Camp Update – Page 2 – Heights Middle School Shorts

June 13, 2021June 13, 2021

Writing Workshops Conclude with Drop-in from HBO’s Vice-President, Production

The rubber hits the road tomorrow as our campers move from writing their stories to turning them into movies.

At the conclusion of the writing workshops on June 4, most of the students had turned their short stories into storyboards that will guide them through filming. As they move into Heights High for the final two weeks of camp, they’ll start figuring out shooting locations, casting their films, and – of course – rewriting scripts.

Our special drop-in guest at the final workshop session was Natasha Foster-Owens, Vice President, Production at HBO, who manages the physical production aspects of Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show, I May Destroy You, Divorce, Mrs Fletcher, The Wizard Of Lies, I Know This Much Is True, and Real Time With Bill Maher as well as several other projects in development at HBO.

May 14, 2021May 14, 2021

And … Action!

We’re live! This is what creativity looks like:

April 19, 2021April 19, 2021

Sneak Peek at Heights Middle School Shorts 2021

Heights Middle School Shorts is taking shape! We’re finalizing the venue, blocking out the schedule, and putting the final touches on the course curriculum all in preparation for a May 1 rollout at our Parent and Camper Meet & Greet.

Until then, here’s a sneak peek at Heights Middle School Shorts 2021:

Writing Workshops (Saturdays in May and early June)

The writing workshops will be held at Lake Erie Ink from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays beginning May 8 and ending June 5 (no workshop will be held during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 29).

At the workshops, campers will learn the basics of storytelling, dialogue, and writing for film as they draft and block out their films. At the end of the workshops, we’ll expect each camper to have a storyboard setting out his or her film so that we can begin filming as soon as HMSS meets again on June 14.

March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

COVID-19 Safety at the 2021 Heights Middle School Shorts

Summer is coming, and we’re confident that, by May 8 when writing workshops start, Northeast Ohio will have begun to develop some herd immunity thanks to the aggressive vaccination efforts of officials in the region. That’s good news for our kids, our families, and our instructors.

But it doesn’t mean that everything will be ‘back to normal’ in Cleveland Heights and at Heights Middle School Shorts and that we no longer need to exercise caution. We’ll still require campers to wear masks in the classroom and on shooting locations (though actors and actresses will not be required to wear masks unless doing so is part of the film script). We’ll still ask participants to ‘social distance’ at all times. We’ll still insist on regular hand-washing and the frequent use of hand sanitizer. And we’ll still clean and disinfect desks and other frequently touched objects and surfaces daily.

How will we practice ‘social distancing’ at camp?

March 15, 2021

Open Enrollment Has Begun!

We’re excited to announce that the 20 free-of-charge spots at Heights Middle School Shorts have been filled, and that we’re now accepting open enrollment applications on a first-come, first-served basis.

These openings will fill fast, so interested students and their families should act quickly to submit their applications and pay the deposit to reserve a spot.

All 6-8th grade students in the CHUH school district are encouraged to apply.

We’re looking for campers who:

February 8, 2021February 9, 2021

5 Reasons to Attend Heights Middle School Shorts

Thinking about applying to Heights Middle School Shorts? Here are five reasons you should:

1. You Will Learn from Great Instructors

We’ve got an impressive group of instructors lined up at Height Middle School Shorts for our Summer 2021 camp: a Heights grad with a film and television degree who’s worked on a major production, an actor and teacher who’s been performing on Northeast Ohio stages for more than ten years, a former songwriter with extensive experience helping kids cultivate their creative writing talents, and a music instructor who’s worked in local theater productions.

Just the right mix to bring HMSS campers the practical experience and perspective they need.

January 31, 2021March 3, 2021

Introducing the 2021 Instructors

‘It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.’
– Albert Einstein

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re pleased to present our Height Middle School Shorts instructors for the Summer 2021 camp:

Antonio Harper, Filmmaking and Film Editing Instructor

Antonio has been making films for more than ten years. From shooting a home-movie version of 007 with his sisters when he was 13 to working with Yann Demange on the set of White Boy Rick in 2017, his skills are vast and his growth is rapid. He attended Cleveland State University from 2013 to 2017 and earned a degree in Film and Television.

January 28, 2021February 9, 2021

This Is Why…

We asked the founders, instructors, and committee members of Heights Middle School Shorts to tell us why they’re helping bring the camp to life. Here’s what they told us:

January 25, 2021February 9, 2021

What’s new at Heights Middle School Shorts? Plenty!

We’re thrilled to report that over the past few weeks, there have been a number of key milestones met and goals achieved for Heights Middle School Shorts 2021, and that the camp is coming together nicely.

Here are four of the most significant developments:

Application Period Open

The application period is now open for the camp and, based on the number of applications we’ve received so far, student response to the camp has been overwhelming. We’re excited to see so many kids interested in HMSS!

Potential campers have two more weeks to apply for the 2021 Heights Middle School Shorts, so students should apply today to make sure they don’t miss the February 5 deadline. Visit our website for details on how to apply (a simple process using our new online application form).