High school is the most suitable period to explore your interests. It is the time when you actively involve yourself in all the school and non-school activities, and all those involvement finally leads you to understand your interest in a better way. Therefore, the topmost thing you do in high school is a lot of exploring, experimenting, rejecting, and embracing.
With the world advancing, more and more avenues for budding professionals are opening. This has also opened many doors in many creative fields like films and acting. However, just like any other profession, there is a bundle of things to learn in filmmaking. Hence, going for a summer camp, or program that teaches students the art of filmmaking can be an ideal option for high schoolers.
Just like any other summer camp or program, there are a variety of things to learn in this field too, which can make you ready and sure for your future ahead. So, for those creative bunch of students who find their hearts tingling when it comes to storytelling, videography, and filmmaking, here is a piece of good news, we will talk about 10 film summer camps that can help you reach a step closer to your goal.
Film Summer Camps for students interested in the art of storytelling
Storytelling is an art. At the same time, it involves several aspects that need to be learned and grasped. Hence, here is a list of 10 film summer camps that you need to consider right away if you wish to carve out your career in this field.
The students enrolled in Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program gets an opportunity to explore build their creative and professional skill through photography and film. The students get to delve into the colorful realm of arts, nature, culture, and photography with their peers while earning some extra credit points and a stipend as well.
The program welcomes all teens to get a sense of community centred around common creative interest.
NYFA teen filmmaking camp is the perfect place for teens to explore and develop their filmmaking skill to the higher level. In this camp, the students get to write, edit, shoot, and direct their own films. Focusing majorly on building the fundamentals of visual storytelling, this program is meant for people with little or zero experience in films as well.
Each weekday of the camp is equally split between classroom instruction and on set production. The students get to apply the lessons learnt in class through the film set they create during the production. This way, the program challenges the students to start a new journey on the path of a skilled filmmaker.
Boasting of “the best of elite film programs and exciting summer camps”, the Social of Creative and Performing Arts (SOCAPA) offers its programs in New York, Vermont, and Los Angeles. Students falling in the age group of 13-18 are eligible to apply for the six different intensives offered by the SOCAPA.
The SOCAPA provides a lot of enrolment options for students. They can join the weeklong Filmmaking Bootcamp if they are tight on time, the Core Filmmaking Program if they are just a beginner, a returnee can continue their filmmaking journey with Advanced Filmmaking and Advanced Project, and filmmakers and writers can sharpen their skills in the Screenwriting Intensives.
Offered by the University of Southern California, the oldest and most creative film school in the USA, this program is open for students above the age of 16. The participants get to enrich their skills in filmmaking, screenwriting, computer animation, film, and television.
The classes are taught by top-class industry professionals in two six-week-long separate sessions. With a promise of unique exploring opportunities, the program also ensnares the students with its unparalleled facilities and equipments.
The Future Filmmakers Workshop, offered by the famed NYU Tisch School of Arts is a free 14-week long program that aims to teach all aspects of filmmaking to high school students. The emphasis is placed upon personal storytelling, and students are taught how to articulate themselves creatively and confidently.
Students also get to have hands-on working experience along with enriching discussions with industry professionals and the faculty.
In this program, aspiring filmmakers get to study filmmaking at one of the most prestigious film schools in the world, located in the heart of Los Angeles. Students from all across the globe to immerse themselves in their creativity and explore storytelling techniques that make the essence of filmmaking for them.
In this two-week-long program, students get to collaboratively work along with their peers on some interesting filming projects while making use of the Department of Film’s latest editing software and cameras.
The participants learn the As and Bs of making a visually impactful short film. Essential film grammar, story, music, sound, and script are some of the major area of focus through which students learn the basics of video production.
Assorted in smaller groups of their own, the students will need to collaboratively work on three short pieces before making a final film. With a slow beginning, the students learn to incorporate all elements of storytelling lessons as they hone their skills.
The New York Film Academy assures that the students enrolled in this camp will “eat, drink, and breathe moviemaking”. Offered in Los Angeles, New York City, South Beach, Paris, Florence, Harvard, and Gold Coast, the camp aims to be an introduction for students who are contemplating a career in filmmaking.
The camp starts off with a two-day intensive introduction of the camera, writing, and directing. Post this, the day three and four are the shoot days and the final day 5 is all about post-production and editing lessons.
High school students from grades 9 to 12 are eligible to apply for this three weeks long filmmaking programs. The filmmaker students will have the opportunity to attend some interesting workshops on production, post-production, editing, screenwriting, tech skills, and film history.
Students also get to work with professional filmmakers, guest artists, and other talented students to create a movie from scratch. This hands-on experience will make the students easily understand each step of cinematic storytelling.
Digial Filmmakers Studio offers all the pre-college high school students an opportunity to deeply explore concepts and practices in the production of a film. The selected applicants go through a three week long training program in the art and technique of single-camera digital film production.
The programs are designed to be fun, intensive and interactive to equip the students with competitive skills in the field of art and communication.
Film Summer Camps: What can you expect to learn? Curriculum explored
While there is no denying that film camps are fun, and it keeps you moving, constantly engaging in mental or physical activity, and that can positively impact you in a lot of amazing ways. At the same time, the curriculum of the camp is such that it can be supremely beneficial for kids who wish to venture into similar fields later in life.
Hence, here are the few topics and areas which are generally covered in most of the film schools.
- Script Writing: Script being the backbone of any film or documentary, plays an important role. Hence, kids are made comfortable with pouring their hearts out and being creative with the script.
- Directing: Being a crucial art of visual storytelling, students are taught direction and the key elements of the camera angles. Moreover, kids also learn camera movement, visual arrangement, and editing patterns, which are crucial elements of direction.
- Acting: These young adults venturing into the field of filmmaking with the aspiration of becoming an actor are taught many audition techniques and strategies that can help them ace the art of acting.
- Lighting and Sound: Lighting and sound are essential elements of filmmaking. Students are taught the basic principles of cinematic lighting and sound using professional types of equipment.
- Camera work: Film summer camps introduce these budding learners to the technical and creative elements of the camera. The curriculum also focuses on helping students learn the power of visual storytelling.
- Editing: Editing becomes one of the most crucial elements in the post-production phase. Hence, students are taught editing using different software. At the same time, they are also made comfortable with the technology, so that they can venture into professional-grade editing.
Summing up
Enrolling in a camp or class is the best way for you to spend your summer. The thrill of trying something new will make your days brighter and livelier. By the start of new school year, you will have a whole new skill at your disposal. What more could you ask of your summer? Nothing can get better than this. So, off you go and apply for one of these camps.
Having a 10+ years of experience in teaching little budding learners, I am now working as a soft skills and IELTS trainers. Having spent my share of time with high schoolers, I understand their fears about the future. At the same time, my experience has helped me foster plenty of strategies that can make their 4 years of high school blissful. Furthermore, I have worked intensely on helping these young adults bloom into successful adults by training them for their dream colleges. Through my blogs, I intend to help parents, educators and students in making these years joyful and prosperous.