Get To Know Us – Heights Middle School Shorts

August 16, 2024August 18, 2024

Big News: Heights Middle School Shorts Teams Up with the Cleveland International Film Festival!

We’re absolutely buzzing with excitement to share that Heights Middle School Shorts (HMSS) has forged an incredible new partnership with the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF)! 🎬✨

An Unstoppable Collaboration This groundbreaking collaboration is set to unlock a treasure trove of opportunities for our budding filmmakers. Picture this: our students’ creative visions showcased on a national stage, learning experiences supercharged, and exposure to the world of professional filmmaking like never before.

Lights, Camera, Action: Our Students in the Spotlight One of the most thrilling aspects of this partnership is the inclusion of our students’ films in CIFF’s renowned FilmSlam® Streams program. This virtual showcase brings the best student cinema directly into classrooms across the country. Now, our talented young filmmakers will have their work seen by a wider audience, earning the recognition they so richly deserve. This isn’t just a milestone—it’s a launchpad for their future careers in film and beyond.

Interactive, Inspirational, and Insightful But that’s not all! CIFF will be hosting a Zoom Q&A with our student filmmakers, giving them the chance to discuss their work and the filmmaking process with industry pros. This is a golden opportunity for our students to share their journeys, gain insider knowledge, and spark new ideas. And to top it off, CIFF is crafting an in-depth study guide around our students’ films. This guide will be packed with insights about HMSS and all things filmmaking—perfect for anyone eager to dive deeper into the craft.

Hands-On Experience and Giving Back Our partnership goes beyond the screen. CIFF is opening the doors for our students to volunteer at the festival, including those from Heights Career Tech Education (CTE). These roles will not only help students earn community service hours but also give them hands-on experience in a professional festival environment. It’s a win-win: giving back to the community while building real-world skills.

Exclusive Screenings and Networking Galore Get ready for a major highlight of CIFF49: the premiere of our 2024 student films in the FilmSlam® Student Cinema section! This special screening is a momentous occasion, offering our students the chance to see their work celebrated on a grand stage. And the benefits don’t stop there—CIFF will provide access to an extensive network of filmmakers, giving our students unique opportunities to connect, learn, and grow in all aspects of filmmaking, from screenwriting to editing.

Strengthening Our Film Community This partnership is about more than just film—it’s about building a stronger, more connected film community. Our students will have the chance to join CIFF’s Student Screening Team, diving deep into the art of film critique and analysis alongside their peers who share a passion for cinema.

Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Our Filmmakers We couldn’t be more excited about the potential of this partnership to elevate our students’ educational journeys and shine a spotlight on their incredible talents. We’re on the edge of our seats, eager to see the amazing projects that will come out of this collaboration. Together with CIFF, we’re not just making films—we’re making the future of filmmaking.

Stay tuned, because this journey is just beginning. We’ll be sharing more updates as we embark on this exciting adventure with the Cleveland International Film Festival. Together, we’re paving the way for the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers.

#HeightsMiddleSchoolShorts #HMSS #HMSSSeason5 #CIFF #NextGenFilmmakers #FilmEducation #CommunityEngagement #FilmFestivalMagic

February 3, 2024August 18, 2024

Heights Alum Returns to His Roots

It’s no surprise that Tyler Maxey is a composer/arranger who specializes in film music, concert music, and the creation of custom-arranged scores for marching and pep bands. He’s a Heights grad.

We are thrilled Tyler has joined our music program, HMSS Film Scores as the music instructor to teach CHUH middle schoolers how to create, write and produce original music for the films of Heights Middle School Shorts beginning February 27-March 20. To apply, click here. Space is limited

Tyler believes that music in films should create a unique and captivating auditory experience that enhances visual storytelling. That’s why his music covers a wide range of genres and styles to create a musical soundscape that draws in the audience and creates a robust emotional backdrop that enhances the drama and adds a new level of immersion to the film. His concert pieces and other original compositions seek to explore melody, harmony, texture, and rhythm in a way that allows listeners to engage with the music and see the world through his unique perspective.

Over the last year, Tyler composed the music for the short film The Baby Doll Dance which was featured at Cleveland State University’s annual student film showcase and the Youngstown Film Festival, where it was nominated for “Best Area Film.” He was also commissioned by the Notre Dame College Wind Symphony to compose a piece for Wind Band and Visual Media entitled TBD and to compose several marching band arrangements for South Central High School and Brecksville-Broadview High School.

When he’s not composing music, Tyler works as a Low Brass Instructor – his primary focus is trombone and euphonium – and has worked with the Rainey Institute as a teaching artist in their newly launched Cinemusic summer program for elementary-aged Tremont kids, where he taught the art of film scoring and created a final project showcased at the end of camp.

A Cleveland native, Tyler graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 2014. He earned his undergraduate degree in Music Entrepreneurship at Notre Dame College in 2021. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Music Composition at Cleveland State University where he works as a graduate assistant in the composition department, and expects to graduate in May 2024.

January 28, 2024August 18, 2024

He’s Baaaaacccckkkk!!! Antonio Harper (Writer/Director)

After a two-year hiatus, Antonio Harper – one of our original HMSS Film Instructors and a Heights High School alum – has returned!

Antonio is a bright young filmmaker who left Cleveland Heights in 2022 with his partner Abby to pursue his dream in Los Angeles, California. But he always stayed in touch: as a virtual drop-in at Heights Middle School Shorts, as our film editor where – from the other side of the country – he edited HMSS films while teaching campers about the art of montage, and more.

But this year it’s different. Antonio will be ‘on location’ in the Heights, every day for the two weeks of in-person camp from June 3-14: filming, producing, editing, and adding original music created by students in our new program, HMSS Film Scores, to the films of Heights Middle School Shorts. He’ll also join us for this year’s screening, which will be held on Sunday, June 16 at the Cedar Lee Theatre.

We’re thrilled that Antonio will be back in the Heights with HMSS this year. He’s a real rising star of the film industry: dedicated and hard-working, he spent time as Production Coordinator for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and on a variety of films shot in Cleveland before heading West, including Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick. On Demange’s set, Antonio was hired to shadow the director but was quickly promoted to Production Assistant, then again to Casting Coordinator, all within mere weeks.

Antonio is one-half of a writing-directing duo with his partner Abby Burton; they’ve made a number of successful short films, including Bush (shot in 16 mm), Panic in Valley City, and Altruist, all of which were selected for screening at numerous festivals around the country, including the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. Through their company West 10G Productions they have several new projects slated this year for both television and film under their directing flagship Abbio Film.

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023

5 Reasons Why Kids Should Attend Heights Middle School Shorts

It’s no secret: we want every kid to attend film camp. Campers have fun, make new friends, learn independence, and develop essential skills they can use for the rest of their lives.

If you’re still on the fence about sending your middle schooler to Heights Middle School Shorts, consider these five tangible benefits your student will get when they attend HMSS:

1. Campers Learn Confidence and Communication Skills:

At Heights Middle School Shorts, no one works in a vacuum. Collaboration is as essential here as in life. To produce complete and coherent films, campers must communicate their ideas and vision effectively to others. They must work with peers to bring their ideas to life. They will discuss, convince, and compromise. And in doing all that, they’ll build confidence in their ideas while improving their communication skills.

2. Campers Develop Creative Skills:

While almost every summer camp gives kids a chance to develop their artistic talents, HMSS offers campers a unique opportunity to explore their creative side through storytelling, cinematography, editing, acting, directing, writing, and the many other aspects of film production. Our campers tap into their imaginations in new and novel ways to find the language to express themselves through film.

3. Campers Learn About Film Technology:

HMSS provides campers with a valuable introduction to the technology and equipment used in film production. They’ll work with cameras, editing software, sound equipment, and other tools used to create high-quality films, skills that they can use throughout their lives whether or not they end up in the film or television industry.

4. Campers Experience a Different Learning Environment:

From Day 1, HMSS campers find themselves in a hands-on and experiential learning environment. They don’t sit in classrooms listening to lectures: they’re active and involved and learn by doing, creating their projects, and exploring the world of film in a fun and engaging way. They’ll work in teams to write their stories and screenplays. They’ll explore movement, action and reaction, and timing as they block out the scenes for their films.

5. Campers Are Prepared for Future Opportunities:

Film camp is an excellent experience that lets middle schoolers build a foundation for future opportunities in film, television, or other media-related careers by giving them exposure to and an understanding of the film-making process. More importantly, HMSS campers learn critical interpersonal skills that will help them succeed in school and in life, wherever it leads them.

Any middle school student who lives in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights district can attend Heights Middle School Shorts. To learn more and apply for the 2023 camp, complete our online application.

November 23, 2022November 23, 2022

It Truly Does Take a Village…

When we started Heights Middle School Shorts nearly three years ago, we had a single objective: give middle school students in Cleveland Heights and University Heights the opportunity to make movies.

We’d seen the creativity of Heights kids in our theater camp. We knew they could write thought-provoking stories, play compelling characters, and lead complete productions. But when COVID-19 forced us to move to an all-remote format featuring plays that campers filmed on cell phones, we were captivated. We wanted more movies!

So we launched Heights Middle School Shorts in the summer of 2021 with 14 campers who each wrote, acted, produced, and directed their own short film. And thanks to the generosity of the entire Heights community – the donors who provided funding, the merchants who provided meals and supplies, the CHUH district that provided space for our campers to learn and work, the parents who brought their kids to camp and picked them up again at the end of the day, and too many others to mention – it was a fabulous success.

The following year, the HMSS class of 2022 did not disappoint: campers produced ten stellar films, six of which were screened at the 2022 Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (GCUFF), followed by a panel discussion hosted by the district’s own Emmy Award winner, Cynthia Booker, who teaches media and TV production, and featuring the students who wrote, produced, and directed those films. Equally important, the community continued to embrace our work and provide us the support we need: Reaching Heights, which acts as our fiscal agent, the CHUH district, which once again opened its doors to give our camp a home in 2022, the CHUH PTA Council, which allows us to operate under their umbrella, and most importantly the generous donors who continue to write checks and make donations to ensure that our middle school students can explore their creativity at Heights Middle School Shorts.

Our goals have changed a bit as we look to HMSS 2023 (and beyond). We’re no longer satisfied with giving campers a camera and telling them to ‘start shooting:’ we still aim to spark their imaginations, of course, but we also want to provide them with a hands-on perspective of careers in the film and television industry. To teach them to work together, to collaborate, and to compromise. To show them how to find inspiration, to nurture their creativity, and to trust their vision.

With your assistance, we’re confident that we can get there. Please help us meet our goal of raising $5,000 by December 31, 2022. Click here to donate. Thank you.

April 22, 2022

5 Questions for Lance Godard, HMSS Co-Founder

We recently sat down with Lance Godard, one of the Heights Middle School Shorts Co-Founders, about the formation of HMSS, the three top skills that campers need, and more.

Who are you and why did you co-found a film camp?

Among other things, I’m a Cleveland Heights parent who’s been involved for a long time in efforts to give our CHUH students creative opportunities to learn and have fun. We started by providing after-school programming to RoxEl students, which led to us getting scholarships for a few students to attend University Circle’s summer camp. We then had an opportunity to start Heights Performing Arts Camp with Ensemble Theatre, a free three-week summer camp where campers would create theater productions: they would write plays, then act in and direct them.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were forced to move Heights Performing Arts Camp to a virtual format where the campers made movies instead of plays to tell their stories. That worked out really well, so we decided to go all-in on films, and created Heights Middle School Shorts. The first year went great – I’d recommend everyone reading this watch the films made in 2021 – so we knew we were on to something.

What are the three essential characteristics of a successful HMSS filmmaker?

I think the three most important qualities of a successful camper at HMSS are creativity, resourcefulness, and patience. Creativity is necessary to come up with a story to tell in the first place, and to write dialogues and block out scenes that can be turned into an interesting film. Resourcefulness, because a lot of the time the campers have to find ways to make their scenes work with the things they’ve got: the props, the locations, the actors, etc. I was very impressed last year to see how our campers were able to convey ideas and feelings and moods with the very limited resources they had.

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022

5 Questions for Jalon Blue, Assistant Instructor

We recently sat down with the HMSS Assistant Instructor, Jalon Blue, to talk about his love for film and photography, his favorite movie, and more:

What do you do when you’re not teaching at HMSS?

When I am not teaching at HMSS, I am at Hiram College. I’m in my third year, majoring in film and photography. In my free time, I am usually practicing my photography skills or hanging out with friends and family.

When did you become interested in photography and film?

I became interested in film during my sophomore year in high school when we had career tech day at Cleveland Heights High School. I saw the film booth and it grabbed my attention, and I have been in love with the art form ever since! I became interested in photography during my sophomore year of college when I took my first photography class and loved it.

April 9, 2022April 9, 2022

5 Questions for Matt Hribar, Film Instructor

We recently sat down with HMSS Film Instructor Matt Hribar to talk about what he does when he’s not at HMSS, his favorite films, and more:

What do you do when you’re not teaching at HMSS?

It might be easier to ask what I’m not doing! I’m always writing, creating digital content like sketch videos and podcasts, or working in live entertainment around the city. Plus I love working out, eating good local food, and generally going on adventures!

How did you decide to get into filmmaking and performing arts?

I’ve always been a storyteller — when I was in high school I was making music videos to original music (which I still do to this day!), and I even did a “reality show” that I posted on YouTube. So you could say I’ve always been into performing arts.

What are the three essential characteristics of a successful HMSS filmmaker?

April 4, 2022April 9, 2022

5 Questions for Cliff Sweeney, Principal Instructor

We recently sat down with HMSS Principal Instructor Cliff Sweeney to talk about why he became a teacher, the three characteristics of a successful Heights Middle School Shorts camper, and more:

What do you do when you’re not teaching at HMSS?

When I’m not teaching at HMSS I am working at Boulevard Elementary School here in Cleveland Heights, helping students in the community to become better leaders in a society that’s forever changing. I am also a husband and father who is constantly trying to recreate myself for their betterment.

Why did you become a teacher in the first place?

I became a teacher to help inspire and cultivate young creative minds and give them a platform to display their talents.

February 23, 2021

Five Questions for Cliff Sweeney, Lead Writing Instructor through Lake Erie Ink

We recently sat down with HMSS writing instructor Cliff Sweeney where we talked about why he became a writer, the three characteristics of a successful Heights Middle School Shorts camper, and more:

1. How did you decide to be a writer?

I realized at a young age that life was both amazing and rough at different times. People are dealing with so much that 24 hours can go by in a blink without cherishing a day. I like writing stories, lyrics, and plays to put out into the world for people to relate to, which allows for one to slow down and appreciate life’s ups and downs.

2. What would you say are the three most important characteristics of a successful Heights Middle School Shorts camper?

Dedication to their crafts and willingness to do the little things to get better every day. The willingness to collaborate – the ability to listen to others’ ideas and opinions as well as accept criticism. And a willingness to express themselves, to give feedback – if it made you laugh we’re going to laugh (and speak about it) If it made you cry we’re going to cry. Use your emotions and senses to tell your story.