2009 Guide to Austin Summer Film Camps

You may think Austin has plenty of filmmakers, actors and crew in town now ... but just you wait another dozen years or so, and we'll be even more packed. That is, if you're judging by the number of summer day camps for kids interested in making movies. The camps cover everything from screenwriting to acting to claymation. At the end of many of them, your children attend a screening of the movie they helped make, or bring home a DVD to hold their own private screening party. All I ever brought home from summer camp were lanyards and painted rocks, so I'm envious.

Here's a list of all the summer movie-related camps and classes in the Austin area that I could find. The descriptions are pretty much verbatim from press releases or websites, since I haven't attended any of these camps personally. Sadly, they're for kids and not adults, although you'll find a couple of options for grownups at the end of the list. At least we can all go to the free summer movies, regardless of age.

If I've missed anything, please post that info in the comments.

Austin Film Festival Summer Film Camp

Austin Film Festival's Young Filmmakers Program is proud to present the seventh annual Summer Film Camp. The camp offers students unparalleled access to in-depth, personal instruction on screenwriting, filmmaking and claymation from local industry professionals. Workshops take place at McCallum High School, home to one of the leading fine-arts academies in the United States.

Ages: 9-18
Cost: $195 for one-week sessions, $390 for two-week sessions and advanced full-day one-week sessions, with discounts for children of AFF members or AISD faculty/staff.

Austin Film Society: Summer Filmmaking Camps

Come make films with the pros at Austin Studios this summer. AFS youth filmmaking camps teach hands-on narrative and experimental techniques using digital video. In a fun project-based environment, students work in teams to craft short digital films and animations, from developing the kernel of a project idea to final edit and exhibition of their films. AFS camps at Austin Studios include select film screenings, a guest filmmaker visit, and a behind-the-scenes studios tour. Finished films are screened for family and friends at a culminating Friday night showcase in the AFS screening room. Camps run in one-week sessions, and are co-sponsored by the Texas Film Commission.

Ages: 12-15
Cost: $250; $225 for AFS members

Austin School of Film: Summer Film Camp

The Austin School of Film's award-winning Youth Summer Film Camp is made up of intensive two-week courses that cover the fundamentals and creative aspects of filmmaking, animation, acting and editing. Kids work with experienced filmmakers and animators to realize their creative visions and produce their own films by the end of each course. From developing the idea to planning the production process to screening the finished masterpiece, Austin School of Film fully and quickly immerses the student in the wonderful world of filmmaking.

Ages: 10-19
Cost: $425, with discounts for multiple classes

Dougherty Arts School: Youth Summer Camp Film Society

Young actors and directors will learn the art of filmmaking inside and out in these highly enjoyable sessions. Every session will involve learning camera angles and tricks. Students will also use green-screen special effects, go on multi-camera shoots, create original scripts, learn storyboarding and the art of acting. Different sessions focus on different genres of film: music videos, science-fiction and fantasy, and even infomercials.

Ages: 10-13
Cost: $390 for a two-week session, with a couple of shorter sessions at lower prices.

University of Texas: RTF Media Camps in Film and Visual Effects

The Department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF) offers summer media camps in filmmaking and post-production special effects. Camps take place on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, in the same building where the Austin City Limits television special is filmed. Campers work with RTF faculty and equipment to produce a short film project. Filmmaking classes run for one week; the post-production class runs for eight days over two weeks.

Ages: Grades 7-12
Cost: $475 per session, with discounts for multiple classes for one student or for relatives of UT faculty, staff, or students

Abrakadoodle Art Camp: "Art of Movies"

Ever wondered what kind of jobs people do to create a great movie? This Abrakadoodle Art Camp takes students both on-screen and off-screen with their imaginations into the wonderful world of creating movie characters and all the artwork it takes to bring them to life. Students will try their hands at animation, storyboarding, costume design, set design, even movie poster and DVD cover art, and discover how so many art forms come together through many artists' creations to bring some of our favorite stories to the big screen for us. Projection booth tours will also be held. One-week morning sessions in June and July will be held at Alamo Lake Creek.

Ages: Unspecified through age 12
Cost: $225 per session

Summer Classes for Grownups

What about classes for grownups? Austin School of Film holds classes throughout the summer in many aspects of filmmaking and video production. The Informal Classes program at UT offers a couple of one-day introductory classes in filmmaking. Personally, I wish I could take one of the kid-level claymation or animation classes listed above -- that's always fascinated me -- but I don't think I could pass for a teenager.