Learn to Make a Short Film at NYFA
In our hands-on, immersive 4-Week Online Film Camp, aspiring filmmakers write, direct, shoot, and edit three short films of their own, using mobile devices and industry-standard editing software. Students spend their time in class learning the essentials of filmmaking from leading industry professionals or applying those lessons to their own original film projects. In addition, students study topics such as directing, writing, editing, cinematography, and production.
Each week, all student films are screened and critiqued in class with their lead instructor. This full-time class is designed for students between the ages of 14-17, and no experience is required to attend.
Program Description
Camp Name: 4-Week Filmmaking Camp for Teens
Class Descriptions
Director’s Craft – Students are taught the language of cinema and how a director effectively communicates a story to their audience. Focused on aspects of visual storytelling, continuity-style scene coverage and creating point of view in a scene this class also teaches the proper way a director prepares in advance of physical production. Including in the Director’s Craft class are the Pre-production meetings, a time for the students to pitch their story and go over their production plan and the art of directing actors. Additionally, conducted in the Director’s Craft class, are the Pre-production meetings, a time for the students to pitch their story and go over their production plan.
Screenwriting – These classes teach basic screenwriting structure, and work to build a fundamental understanding of story including creating fully realized and relatable characters. Students work to formulate their film ideas in this class.
Cinematography – These classes introduce the students to the fundamentals of cinematography and camera operation as applied to shooting with a mobile device. This class will also explain the manual camera settings available via the FiLMiC Pro mobile application. The Cinematography class will also include a demonstration based session on the fundamentals of film lighting and a special class on how to construct working units from common household objects.
Editing – Students learn how to import their digital footage into the Adobe Premiere editing platform. Creating a timeline, inserting and splicing footage, special digital effects like transitions, basic sound design, simple color correction and project exporting are the main lessons taught.
Screen & Critique – This class is designed to help the students dissect their and their classmates exercises while identifying what directorial choices were effective and why.
Special TopicsThese sessions are designed to introduce the student to other disciplines a director should know, including but not limited to Production Design and an introduction to Producing.
To learn more about NYFA’s teen camps, visit the NYFA Camp Brochure.
As this is an online camp, students join from their home. To attend, students should have a reliable internet connection and quiet place to work on their films.
