Teen Filmmaking Summer Camp
Camp Life, Digital Media Academy News + Events, Film Summer Camp, Tips from DMA Pros, summer camp | March 12th, 2010 by Penny
An interview with Lee Manansala, Digital Media Academy Teen Filmmaking Summer Camp instructor:
Lee, what have you been up to lately?
For the past year I’ve been working on my thesis film project at NYU. I love writing and I am surrounded by wonderfully talented friends and colleagues all willing to lend support and advice, one of those reasons why I love filmmaking and wouldn’t trade this life for any other.
What is your experience at Digital Media Academy?
For the past two years, that experience has come in the form of teaching the beginner’s and advanced digital filmmaking courses for teens at Digital Media Academy.
What’s it like teaching film summer camp for teens?
Digital Media Academy’s week-long teen film summer camp courses really rejuvenate and inspire me, and it has less to do with the professional satisfaction a teacher feels after a day of work, but more to do with being around immensely creative, eager, and talented young filmmakers. Every one of my students has come to class with ideas, sometimes more ideas than they know what to do with. It’s my job to help them organize those ideas, turn them into a story.
What kinds of film projects do the teens at film summer camp work on? What do the teens learn?
Last summer, a group of Digital Media Academy film summer camp teen students set out to make a short film in the thriller genre.
Take a look:
This film was made at Digital Media Academy teen summer film camp. All the creative bits—the sound design, the effects, the varied shot selection—are all the products of the students’ imaginations. The courses culminate with a screening of all of the work; I was incredibly proud to watch the final film, and was gratified by the smiles on my students’ faces as they enjoyed the result of all of their hard work. The teens deserve all of the credit, but I like to think that my instruction pointed them in the right direction.
What can teens expect at Digital Media Academy film summer camp?
At Digital Media Academy I emphasize a sound, three act story structure, which to my mind is the difference between kids having fun with a camera and young filmmakers setting out to make a short film. And instead of burying and intimidating my students with technical parlance (something that happened to me when I first became serious about cameras and editing software), I give them the essentials. We use sophisticated cameras and very powerful editing and authoring software, but it’s more important to know how to utilize them for our specific needs. When the technical aspects of digital filmmaking are more approachable, a young filmmaker is more likely to return to it and cultivate his or her love for it.
Do teens need any special preparation for Ditital Media Academy’s teen summer film camp?
Ultimately, what my students bring to class is joy. It’s the joy of being around and working with other young people with a similar passion for film and creativity. It’s the joy of having an idea for a movie and seeing it through until it is, in fact, a movie. I’m only too happy to help and watch it unfold before me, because I, selfishly, get as much from the experience as my students do. The digital filmmaking courses for teens at Digital Media Academy are an incredible opportunity (one I wish I had when I was teenager) to immerse yourself in a creative medium that is challenging, rewarding, fun, and joyous.
What’s next for your filmmaking work Lee?
I am set to teach the digital filmmaking courses for teens at Digital Media Academy teen summer filmmaking camps at Harvard and Brown.
For information about teen summer camps at Harvard University, click here: Harvard Summer Camps.
For information about Brown University Summer Camps, click here: Brown University Summer Camps.
Can film students contact you?
I’d love to answer any film and video related questions you might have. I’m easily reachable—and friendable—at:
Click here: Lee’s Facebook page
Or you can visit Digital Media Academy’s website at: Teen Summer Camps
Register for summer camp today! Click here: Register for Digital Media Academy Summer Camps
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“Pulling a Kanye” at the Oscars?
Lennon Bus, Success Stories, Uncategorized | March 12th, 2010 by Amy Gibson
I like watching the Academy Awards as well as anybody. There’s the glamour of the Red Carpet, the Oscar predictions about “Who Should” and “Who Will” win, and the wild unpredictability of live television. This year’s telecast did not disappoint.
When Music by Prudence won the Oscar for Documentary Short Film, a woman “pulled a Kanye” – rushing onstage, grabbing the microphone from Director Roger Ross Williams and launching into a speech of her own.
I was horrified. This was the only Oscar award I actually cared about. I had heard Prudence sing last January when DMA helped bring the band Liyana to Stanford University. In 2009, through its partnership with The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, the Digital Media Academy hosted and sponsored a Liyana concert at the Stanford Bookstore. I found both their music and their story uplifting. I hoped this Oscar nomination would draw attention to Liyana and the plight of the disabled in developing countries. Instead, Liyana’s 45 seconds in the spotlight was hijacked by an unidentified woman in purple.
Liyana is a musical group from Zimbabwe that started as a class project. Each member of the band faces extreme physical challenges. They met at the King George VI School & Center for Children with Disabilities in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. King George is a haven for disabled youth in a country where disability is misunderstood and despised. The school’s life-changing work is funded largely by donations from abroad.
The HBO documentary chose to focus on lead singer, Prudence, the only female band member. But each member of the band – Marvelous, Tapiwa, Farai, Energy, Honest, Vusani, and Goodwell – has an inspiring story. Each has overcome discrimination. Each testifies to the beauty of the human spirit. Each proves that giftedness defies disability.
Liyana means “it’s raining.” According to Williams, in Zimbabwe, rain is considered a gift from God. When the band is on stage, they’re “raining,” sharing that gift with the world.
By now, much has been written about the woman who stormed the stage. No doubt there are two sides to every story, and this story is a colorful one. Elinor Burkett is the film’s co-producer. She says she came across Liyana in Zimbabwe and introduced Director Roger Williams to the project. They later had a falling out over creative direction of the film.
She takes umbrage at the reference to Kanye West, saying her name was called as an Oscar recipient, and she felt entitled to speak. She claimed the director’s mother tried to impede her progress to the stage with her cane. Burkett has adamantly defended her actions, explaining that she only stepped in when the director failed to properly acknowledge the subjects of the film.
Ironically, it was her rudeness, rather than her speech, that has drawn attention to the band. This unfortunate producer-squabble-gone-public has become a blessing in disguise.
Roger Ross Williams was given a chance to repeat his acceptance speech on Larry King Live. Exposure for the film has increased exponentially. Many more people will now tune in to the May 12 debut of Music by Prudence debut on HBO2.
So here’s to Academy Awards show drama. Bring on the cane-blocking and microphone-grabbing antics. May the hubbub draw greater attention to Liyana and bring an outpouring of support for the King George VI School in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Seamus is Excited for DMA Summer 2010!!!
Lennon Bus, Tips from DMA Pros, Tips from DMA Pros, Uncategorized, lennon bus, summer camp | March 12th, 2010 by Seamus Harte
Hello Everyone!
My name is Seamus Harte and I am an instructor for DMA. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and get you excited for some summer camp courses I will be teaching this summer with DMA.
Though it is my first summer as an instructor with DMA I am excited to bring my experience of working with students across the nation while on board The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. I have worked for the Lennon Bus for over 2 years and currently hold the position of Senior Producer with the Lennon Bus. DMA is one of the many sponsors of The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and it is DMA that actually trains all of the crewmembers on board. It was through DMA and the Lennon Bus that I was able to so quickly acquire many software certifications in the programs I use everyday. It is with great pleasure that I am now able to give back to students that are hungry for knowledge in music and video production.
In the classes I will be teaching this summer students will be learning to write songs and direct videos while producing their own music videos (Come Together: Music & Video Production). They will learn how to use Garagebands big brother Logic Pro to develop a professional workflow in the production of audio and music (Digital Audio & Music Production). And they will also learn how to recreate engaging visual effects to increase their production value of their videos (Hollywood Visual Effects).
In the weeks to come as we wait for summer I hope to be utilizing this blog to share with you some of the cool tips and tricks I will be teaching this summer in these courses.
Here is a link to the Lennon Bus.
Check it out and be sure to check back here for more entries on Music and Video production!
Maya Hands On Training Courses 3D Modeling and Animation
Maya Summer Camp, Pro Technology Courses, Tips from DMA Pros, summer camp | March 11th, 2010 by Instructor
Finding the Best Maya 3D Modeling and Animation Learning Resources
By Geoff Beatty, Lead Maya Instructor
Just about everyone is familiar with the endless creative possibilities made available by the latest 3D modeling and animation software. Software like Autodesk Maya and 3D Studio Max bring professional quality tools to the independent artist, the hobbyist, and the teenage student with an interest in animation. Maya 3D modeling and rendering software is used in the game, film, television, web, multimedia, marketing and communication professions, and the need for up to date and efficient 3D modeling and animation Maya training is growing rapidly.
In my experience as a Digital Media Academy instructor and university professor, I have seen more and more students showing up in class with prior experience creating 3D models and animation, 3D modeling training is in high demand.
These 3D artist students are usually self-taught, having picked up whatever lessons they could find from the internet and in books. This is fine to a certain extent. I’m always impressed by how these 3D artist students are constantly seeking 3D modeling answers on their own, not waiting to simply be handed the information but actively searching.
However, in order to really get the most from these learning resources, in fact the best way to really learn the software and become a 3D Artist, is to get some hands-on instruction with a knowledgeable teacher. I experienced this dynamic myself when I was first learning Maya. Prior to this I had worked in Softimage and 3D Studio Max, and I had practically taught myself 3D modeling through manuals and online tutorials. I was certain that I was going to have to do the same with Maya. I was on my way to doing that when the company I worked for hired a Maya professional to come in for a few days and get our team of 3D animators up to speed on how to model, rig, and animate a character. Even professional 3D modelling artists can benefit from Maya workshops.
I learned more in those two days than I had learned on my own in the past two years. Not only was it personalized instruction, but I had never had someone tying it all together into a well-organized workflow. Things made sense and were directly relevant to the 3D modeling task at hand. Now all the bits and pieces of the online tutorials and book chapters came together like puzzle pieces fitting into their places. And not only was that time productive, my future self-directed learning in Maya was made more valuable because I was able to put it into the solid framework established during that 3D modeling training session.
So, if you would like to become a professional 3D animation artist, and you are beginning the long and rewarding journey of learning 3D software, I would highly recommend you take the time to start out right with some quality instruction of the type that Digital Media Academy offers . This could be a summer pro or teen summer camp course , or perhaps it’s an instructor coming to your workplace to offer specialized training . In any case, not only will the hands-on instruction be of immediate benefit, but it will add value to whatever 3D animation learning resources you pick up afterwards. And there are a lot out there, which is why it’s good to have someone be a guide through it all.
To that end, here are a couple that I highly recommend: Autodesk Area is the official hangout for Autodesk Maya users. It offers a wealth of well-moderated tutorials, plugins, models, and other resources. Creative Crash (formerly know as HighEnd 3D) is another well-established repository for tutorials, models, and the like. It’s also got a great responsive forum community, in case you run into any problems.
Hope to see you at Digital Media Academy this coming summer for some great Maya 3D modeling training!
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You’ll enjoy these related posts:
Digital Media Academy’s Maya-Certification-Program-An-Amazing-Immersive-Experience!
3D Modeling and Animation Tip – Asymmetry!
The Digital Media Academy Difference – Success Stories!
A Teen’s Summer Camp at Digital Media Academy Review
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Ready to register for summer camp for teens or Maya Certification Program? Click here for more information and registration: Digital Media Academy
DMA’s Maya Certification program centers on its series of 3d modeling and animation courses. These courses are broad and deep and tackle some of the most complex problems and powerful tools in Maya, Autodesk’s industry standard software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and visual effects. From a beginning of how to create basic shapes in Maya I, to a finalized piece with finished facial animations, body rigging, and narrative based story -- the Digital Media Academy series of courses provides an intense submersion into the Maya toolkit and workflow.
Paul Randall and Karen Laszkiewicz – who attended DMA at Stanford University as part of a partnership with NOVA this past summer – in collaboration with other students at animation summer camp created the sample project displayed below. Both Paul and Karen were among the Digital Media Academy attendees who tackled all four courses back to back. The amount of technical information was huge. The requirements to process and apply the information were quick. And the necessity to work as a team came as an extra spice to the mix. Paul and Karen were integral parts of a diverse team that included participants of varying ages, abilities, gender, and nationality. They both kept learning, kept producing and working with the team through the deadline to create the final piece seen here.
This project is based on a story from a children’s book and due to time constraints does not have voice over or final render. That said, in this format you can see the scripted words (for voice over) and the skeleton (rigged, model) and other directional tools. The important thing to remember is that Paul and Karen started with no experience in 3d or Maya and after 20 days of class were able to produce this. Digital Media Academy will get you started on your new career path! The skills they departed with will enable them to pursue the field of 3d art, modeling and animation as a viable career path. What are you interested in learning with Maya? Is it time to learn new skills to be competitive in today’s employment marketplace? Why not learn new skills and have fun too at Digital Media Academy’s Maya summer camp? Please join the conversation, and leave a comment below!
Looking for more information on Maya Certification? Please click here: Maya Certification Which Digital Media Academy location will work best for you? Take a look! Please click here: Digital Media Academy Adult Training Locations.
Surfing and Filmmaking
Camp Life, Digital Media Academy News + Events, Kids Computer Camp | July 31st, 2009 by Margaret Lim
This summer the Digital Media Academy is proud to announce another exciting sports action course – surfing and filmmaking! Held only at UC San Diego, this new course is offered in partnership with La Jolla Surf Academy, based in La Jolla, CA. In this “hybrid” course, students spend the morning gaining new or improving surfing skills, under the guidance of certified instructors of the La Jolla Surf Academy. In the afternoon, students return to the UC San Diego campus and to DMA’s studio classroom to view and edit video footage taken earlier in the day or week. By the end of the week, students go home with their very own surf video – uniquely edited by each student!
The first “pilot” of this course, taught San Diego native Chris Owen, was held the week of July 13-17 with six students and was deemed a huge success by all! Some of the students who took the course had surfed before, but a few had not. One student who wasn’t naturally enthusiastic about surfing felt confident and excited about surfing by the end of the week. As his mom commented, “David didn’t want to learn to surf before he started the class. The idea of making a movie of his adventure kept him motivated, and now he loves surfing!”
To see one student’s surf video, click below:
DMA Surfing and Filmmaking
Surfing and Filmmaking, for both teens (ages 13-17) and Adventures students (ages 9-13), is being offered again the week of August 3-7 at UC San Diego. For more information and to register, call 866-656-3342.
Music & Video Production at UCLA
Camp Life, Digital Media Academy News + Events, Kids Computer Camp, Teen Technology Courses, lennon bus | July 27th, 2009 by Margaret Lim
Among the many new Digital Media Academy courses featured this summer is Music and Video Production, taught in partnership with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. This course provides teens with an experience in the entire music video production process – from mixing music with Apple’s Logic Studio, to writing lyrics, to editing video footage with Apple’s Final Cut Pro.
I recently sat down with students taking Music Video Production at DMA’s UCLA location. Several of these students came from outside of California to participate in this very unique course. When asked what they enjoyed most about this course, I got a variety of enthusiastic responses. Christian Cox, from Monroe, Georgia, commented, “Teachers are young and can relate to any music style.” He explained that their class had divided into two groups, one writing a reggae song about nature and another writing a hip-hop song about having attention deficit disorder. Whatever genre of music they wanted, their instructors were talented enough to adapt!
Many of these students had never done anything like this before and were amazed at how much they were learning in a short amount of time. As Stephen Herandez from La Canada, CA explained, “You can go into this course without any knowledge and by the end of the week, you’ll think you can anything with Logic and Final Cut Pro!” Another student explained to me that she didn’t have any prior experience playing a musical instrument, but had learned a few simple guitar chords that week – enough to make a song! In addition to working with industry standard software and several musical instruments, students worked with high end Sony cameras to capture video footage around campus.
It was obvious as I talked with these kids that they had learned to work closely together. Many were also staying together in DMA’s residential UCLA program. “We have fun meeting new people and working together as a team to make videos and share memories, “ said Ron Magana from Canoga Park, CA.
To see an example video produced by the UCLA Music and Video Production class, click below:
Advanced Filmmaking for Teens
Digital Media Academy News + Events | July 26th, 2009 by Travis
The Stanford 2009 Hands-on Digital filmmaking for teens beginning and advanced courses have been a huge success. We have had students make comedy, suspense, horror, extreme sports, and even music videos. Basically, we have covered ever genre you can think of in these classes. The Advanced class gives students with some filmmaking experience to step there skills up a notch. During the camera operation portion of the class we work with Sony HDV cameras and teach advanced techniques to achieve a shallow or deep depth of field and really begin to control the image captured on the camera. We also introduce several techniques for working with a 3point light kit. The editing instruction is done in final cut pro and caters to each student different experience levels. With eight hours of instruction each day we treat this class like a 48-hour film festival. Much like any film festival the exciting part of this class comes during the screening when each student gets the opportunity to show their work on the “big screen”. There is now way to really describe how much fun the DMA filmmaking screenings are, but I have posted a few examples of films created by DMA students so that everyone can see how much the students accomplish in such a short amount of time. Please take the time to watch these videos that I have posted from my students this year.
Sincerely,
Travis Schlafmann
"Come Together" Music & Video Production
Digital Media Academy News + Events | July 26th, 2009 by Travis
I’m very proud to have been a part of DMA’s 1st “come together” music and video production class. Three groups of four or five students, from all different backgrounds, got together recorded a song and made a music video. The class was awesome! We recorded songs using an electric Roland drum kit, and midi controllers that triggered the software instruments within Logic Studio Pro. The first 2 days were spent learning Logic, recording our songs, using loops, and mixing down our songs. When the songs were complete, we got to learn camera operation with the new Sony Z5U cameras. After learning how to use the cameras we into “production” and shot music videos to go along with the songs we recorded. The footage the students shot was amazing and in some cases, down right hilarious. To complete the week we took the footage back to the studio and taught the students how to edit their music videos with Final Cut Pro. We topped it off by teaching them how to author DVD’s with DVD Studio Pro. The end result was amazing! We screened all the student projects for family and friends. Everyone was blown away! I had a blast watching students create such amazing projects in such a short amount of time. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world where you can learn how to write and record a professional song, go out and shoot a music video with Sony video gear, come back and learn how to edit your video with Final Cut Pro, and then author a DVD with DVD Studio Pro all within one week’s time. Here are some of the videos from the class please watch.
Sincerely,
Travis Schlafmann
Meet Jada-Grace Gordy
Camp Life, Kids Computer Camp, Success Stories, girls and technology | July 9th, 2009 by Margaret Lim
As one of the main characters on Terminator 4, nine-year old Jada-Grace Gordy has had extensive experience in front of the camera. She recently, however, came to Digital Media Academy’s Adventures in Movie Making and Special Effects course at UCLA because she wanted to learn what happens behind the scenes.
Working with DMA instructor and UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate Anthony Puente, Jada-Grace has learned what it means to be a storyboard writer, a camera operator, a director and an editor, in addition to being an actress. As she explained to me, “I have learned that directors have to be really specific, and that actors and actresses really have to listen to their directors!” When asked about her experience learning Final Cut Pro, Apple’s premiere software program for film editing, she said, “It’s harder than I thought! At first I had no idea what I was doing, but now it’s really fun. I think editors have the hardest job because they have to decide what scene they like and don’t like.”
Because of DMA’s partnership with Sony, Jada-Grace has also had an opportunity to work with high-end Sony HDV cameras. When asked about her experience being a camera person, she exclaimed, “camera people really have to know what you’re doing before they start shooting!”
Jada-Grace has taken her learning of the entire movie making industry so seriously that mid-week she asked her instructor Anthony if she could have an “extra” assignment, which she would design herself. As it turns out, her extra assignment is a set of very detailed notes on the different roles of movie making!
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