Movie making/Film editing

[Mrs.Mom]

Hi all,

 

My 10-yo is accelerated in most academic subjects, but his passion is really movie making and film. He has spent all of his free time the past 2-3 years honing his skills and learning all he can. But he needs a teacher. He uses Vegas, which came with his computer, and has learned a lot from YouTube tutorials and various online resources, but I would love to find some sort of class that he can take to learn more about video editing, etc.

 

I believe he is too young for a community college course... and quite frankly, not sure if we even have anything like that around here.

 

He currently goes to a Film Club at our local library and each month kids get together to create a story, film and then the adult in charge sends a link to the final project.

 

Maybe that is my answer.... going through him. Hmm.

 

My son is also dabbling in programming and learning HTML, etc.

 

Do you know of any resources for kiddos to learn this? I wish I could enroll him in a real live class with a teacher and computer lab. Know what I mean?

 

I feel like he is suffocating a little because he is trying to fill all this potential but has such limited resources. I am no help. I used to be a tech whiz but now... technology has zoomed far beyond my comprehension. That, and I simply don't have the time. Between homeschooling my two boys and working full-time (albeit from home), there just aren't enough hours in the my personal day to dedicate to this. :(

 

Thanks in advance!

[clemota]

Same issues here, though son is now 15 and attending high school.  He learned SO MUCH just from watching youtube tutorials, it was incredible.  He tried out a film club at school, but stopped going because he had more experience/ knowledge than everyone else - including the teacher!    I'd definitely ask the adult from the film club for suggestions - he's likely to have a better grasp on your local scene.

 

For programming, my husband (a programmer) really likes Scratch.  We have this book which compliments it nicely. 

 

Hubby also really likes this book for teaching Python, as it "takes a really dry programming language and manages to make it interesting."

 

HTH!

 

[throughpagesandfields]

I went to film school at college and truthfully most college level classes he'll just learn theory and not get hands on experience and fun.  If he's actively playing he's probably naturally learning a lot.  If you're able to get him equipment and software for him to play around with the best way to learn is just to make films and play with them.  You could always get just a basic editing textbook or theory of film textbook... or go through history of film.  Watching old movies is a good way to learn a lot...  

[JennW in SoCal]

  Watching old movies is a good way to learn a lot...  

 

:iagree: This. Whether it is making movies, music or art, you learn the most from studying the masters.  All the techniques in the world will not help your son if he doesn't have a good eye.  Watch all kinds of movies from silent films (Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin movies are amazing) through the musicals and film noir and B movies from the 50s and 60s.  Draw from academy award lists.  Watch Twilight Zone episodes and even the original Star Trek series and look at the use of lighting to create mood and the clever use of low-tech tricks for special effects.

 

My dh is a professional artist and we have friends in the video game and movie industry.  What these professionals all share is a love of old movies and animation, from great movies to B movies.  They also share an appreciation of and love of art -- again from the fine art of the masters to illustration and pop art such as comic books and movie posters.

 

A good film maker also understands what makes a good story, so good old fashioned literature is important too. A movie producer told me she finds literature majors make better movies than graduates of film school because they understand how to tell a story.   

 

The bible, if you will, of movie making and visual story telling is a book called The Five C's of Cinematography.  It is an older book so the examples and technology represented feel dated, but those five c's never change.  The "making of" books for different films are always interesting.  He may not be interested in comic books, but the book Comics and Sequential Art is another "bible" if you will of how to tell a story visually.  Story boards used in movie making are like comic book pages, and this book is a way of learning how to break down an idea or story into specific visual elements.  

[SWinner]

Code.org is a good springboard resource for coding with links to Scratch, Code Academy, Khan Academy & more all in one place. If he likes programming, he might also enjoy robotics - check out your local First Lego League robotics competitions, or they probably have a team at your local elem. or middle school. You don't need to be assiciated with a school to start a team & the most successful are homeschoolers due to the time involved.

 

As for the film, the best way to get great at any art is to practice. A good way to keep him regularly producing is to start his own youtube channel & set a goal of how many posts he'd like to add per week/month - and remind him, anything is better than nothing.

 

Sounds like a fun kid, enjoy!

[ElizabethB]

We have the 5cs of Cenematography, great book! We have a Mac and it is so easy to make movies with iMovie that my kids have made movies that impressed all their older relatives. They especially enjoy playing around with the backwards feature and the movie trailer making tool.

 

One idea:

 

Apple Camp for Kids

At Apple Camp, kids ages 8–12 will learn the ins and outs of iMovie and how to make their own films. The free three-day session, held at the Apple Store, leads up to an Apple Camp Film Festival where campers debut their masterpieces.

 

Apple Camp will be back in summer 2014.

Sign up to be notified when registration is open.

[SandyKC]

There is a course available through Keystone Nat'l high school that both of my guys took and really enjoyed.  Since it is handled over the Internet, it is advanced learning without the immersion in a community college yet.  With my youngest, I didn't feel he was mature enough to handle actual college yet, so we ended up doing dual enrollment courses online and he graduated from our homeschool high school as a college sophomore. ;-)

[Mrs.Mom]

Oh my gosh, I didn't even know anyone had replied to this! (I must have my notifications off). Thank you so much for your feedback.

 

I did email the teacher, and he gave me a few points of contact. We also are going to tour the local university film department next week. It's a two-hour orientation/introduction to the film program at the university (aimed for high school kids and major-tranfers), but the woman scheduling it said we can come late (after the presentation and Q&A session), and just take the tour. I think my son just being able to walk on campus, see film students walking around, seeing a computer on a desk... haha... I think all that will be like magic for him. The gal said it isn't all that impressive... but still, I think just the concept and environment will be helpful.

 

I agree with developing a strong appreciation of watching films. Absolutely. I just assigned a research project to my son - he got to choose the topic. He has written a four-page essay on the history of film ... from the ole peep shows with a hand crank to the special effects of the digital world. Of course, he is using Star Wars as the pivotal point in film legacy. :P

I will read through your posts again and put each suggestion into action. I think, also, my son would like to start teaching other kids in our homeschool groups. Perhaps that will help him step up his game as well. And yes, equipment. Perhaps for Christmas.... I will look into some ideas.

 

Thanks again, all!