course, but here is an excerpt from their website:

The Inspiration
A Walden Media project begins with compelling source material, like a book that kids, their parents, teachers, and community leaders already love and admire. Many recent and current productions are based on classic books like The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe or recent award-winning novels such as Holes and Because of Winn-Dixie. Other productions are inspired by "real-life" stories like deep-sea exploration or the incredible career of Jim Thorpe.

The Talent
Our production department then selects the right creative team to bring the story to life. The directors, cast, and crew who work on Walden Media films, television, and theatre are among the most respected in their field, including both Academy Award(R)-winning veterans and notable newcomers. Many have personal connections with stories they are telling--the movie may be based on a favorite book from childhood or a story that their own kids have enjoyed reading.

The Foundation
As production gets underway, our in-house education specialists assess how this particular movie or show might spark excitement in the classroom. We partner with teachers, museums, and national organizations to develop a comprehensive educational program that delves into a wide range of topics and appeals to different learning styles.

We offer in-class teaching tools like activity guides, discussion topics, and enhanced DVDs. We sponsor special field trips and events--for example, a robot-building competition or writing workshop simultaneously broadcast to movie theaters around the country. Directors, writers, and stars of our productions participate in these events. We also provide seminars and forums for teachers to discuss their craft and to trade ideas on using media in the classroom.

Like all educators, our goal is to instill lifelong enthusiasm for learning.

One of the Realm’s resident characters, Scot, has also been following Walden and informs us that the next Narnia movie planned is Prince Caspian. Other movie projects to look for from Walden in the near future include, Charlotte’s Web, Hoot, How to Eat Fried Worms, and The Bridge to Terabithia.

Like I said, I’m excited about what they are doing and we’ll continue to provide updates on Walden projects periodically here in the Realm. I’ve also added their homepage to the links on our sidebar if you want to check up on them on your own.

Walden Media