Best Film Summer Programs for High School Students

Summer intensives, summer intensives, wherefore art thou, rigorous summer intensives? If you are a high school students who are interested in filmmaking, this article is for you, as it contains the best film summer programs you can enroll in to guide you in making the right decision on the area that will be fit for your future career.

Overview

For budding thespians across the United States, a summer break away from school provides coveted time to improve one’s skill set in filmmaking, musical theatre, stage design, directing, and more.

While others use summer vacation to lounge or work at a minimally stimulating part-time job, a dedicated group of actors spends full days, nights, and weekends creating full-length productions from the ground up.

Alternatively, they might rehearse monologues to prepare for a competitive college application or audition. See Best Fashion Summer Programs for High School Students.

There are a variety of reputable summer theatre intensives across the nation, and we’ve compiled a list of those best suited for exposing high school students to the life of a real-world actor.

From coast to coast, ranging from ten days to seven weeks, there’s a perfect program for each kind of theatre enthusiast.

Here are the best film summer programs for high school students

• Wake Forest University Summer Immersion Program Filmmaking Institute
• USC Cinematic Arts Summer Program
• Yale Summer Sessions
• SOCAPA Film Core Filmmaking
• Austin School of Film Teen Summer Film Intensive
• Camp Flix at Emory University
• The University of Chicago Summer Session: Cinema, Media & Society – A Global Survey
• Writing for Film at the School of The New York Times
• Pre-College: Digital Filmmakers at Emerson College
• Filmmaking Summer Program for High School Students at Interlochen Center for the Arts

Wake Forest University Summer Immersion Program Filmmaking Institute

Wake Forest’s one-week-long summer immersion program Filmmaking Institute is open to current 9th to 12th graders.

The institute is led by Thomas Southerland, a Wake Forest film professor who has written and directed two award-winning works: Proud Citizen and Fort Maria, among other documentaries.

The week-long immersion will cover topics like how to interview for documentaries, camera and sound basics, and the basics of screenwriting. See what Wake Forest University is known for.

Exciting experiential learning opportunities task participants to create two short films and engage in high-level discussions with filmmaking professionals.

A typical day in the program starts with breakfast and a morning meeting at 8 AM before the youth attendees devote time to acquiring technical skills, previewing and analyzing films, and collaborating with their film team.

Evening activities focus on team-building throughout the week, and this program is considerably less time-intensive after hours when compared to others on this list.

USC Cinematic Arts Summer Program

Moreover to its closeness to Hollywood, USC boasts a reputation as one of the top undergraduate institutions for film majors.

Attendance at the Cinematic Arts Summer Program means you’ll learn from working industry professionals at the oldest film school in the country.

High school youth ages 16 and up can participate in one of two six-week sessions, and admission is granted on a first-come, first-serve basis. See USC Transfer Acceptance Rate.

Here, we have a program where participants can earn college credit for their work! Even better? These elective credits are transferable to any university. Regarding classes, students tend to specialize in one of six areas.

Outside of filmmaking and screenwriting, concentrations include gaming, animation, or film and television business.

We think USC’s course offerings are some of the best and most diverse this list has to offer. In Documentary Filmmaking, scholars ideate, write, produce, direct, and edit their own non-fiction documentaries.

Interested in a particular genre? Horror Filmmaking positions students next to some of the best professionals in the horror industry via field trips, panels, and guest lectures. Each scholar will create not one but two horror short films within six weeks!

Yale Summer Sessions

Yale Summer Sessions is exceptional in that it is primarily concentrated on equipping participants with the mindset and work ethic necessary to thrive within a competitive collegiate film major environment.

Yale faculty play a pivotal role in offering feedback and providing guidance throughout the various courses available for future moviemakers. Let’s highlight several of the exceptional in-person and online experiences.

In World Cinema, in-person attendees consider higher-level questions like “what is world cinema?” and “what is a world?” See Yale University Acceptance Rate.

Students can expect to view and discuss many films, including who pays for filmmaking, how films are made and marketed, and how film exists within the larger context of imperialism and globalization.

Film, Video, and American History is another in-person offering, challenging students to analyze films across different American eras like the Great Depression, World War II, and Jazz Age.

If online classes are more feasible for your summer, consider Hallyu: Korean Film, Music, and Pop Culture.

Each week is guided by a new theme, where participants analyze music, movies, and games within that theme or essential question.

Conclusion

Completing a film summer program as a high school student is beneficial in that your final project can serve as an artifact for your admissions portfolio if it is required of you to submit one in order to apply for highly distinguished institutions known for its excellent film majors. If you need more clarification on this topic, you can let us know using the comment box.

Last Updated on June 8, 2023 by Admin