Intro to Visual Storytelling

Entering Grades 5-8*

Intro to Visual Storytelling introduces students to the creative and technical process of professional filmmaking. Campers will be treated as emerging young filmmakers: they will learn industry language, follow an authentic production workflow, take responsibility for their work, and collaborate as members of a film crew. Through demonstrations, individual assignments, group challenges, peer presentations, and hands-on productions, students will develop original stories and transform their ideas into narrative short films, documentaries, and commercials.

*This is a Junior Artists program and will follow those guidelines outlined in our FAQ section.

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Overview

Students will begin by learning that every strong story needs three essential elements:

A character: Who is the story about?
A problem or goal: What does the character want, and what stands in the way?
A change: What does the character learn, overcome, or understand by the end?

They will explore the three-act structure used in films of every length:

Act One – The Setup: Introduces the characters, setting, goal, and central problem.
Act Two – The Conflict: The problem becomes more difficult as the character faces obstacles and makes important choices.
Act Three – The Resolution: The character confronts the main challenge, the conflict is resolved, and the audience sees how the character has changed.

Students will also learn character development by identifying a character’s personality, motivation, goal, obstacles, relationships, strengths, weaknesses, and emotional journey.

Using industry-standard screenplay principles, students will practice writing:

Scene headings
Action and visual descriptions
Character names
Dialogue
Parentheticals when needed
Transitions between scenes
Scripts designed for a specific running time

Students will learn that screenwriting is visual: instead of simply explaining what a character thinks or feels, they must show it through actions, dialogue, performance, sound, and camera choices.

By the end of camp, students will have experienced the filmmaking process from the first idea to the final edit. More importantly, they will understand how preparation, creativity, communication, and teamwork come together to transform an idea into a finished film.

Additional Information

This program does not require any type of assessment or portfolio to get into the program. Instructors will work with your child at their level. Your child will improve and learn new skills whether they are a beginner or have been an artist for years.

-Students must bring their own small video camera (any camera with video capability is ok!) or phone with video recording capabilities.
-Laptop if you have one
-Closed-toe shoes for navigating dirt and gravel pathways
-Comfortable work clothes
-Reusable water bottle
-Sunscreen
-Notepad and pens/pencils and/or a laptop
-Rain jacket/poncho
-Good set of enclosed-ear headphones (optional)
-PC or Mac laptop with screenwriting software (optional)
-External hard drive (optional)

In addition, please bring:
-An open mind
-A healthy dose of courage
-A can-do attitude

Phones and other electronic devices are not allowed for recreational use during class time in Children’s Center. Students in this program may be using a phone to record videos for classwork, but they should not be using them for other purposes.

On any given day, film campers will be exposed to foundational film techniques, basic equipment instruction on Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLRs), practical lab work as well as actual filmmaking crew experience. All of this rigorous learning is balanced with time for campers to enjoy being at camp, making new friends, and experiencing the mountainous majesty and natural beauty of Idyllwild.

Your student will be following this basic schedule each weekday:

Day students should be dropped off at Children’s Center between 8:15am – 8:25 am
(breakfast is not included for day students)

Residential Students will be walked to breakfast as a group and then to Children’s Center

8:30 am: Morning Sing/Greeting
9:00 am – 11:20 am: Morning Classes (snack provided)
11:30 am – 12:15 pm: Lunch in the Dining Hall (provided for residential and day students)
12:30 pm – 3:45 pm: Afternoon Classes (snack provided)

Day students should be picked up from Children’s Center at 4:00 pm.

Residential students will be walked as a group to afternoon activities with the RA’s.

Day students will be allowed to use the pool on Tuesday – Friday from 4:00pm – 5:45pm with the supervision of a parent or guardian. (Enrolled children only, please. No siblings or friends.) Lifeguards will be present.

Saturday classes are at the discretion of the teacher. Some programs will meet on the Saturday between the two week session. Please watch out for more information from the teacher. Sundays are off for everyone, with no mandatory classes held.

Helena Karadimos is an Australian-Greek writer, director, and producer, born in Melbourne and now based in Los Angeles, and Founder/Creative Director of 3H Films, with over 14 years of experience across television, film, shorts, music videos, and commercials. She works across genres including horror, thriller, drama, romance, comedy, and action, with credits including the Amazon series Slaphouse and the Amazon anthology series 7eventhDAY, alongside festival recognition at the Cannes Short Film Festival, Big Terror Horror Film Festival, Dark Scream Festival, and the IndieFest and World Film Awards, among others. She continues to develop a growing slate of television and film projects while building 3H Films into a direct-to-audience studio.

Check out our Kids & Teens FAQ’s to learn more about summer programs

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