 SOCAPA’s Youth Programs for ages eleven to thirteen are run exclusively at our Burlington, Vermont Campus at Champlain College. Students in the Youth Camp choose to focus on either Filmmaking or Acting for Film. The curriculum for the Youth Programs is very similar to that of our High School Programs (see program-specific high school curriculum), but the approach is more relaxed and fun. For instance, in the Filmmaking Focus, instead of requiring that each student write and direct several of their own films, youth students pitch their individual ideas which are then developed into several short screenplays with the help of the entire class and their instructors.
Once their screenplays are fully developed, the young filmmakers and actors break into crews and take to the field to turn their scripted stories into professional quality motion pictures. Depending on what each production calls for, some students perform in the films (Acting Focus) and others work “behind the scenes” as producers, directors, sound mixers, and camera operators (Film Focus). Multiple films are made each week, allowing the students the opportunity to rotate through positions, perhaps acting in a film one day, and then filming one the next.
Choose Your Passion
 At SOCAPA, everyone gets to contribute to the writing and directing processes. Beyond these creative tasks, however, some students may enjoy acting, while others may prefer the technical side of production. The students who want to perform can take additional classes in acting for film, and perform in the group projects. The budding tech-artists take additional camera, editing and sound classes, and serve as camera or sound crew on the group films. In this way, everyone gets the film experience that best suits him or her.
YOUTH Program CORE Curriculum
The SOCAPA Youth Students divide into small production crews of 4-8 students, each crew containing several film focus and acting focus students. Under the supervision and guidance of their instructors, each crew then writes and produces one at least one film per week of attendance.
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1) The Lumière Film (Week One)
In a single shot of up to one minute, the student tells a simple story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The project takes its name from the first films by the 19th-century pioneers of early cinema, Pierre and August Lumière. Each youth crew generally produces several Lumiere Films depending on the complexity of the screenplays. |
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2) The Porter Film (Week Two)
Edwin Porter was one of the first filmmakers to consider the possibilities of editing shots together in a continuous fashion. He led the way in creating the illusion of "continuity," where material shot over the course of days or weeks looks, once it is cut together in sequence, as if it all flows together over the course of minutes. His famous film, The Great Train Robbery, is the inspiration for this second film, where students explore the same issues Porter faced, and make a 2 to 3 minute film that focuses on continuity. |
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3) The Kubrick Film (Week Three)
Perhaps the greatest and most innovative filmmaker that America has produced, Stanley Kubrick made one masterpiece after another over his five decade career. He set the standard for cinematic excellence in a multitude of genres, combining staging, lighting, set design, acting, and editing to create a radical new vision of what film can do. With films such as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Dr. Strangelove," "Barry Lyndon," "Lolita," "The Shining," and "Full Metal Jacket," Kubrick proved himself again and again to be a master of his craft. For their fourth film, a 4-6 minute project, we challenge SOCAPA students to take everything they have learned in the previous three weeks and to forge their own masterpiece. |
Youth Camp Activities:
Nothing beats making a movie with new friends who share your passion and energy for a project but we all need to take an occasional break. Afternoon cool-off swims in Lake Champlain are a must on hot days and who can be in Burlington, Vermont without a biweekly pig-out session at the original Ben & Jerry's factory?! Talent shows, pizza parties, open mic contests, movie nights and Frisbee barbecues have been hugely popular in the past. But the unquestionable highlight of each summer session is the "King of the Art Geeks" (which we endearingly call ourselves) multi-day battle between the Film, Acting and Photography Programs. Serious bragging rights are awarded to the group that wins best-two-out-of-three in the following events: three-legged kickball, whip-cream charades, and costume air-band karaoke.
WATCH SCENES FROM THE YOUTH FILM, "7th Heaven."
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