Heights Middle School Shorts now has TWO HMSS Camp Sessions:
- HMSS Camp 1 – for current 6-8th graders
- Camp 1 runs from mid-February through June 13.
- Students who enroll in Camp 1 will be assigned to film crew roles as part of separate Production Teams, each of which will be responsible for writing, directing, and producing an original film.
- HMSS Camp 2 – for current 6-9th graders
- Camp 2 runs from June 16-27.
- Students who enroll in Camp 2 will be assigned to film crew roles as part of a single Production Team that will write, direct, and produce a short documentary film.
Screening for Camp 1 and 2 films will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at the Cedar-Lee Movie Theater.
Key dates and details:
- February 1 – March 28: Camp 1 and Camp 2 Application Period. The HMSS 2025 Application Period for both Camp 1 and 2 opens on February 1, 2025 and closes March 28, 2025. Details will be made available soon.
- Camp 1
- February 15 – April 5 (Saturday afternoons): Story Writing Workshop. All students who submit film story ideas as part of their application to Heights Middle School Shorts will automatically be enrolled in an eight-week Cleveland Institute of the Arts Creative Writing class where they will refine and rework their short stories. Classes will be held at CIA from 1-4 pm on Saturday afternoons from Feb 15 – Apr 5.
- April 19 and 26 (to be confirmed): Pitching Workshops. In these workshops taught by Lake Erie Ink, campers will learn how to pitch their film idea to a panel of film professionals and instructors and form production teams. These workshops will conclude with students pitching their ideas in a professional setting.
- May 3, 10, 17, & 24: Screenwriting Workshops. In the HMSS Screenwriting Workshops, campers work together in Production Crews to turn their stories into screenplays and storyboards. All crew members – directors, sound designers, editors, casting directors, and others – participate in the screenwriting process, providing the perspective of their assigned roles to screenwriters, who are responsible for creating the scripts and storyboards.
- May 17: Casting Call. Open to aspiring actors and extras of all ages from throughout the community, the HMSS Casting Call will allow each Casting Director to interview and select the actors needed for their film production. The Casting Call will run from 11:45 am-2:15 pm (location to come).
- May 31: Table Read. At the table read, each production team will lead a read-through of their final script featuring the actors cast in their film. The Table Read will run from 10:00 am-1:00 pm at Heights High School.
- June 2-13: Film Production. Films will be shot Monday – Friday from 11:00 am-3:00 pm following a production schedule designed by HMSS Instructors. Each production crew will have approximately two days to shoot their film. Crew members will take ownership of their areas of expertise during the shoot, including Directors, who are responsible for the creative direction of the film, and Assistant Directors, responsible for all production logistics.
- Camp 2
- June 9-27: Film Production. Campers will work on their films Monday – Friday from 11:00 am-3:00 pm following a production schedule designed by HMSS Instructors. Under the direction of the Film Instructor, Camp 2 students will plan production, conduct interviews, review and edit footage, coordinate scheduling, and fill other pre-production, production, and post-production roles as needed during the production of the Camp 2 documentary.
- HMSS 2025 Film Screening
- Sunday, June 29. The Film Screening for all Heights Middle School Shorts 2024 productions will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at the Cedar-Lee Movie Theater (times to come).
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