Camp Details:
August 10-14, 2026
9:00am-12:00pm
Grades: 9th-12th + Class of 2026 grads
Cost: $400 ($350 for SLS families)
Camp Description:
This camp is designed for teens who love movies. Through lively discussion and with guidance from SLS faculty member and movie aficionado Evan Downey, students will sharpen their understanding of film form and deconstruct how films communicate with their audience through their formal elements, deepening their appreciation for film as a narrative art form. See below for a daily schedule of movies and topics.
Day 1: Introduction to Film Form and Analysis
- Topic: Understanding Film Form
- Activities: Introduce basic concepts of film form (mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound, music) and narrative structure to help students understand the language of cinema.
Movie: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
Day 2: Visual Storytelling
- Topic: Cinematography and Visual Composition
- Activities: Explore how camera angles, framing, lighting, and color contribute to storytelling and mood.
Movie: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Day 3: The Power of Editing
- Topic: Editing and Narrative Structure
- Activities: Analyze the role of editing in shaping narrative pacing, continuity, and emotional impact.
Movie: Hard Boiled (John Woo, 1992)
Day 4: Sound and Music in Film
- Topic: Sound Design and Music in Cinema
- Activities: Discuss how sound effects, dialogue, and music contribute to atmosphere and storytelling.
Movie: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014)
Day 5: Putting It All Together
- Topic: Analyzing Films as a Formal System
- Activities: Apply the concepts learned throughout the week to critically analyze a complete film.
Movie: The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006)