No Hollywood budget is necessary; no expensive camera equipment needed. Though telling your story through film was once a costly undertaking, things have changed. Video-sharing websites, like YouTube, have made it possible for content creators to easily share their work with a worldwide audience. A cell phone camera or tablet and internet access are really the only requirements to make and post a video for mass consumption. And though many kid creators are self-taught, there are options for those wanting to learn more about the art and science of telling stories through video and to better refine their skills to create polished final products. An innovative summer camp with a special interest in YouTube and video production is a unique venue for middle schoolers to explore the ins and outs of video production and filmmaking. Not only do kids learn a coveted and useful set of skills, but they can also experience the perfect mix of summer learning and vacation fun.
The Nuts And Bolts of Video Production and Filmmaking
The venture into filmmaking and video production involves an introduction to many parts of the process. From the creative inspiration to the technical aspects, video production and filmmaking summer camps let kids be the masters of their own stories and how they are told. Knowledgeable mentors introduce kids to the nuts and bolts required to achieve a finished product. Campers start the preproduction process by selecting their content before beginning the scriptwriting process. They learn about lighting, sound and camera equipment as they experiment with the settings needed to showcase their subjects in the best possible light. When staging their videos, campers benefit from the support and feedback of their teammates. The chance to learn photography, and subsequently, digital editing skills will enable kids to create a final product that brings their ideas to life.
Video Production Summer Camp
At Camp Galileo, video production involves stretching one’s skills as an individual and as part of a team. Grounded in the Galileo Innovation Approach®, Galileo Summer Quest challenges kids to develop a growth mindset. Each of its characteristics helps kids become a self-confident innovator.
- Vision – being a content creator requires imagination and vision. Through the YouTube Producers major, kids are empowered to trust their ideas and bring them to life.
- Courage – it takes courage to step in front of a camera, and risk-taking is required to share one’s ideas. Campers begin work on day one with plenty of support from dedicated Galileo instructors and staff.
- Collaboration – as campers work on their own projects, they have the opportunity to assist fellow campers with theirs. In the spirit of camaraderie that defines summer camp, kids work together to ensure everyone’s success.
- Determination – throughout the course of the week, campers create their own YouTube channel. Determination is required to accomplish the ambitious agenda as kids film, edit, reshoot and post their own content.
- Reflection – reflection is crucial because this is where so much learning takes place. All Galileo campers learn to look back and reflect on both their process and their final product. Through this reflection, kids learn to reconcile mistakes and plan for how to proceed in the future. The Galileo Innovation Approach helps campers view failures not as problems but as stepping stones to success.
Acquiring More Than Technical Skills
Becoming a producer of YouTube content involves a variety of creative and technical skills. Campers have the opportunity to work in a variety of video genres, including DIY (how to), parodies and screencasts. They learn how to add special effects along with the technical aspects of formatting and uploading their videos to the web.
Video production is a multifaceted process involving many individual skills, and in the course of a week, kids will put them all together to complete several finished projects they can share with family and friends. Beyond the technical skills kids acquire, they learn a mindset that prepares them for challenge. Built into the innovation process campers learn are steps to identify goals and generate ideas. But once designs are tested, there is also a procedure to evaluate for redesign and another attempt. This design cycle is a process kids can apply throughout their lives in a variety of contexts.
Sharing Their Ideas
For kids who have the desire to entertain or inform through film, a video production summer camp can give them the tools they need to share their stories with the world. Offering the chance to become an accomplished creator of video content, Galileo Summer Quest provides the hardware, software and expert mentoring required for success in this highly technical pursuit. But beyond the video production skills learned, GSQ and all Galileo camps teach kids a process for building resilience that will benefit them in all of their future endeavors. The communication, collaboration and time management skills learned will be useful to kids long after their camp experience has ended, as will the self-confidence and trust they develop in their own creative capacity. And they will have their posted video productions as a reminder of their incredible creative potential.
Check out the video production major at a Galileo Summer Quest camp in your area: San Francisco, Southern California, and Chicagoland. Register for a camp session or sign up for our mailing list to keep up-to-date with camp happenings and innovation resources. Or, for more information about Galileo camps, contact us here.
