Svjetlana Oppen working with camera.Svjetlana Oppen (left) will provide instruction in cinematography to students at the Cinema Arts Film Camp.

Summer camp offer filmmaking experience to high schoolers

A summer camp for high school students will give them hands-on experience in filmmaking, led by UWindsor students and recent graduates.

The Cinema Arts Film Camp is a project of professor Min Bae’s Studio 5 guild. It will run in the studio’s space in Essex Hall South, in two weeklong sessions—July 14 to 18 and 21 to 25. Participants will have a chance to use the professional-grade equipment to complete a project.

“Film is definitely a team sport,” says Maria Cusumano, a 2014 communications grad who will offer instruction in directing and screenwriting. “Our students will come up with a concept and workshop it through the process. They will have to learn how to communicate a vision with other members of their teams.”

Svjetlana Oppen, the cinematography instructor, holds a 2012 computer science degree as well as an honours bachelor’s in communication, media and film. She says she is looking forward to introducing students to the idea of creating a visual story.

“After some theory, they will need to get their hands on cameras to work on composition, depth of field, lighting,” says Oppen. “Getting to try it themselves is exactly how you learn.”

Bae says the one-week camp will provide an overview of film-making, but cannot be comprehrensive.

“It’s not about teaching them everything in a week. We want it to be fun, too,” he says.

The $225 tuition includes the five-day camp, lunch, snacks, a Cinema Arts T-shirt, stickers and other perks. Find registration and more information at cinemaartsfilmcamp.com.