Have you ever seen a glimpse of your future? Have you been caught in a moment that felt like it could soon be your reality? From the moment I took my first step onto the Indiana University Bloomington campus, I knew it was where I belonged. A week filled with learning and laughing, and lots of lessons. Summer camps are either the most memorable things of a teen’s summer or the thing they want to forget about the most. My personal experience from a camp this summer was something I will never forget. Last February, I enrolled in the Indiana University Intro to Filmmaking Camp, and man, did I have no idea what I was getting myself into. Little did I know I was enrolling for one of the most memorable weeks of my life.
Filled with anticipation and a little skepticism, I began my nearly three-hour drive to Bloomington. Coming from a small rural town in Cass County Indiana, this was a huge leap of faith for me. I was about to spend a week with total strangers over one hundred miles away from home. I hoped that my love and passion for the film industry could subside my nervousness and thoughts of doubt.
The evening I arrived, I was greeted by a little over twenty teens who I soon would learn had the same passion as me. We began with the typical ice breakers like where you are from and your favorite movie, and I was immediately intrigued. I soon learned that these were not just some kids from across Indiana; these were kids from across the nation. I had the opportunity to meet students from Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio and several other states. Later that night, I was assigned to a group of other students whom, I would be making a short film. Our conversations with one another began with typical banter and small talk, but by the end of the week, our conversations were momentous.
Every morning, we made the trek to Indiana University’s very own Radio and Television building, where we would receive very memorable lectures. Each day, we would have either a professor from Indiana University Bloomington or a guest speaker join us and tell us about different key concepts that go into filmmaking. We learned things like cinematography and what camera angles work best for certain situations. There was also a professor who came in to teach us about screenplay writing and the importance of staying true to your story. We even had the pleasure of meeting with Michael Uslan, the producer of the Batman Movie franchise. Several notes were taken during these times, and I constantly found myself inspired by each speaker and their passion for the industry. They not only provided me with useful information and skills that I would use throughout my camp experience, but also ones I will use for my own personal creative projects in the years to come.
Between lectures, we were often given a lot of freedom with our group. We began by sitting down and brainstorming ideas for our short film. We were lucky enough to be able to choose our genre, so we decided on horror. Being someone who primarily watches rom-coms and coming-of-age movies, this made me a little uneasy, and I began to doubt my abilities. But, once the ideas started flowing and our scenarios were meshing, we found ourselves with almost a full script by the end of day one.
We spent the rest of our week planning, filming, adapting, and producing. This is where we really learned. We had to overcome lots of obstacles and adversities that we faced during the filming process. We learned to be quick thinkers and problem solvers. I spoke with a member of my film group and friend Finn Valentine, a junior at North Central High School (Indianapolis), about his important takeaways. Valentine said, “My main takeaways were that filmmaking is problem-solving. When presented with an issue, you need to solve it while still keeping the essence of the story/characters you want.” I could not have said it better myself. Throughout the entire filming process, we had to change and tweak things because sometimes the ideas that we have are not always the easiest to execute. For example, some of my favorite shooting moments were finding fun and creative ways to get the exact movement or angle we wanted for a shot. Rolling chairs are a low-budget film’s best friend.
After three long yet productive days of filming, we began the post-production process. This was where my field experience got to shine. Being an editor of the Kings’ Cast and just someone with an appreciation for the art, I felt like I could really help out my team. I felt like a kid in a candy store when I discovered the editing bays that the college had to offer. My eyes gawked at the large monitors and very expensive equipment that we were trusted with. Knowing how to use the software that was provided made me feel like I really had something to add to the table. I thoroughly enjoyed the editing process and watching our story come to life. It wasn’t just me staring at a screen and clicking away; it was a huge creative process that involved the entire crew. I found it so amazing how you could truly transform a project through editing. It took a lot of time, hard work, and intricacy but it absolutely paid off. Constantly replaying and adjusting shots so that they could all portray the story we envision was so magical. I think the cherry on top was the original score produced by a few members of my group, it really set us and our film apart from the others.
Not only was I given the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills in the film industry, but also the opportunity to make memories that will last a lifetime. I was so astonished by the number of friends that I had made in such a short period of time, and I am so grateful for them. I am especially grateful for the members of my group whom, I produced our short film. Each one of them added such an important piece to the project and I found it amazing how we all shared the same passion. Sure, we spent a lot of time together because we had to work on the film, but we also stuck together outside of work hours. Some of my favorite times are when we would stay up and simply talk. We shared stories and experiences and possibly stayed up a little past curfew… I don’t think I have laughed that much in a very long time. Wes Lee, a member of my group and friend, also said, “My favorite memory was the night we stayed up late and talked about life downstairs.” Another thing that I enjoyed was when we got to just enjoy meals together. We would share updates on our films, laugh, and of course, enjoy the delicious dining hall food that was offered. A member of my group and friend Rosie Wolfrum also agreed with this point. She said, “My favorite part of camp was being able to make new awesome friends who have similar interests to me. I felt so comfortable around my group, I laughed so much, and I wish they all went to my school! I’ll always remember our nighttime hangouts and lunch conversations.”
If I were unsure in the slightest of my future career, I am fully certain of what I want it to be now. My experience at this camp reassured my desire to create and learn about the art of the film-making industry. After spending copious amounts of money and committing to a week away from my comfort zone I was skeptical as to whether the camp would even be worth it, but after attending the camp, I feel quite the opposite. It lit a fiercely burning fire in me that I can not wait to use as my career develops. Other students who attend that camp would also agree. From learning more about the process of filmmaking to using your creativity, and even just making memories, this camp was surely worth every penny.
