One-Day Filmmaking Workshop for High School Students

This workshop for High School students will bring aspiring film students together to write, produce, direct, shoot and edit a short film project under the guidance of film professionals.

Lesson Plan, Agenda, Requirements, and More

Lesson Plan: The students will be given a specific genre, a line of dialogue, a box of props, and a partially designed set with which they will create a two-minute short film. Production takes place on a film set located on the Motion Picture Institute sound stage. Students learn and experience the art and the craft of filmmaking with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration and networking. The film is edited onsite by a Motion Picture Institute editor with the students acting in the role of director. The final project is loaded up on the Motion Picture Institute website and Vimeo channel for all to view. Students that bring portable flash drives or hard drives may download the raw footage to take home to make their own edit of the film.

Requirements:

1) Students: The workshop is designed for 8 to 12 students who are seriously interested in the film industry and who are currently attending classes in the areas of TV Production, Media Arts, Theater Arts, Photographic Arts, or related classes.

2) Transportation: Each student is responsible for their own transportation to and from Motion Picture Institute.

3) Fees: The workshop is $65.00 per student. Lunch is provided (see below).

4) Media: If student wishes to receive a copy of the raw footage they must bring their own flash (usb 3.0) drive or portable hard drive. (16 gigabytes minimum).

5) Cost: $65.00 per student. Non refundable seven days prior to the workshop. Workshops that fail to meet the minimum enrollment will be cancelled and all payments will be refunded. Students also will be give the option to move their registration to an alternative workshop date.

Provisions:

1) Lunch and Refreshments: Motion Picture Institute provides lunch (usually pizza and beverages i.e. water and pop). Students with specific dietary needs, must inform us upon registration or have the student bring a suitable bag lunch. We also have snack-filled vending machines available.

2) Qualified Staff: Facilitator, camera operator, gaffer, audio mixer, and editor.

3) All necessary equipment, space: We provide every tool needed to successfully complete the short film project during the duration of the workshop – a classroom for pre-production needs, a professional sound stage for production, lights, a camera and accessories (i.e. lens, slate, dolly/slider, etc), props, and a partially to fully designed set.

Workshop Schedule:

8:30 to 9:00 am – Registration sign-in, meet and greet, donuts/beverages.

9:00 am to 10:00 am – Film industry overview, description of crew positions, assign crew positions, instructions/guidelines for the short film project.

10:00 am to Noon – Brainstorming session, breakout groups (writers, production designers/art department, directors, actors, camera, lighting, audio) write story outline, write script, prepare and dress set, shot list, and storyboards.

Noon to 12:30 am - LUNCH / Table read.

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm – Rehearsals, camera, lighting set up.

1:00 pm – 3:30 pm - Production – Lights, Camera, ACTION!

3:30 pm – 4:45 pm – Screen footage, select takes, assemble rough cut with audio (sync), establish screen credits. Download raw footage to students personal drives.

4:45 pm – 5:00 pm - Workshop wrap up, Q & A.

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm / End of Day - Student pick up.

To register parents and students may call (248) 528-1760.