Teaching Narrative Film Techniques

As I think about the struggles of teaching Narrative film to high school students I realize that the the main difficulty is that the elements that make film work are intended to be invisible.  Whether the seamlessness of filmmaking is due to our being accustomed or because it is inherent is up to debate.  However, what works for creating continuity in a film works.  Without discussing the nature of the Institutional Mode of Representation, we can agree that certain techniques have become enormously important in maintaining that continuity.  Such concepts as the '180' degree rule, or the 30 degree rule are so commonplace in the industry that we don't even pay attention to their relevance.  So I see teaching such elements of continuity to my students as being a sort of reveal of the man behind the curtain so to speak.  As the apparatus becomes visible, it puts tools in the hands of students to not only interpret the film but also bake film of their own.  They could even reflect on the power of medium that uses a language so surreptitiously.  If they are successful at conceal so common a part of the craft, what else might be hiding in there?