Spending the 'Summer @ Austin Studios' with Young Filmmakers
By Josiane Amezcua
Growing up in Laredo, I spent my summers going to a math and science camp at the local university. While I learned a lot, it was not my first choice for summer vacations. I always wanted to go to a film camp, but it was not an option where and when I grew up. Luckily, for kids in Austin interested in movies, the Austin Film Society provides a variety of film camps this summer, led by several talented filmmaking mentors. Interns at the Austin Film Society assist the camps and are also able to lend their knowledge to the young filmmakers.
Summer @ Austin Studios 2012 presented week-long camps that included Indie Filmmakers I, II and III, Animation Adventure, Scary Filmmaking, Animation Creation and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Filmmaking. Children from ages nine through 18 not only had the opportunity to learn about the different types of film, but also made their own movies. The campers were given the chance to film on the lot at Austin Studios, which provided the perfect setting for many of their videos.
As a community education apprentice for AFS, I had the opportunity of assisting with the summer camps this year. From helping to make clay models for Animation Creation to building props for Scary Filmmaking, it was fun helping out and being part of the camp experience. It was a joy to see the passion the campers displayed when making their movies. During the Indie and Animation Film camps, whenever I would ask about their videos, the kids would light up and speak with such enthusiasm when describing their stories. From music videos to stop-motion Lego movies, they showed a great amount of creativity and made some unique films.
While it was inspiring to see how much the campers enjoyed making movies, I was also amazed at how much they learned when it came to all the aspects of filmmaking. Some had little experience with editing, but they quickly picked up the programs -- like Final Cut Pro and iMovie -- which was very impressive. Furthermore, when I supervised some of the campers filming their videos, they always applied what they learned in camp, which included everything from yelling "Quiet on set!" to filming different shots and angles.
Another example that stood out happened when one camper was filming her movie during the Scary Filmmaking week: With five other campers acting in her movie, she directed them on how they should say their lines and where they should stand in order to get good shots. It was great to see someone that young take control and put in a lot of effort into making her movie.
The hard work of the young filmmakers each week didn’t go unnoticed. On the last day of each camp, a screening showcased all the videos made by the campers. Week after week, family and friends came out to Austin Studios to see onscreen what the kids had been working on. It was the same at every screening -- excitement was present from beginning to end. Parents were proud to see the work their kids created, while the campers were always anxious to see their films on the big screen. Whenever the films played, it was clear that everyone enjoyed them, as laughter and praise would fill the room.
When the screenings ended, I found that the kids would usually leave the camps reminiscing with each other about the good times, letting me know they truly enjoyed the experience. Their positive reactions toward the camps also made me believe that several of these kids will probably want to grow up to work in film one day, which is pretty awesome.
Summer @ Austin Studios 2012 concluded last week with Sci-Fi & Fantasy Filmmaking, another camp that produced some fun videos that will be sure to make you smile. To view these along with the other amazing films that participants from all the summer camps created this summer, visit AFS' Summer @ Austin Studios 2012 YouTube playlist. Read more about the AFS summer camps and school-year offerings on the Community Education page of the AFS website.
Josiana Amezcua is an apprentice at the Austin Film Society.