Posts Tagged summer
How to Make a Music Video : Learn the skills at a DMA Course
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Have you ever wanted to know how to make a music video like professionals in the music industry?
Digital Media Academy is offering a week-long Music Video Production training course at many prestigious universities across the U.S. Get involved with the multi-billion dollar music industry. Get a jump start in your career! Mix beats, record samples, and create a sweet video production in just one week. This 5 day class will teach you the techniques of making music and making videos – then mixing the two skills together.
Learn the skills to make music videos like you’ll see on MTV and VH1. Work on the latest computer equipment, video equipment, audio recording equipment, production software and cameras. The only limit is your creativity at DMA summer camps!
Check out the Music and Video Production Course.
Digital Media Academy offers teen film camp experiences, film camps for kids, and professional level video production and digital filmmaking courses for adults.
Computer Camp for Teens
Computer Camp for Kids
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Using Training Courses for Art, Web, Film, Print, Marketing : Improving my business!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written by Artist / Designer Robert S. Lindsey : DMA Alumnus
WOW! I had an amazing and intense learning experience at DMA! From the moment that I stepped onto the Stanford campus I new that this event would change my life forever. Digital Media Academy gave me the ability to create my own website (www.bettermurals.com) and portfolio. After returning for multiple years I have been able to design all my new art on my iMac that I bought through DMA for an amazing discounted price.I don’t wast any time or supplies when I am working on my art due to my expertise with Photoshop and Flash.
Last summer I spent a week invested in learning Final Cut Pro and mastering my HD camera so that I can introduce streaming video onto my site with time-laps promos of my murals. This video technique has been a feature that my clients love. Clients can now see how I work, and my company has the professional, impressive edge that I need in this economy.
I actually spend most of my time in front of my Mac. If I am not designing… I am designing. I am also a partner in the very successful marketing and design firm : www.redefinedesign.com. We specialize in building and maintaing company identities and ongoing branding through various medias: web, print, interactive, promo, etc… Our ground breaking relationship plan is specifically designed and tailored to each client. I am signed up for After Effects courses this summer and we are sending a few of our designers to get some training with DMA’s Pro courses.
Hands-On Digital Filmmaking: Collaboration is Key! Film Camp
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Instructor
By Katy Scoggin – Lead Instructor Hands On Digital Filmmaking for Teens
Last August, I taught Hands On Digital Filmmaking for Teens at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The class was a really successful exercise in collaboration and one of the highlights of my summer. I think everybody realized during that week that what you can accomplish as a group is a lot bigger than what you can create on your own.
It took me a lot of years to realize the value of teamwork. As a high school student, I loathed group projects because they always meant the same thing: I would end up doing all the work for several people. What a drag.
Since becoming a filmmaker, though, I’ve learned that teamwork is not about a bunch of slackers and the over-achievers who pick up after them. Real teamwork is about getting a bunch of creative minds together, bouncing ideas off one another, distributing work evenly and according to different folks’ strengths, and eventually coming up with a project that is bigger—and far cooler—than what any member of the group could have created alone.
That’s what my Philly students did last summer in the film camp course. They began by working individually on script ideas, which they later pitched to the class. Everybody got really excited about one student’s thriller idea. The story is about a girl who reveals the identity of a serial killer by posting a video of his latest murder on YouTube. After developing the script to suit everyone’s taste, we cast the project with some of our more performative members and broke the script down according to location.
Everyone who was interested in shooting—including the actors—had the opportunity to get behind the camera. Other students learned how to slate each take as camera assistants; lock the set down and watch for oncoming pedestrians as production assistants; and hold the boom pole as sound recordists. Everybody always had a job to do. And if each individual hadn’t held his or her own weight, we would not have completed the movie in such a short time span.
They say each movie is made three times: First you write it. Then you shoot it. Then you edit. After our two-day production period was over, we hunkered down and started to put the movie together. If you’ve ever written a paper, you understand that editing is basically rewriting. It’s the same in the cutting room: once you put the images you’ve captured into order, you can reorder them in a thousand different ways. Finding the best way to tell a visual story is one of the most challenging and, ultimately, most gratifying aspects of filmmaking.
In our digital film class, we decided to keep things collaborative through to the end: Each student picked one scene to edit, after which we cut the entire story together. At the end of the week, when we screened our short film for parents, I think everybody was happily surprised to see how much they’d been able to accomplish as a group in just one short week. The experience was a great one, and I look forward to having more like it this summer!
Learn more about DMA Teen Film Courses and Summer Computer Camps
Extreme Sports Filmmaking Courses : Film Camps
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 26th, 2009 by Travis
There are a couple reasons why one of my first blogs is about DMA’s Action Sports & Media Combination Courses (Skate Boarding & Filmmaking / Surfing & Filmmaking). The first reason is that this is where I got my start with filmmaking. Upon Graduating from the UCSC film school, my first completed film was a 30 min snowboard and skateboarding film. I traveled to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado to premiere the film. It was such an incredible feeling to have my work up on the big screen and evaluated by my peers. The second reason why I write about these courses is because that is what I am working on right now. In fact I my house is covered with snow and I have been getting some amazing footage.
The idea came up for these courses when Dave Livingston – DMA’s Director of Instruction – asked me if there were any filmmaking courses that I wish I could have taken in college that weren’t available. Immediately, I thought it would be so cool to have taken a video production class with curriculum that taught actions sports cinematography and editing techniques. The classes were born and they have been a huge success. In these classes we teach students how to plan, shoot, edit, and produce their own action sports videos. At the end of each course the students even get the chance to premiere their film on the “big screen”, in front of classmates, family, and friends. It is really just awesome what they accomplish in 5 days while having so much fun!
Check out a couple of videos that one talented student Evan created while taking one of our DMA’s Action Sports & Media Combination Courses.
Until next time,
Travis Schlafmann
DMA Instructor/ Cinematographer & Editor
Apple, Can You Give my new iMac a Battery Pack?
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 20th, 2009 by Philip Harding
I love the new black and aluminum Apple iMac. It looks great, and it works great. Awesome design. At Digital Media Academy our courses are always taught with the latest technology (software and hardware – Mac or PC). We used a hundreds of the latest Intel iMacs in our summer courses this year. We ran a lot of Macs as PC’s running Bootcamp in many of our Video Game Design courses across the country.
I am amazed whenever I see an older, white G5 iMac. The old iMacs look gigantic compared to the new, sleek model. The new iMac is small enough that I have actually taken it with me across the country on plane flights and road trips, to coffee shops and hotels. Yes, I love my 15″ Apple MacBook Pro, but sometimes the iMac becomes my mobile computer of choice. I have been stopped by airport security and stared at by fellow Starbucks drinkers.
The iMac has become so sleek that it fits into this odd category. It’s not really a full desktop computer (as we’ve known them) size, and it’s a little too big to be considered laptop size… but it’s getting close! Sometimes I just have to take it with me. Until I can get my 8″ iPhone… (cough, cough Mr. Steve Jobs) I guess I just have one request…
Can someone make a battery pack for my iMac?
No, this isn’t my black iMac. This is the birthday cake my wife Rachelle made for my party last year. She made an iPhone cake this year. Oh yes. Stay tuned for that!
Film Camp for Teens : Create, Write, Act, Produce, and Edit
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 20th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Make a movie at Digital Media Academy Film Camp for Teens!
I have had the pleasure of being able to attend, direct, assist, and co-instruct all levels of DMA’s filmmaking programs, but I just wanted to talk about the youth film camp programs for a moment. We’ve seen a lot of girls very interested in the film industry and these film camps. Both guys and girls get the chance to work in a real world film set and get a taste of the movie making action. Teen and youth students get the opportunity to create their own movie from scratch during the 5 day summer camp. The class starts with brainstorming creative story ideas and actually writing a movie script. Throughout the week-long bootcamp style filmmaking course students are able to write the script, act in the scenes, scout out shooting locations, shoot the film, edit the video with a pro level app like Apple’s Final Cut Pro, and produce their own DVD to take home. What a week!
DMA students get to act as a producer, screenwriter, actor / actress, director, scout, art director, digital video editor, and more! This is a truly amazing experience.
I have a lot of great memories across many of our university campuses with a green screen, mic boom, or extra camera trying to get in one last video shoot for the film camp. These film courses are always fun and creative. The learning experience is hands-on and directly duplicates being on the set making, acting, and directing a Hollywood picture. The camera equipment, audio equipment, lighting kits, and computer & software technology is always the best available.
Digital Media Academy also offers similar Film Camps for Kids and Filmmaking Courses for Pro Adults in addition to the Teen Film Camps.
Apple Motion Special Effects Tip with Instructor Mark Spencer
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 19th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Mark teaches Motion Training Courses (FCS 101) at Digital Media Academy, is a Bay Area editor, and has written several books on Motion. Mark has also taught the Final Cut Studio Integration course at DMA. Mark’s website is an amazing resource for tips and inspiration in using Final Cut Studio.
Mark Spencer gave us a Motion tip at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco where DMA teamed up with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus to offer hands-on computer workshops. This video was shot on the bus. Check it out!
Skate + Film Camp : Make a Skateboard Movie at DMA!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 19th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Make a skateboarding film at DMA teen summer computer and technology camps! This is a great way to learn how to make a skateboard video. Watch the experiences of actual students that filmed and editing video of professional skateboarders during the Skate and Filmmaking class at Digital Media Academy. This same course is offered this summer at many prestigious university locations in the United States and Canada.
Learn more about the Skate & Film Camp on the course page. Watch the video below to see actual students’ experiences at the DMA’s summer camp programs…
Make Music Videos like the Pros
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 19th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written by Tyler Winick of the John Lennon Tour Bus
If you know anything about the John Lennon bus you’ll know that we travel the country 10 months out of the year making music and video projects with students around the country. We’ve recently teamed up with the Digital Media Academy to bring week long, hands on music video production courses to campuses across the nation this summer. The course is called “Come Together” and will offer in depth instruction on the creation of music videos all the way from droppin’ beats like a clumsy farmer to editing like Spielberg, that’s Mr. Spielberg to you buddy.
I’ll be co-instructing the Music Video course with an experienced member of the DMA team, Travis Schlaffman, who has led teen summer camps from DMA now for six years and has a lot to teach and some pretty cool tattoos!! I’m looking forward to it and It should be a great collision of Bus style projects fused with DMA’s critical hands on learning. For more info visit:digitalmediaacademy.org. See you this summer!
View the Music Video Course page here.
California Computer Camp Locations for Kids and Teens!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 18th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Computer Camps and Technology Training Courses in California!
Digital Media Academy offers summer computer camp experiences for kids and teens at locations across the United States and in Canada. DMA offers six great locations to choose from in California alone. DMA has a lot of history in California. DMA was originally founded at Stanford University in Palo Alto as an adult only technology training program. Technology courses for adults and teens are accredited by Stanford Continuing Studies. The high standard and excellence in training has continued through to DMA’s summer programs for kids and teens.
Digital Media Academy offers day tech camps and overnight tech camps for kids and teens on the West Coast at any of the following university locations:
- Stanford University in Palo Alto in the Bay Area – Northern California
- University of California, Berkeley or UC Berkeley
- University of California, Los Angeles or UCLA
- University of California, San Diego or UCSD
- University of California, Irvine or UC Irvine
