Students arrive, meet their crews, and get hands-on with cameras and editing software for the first time. The morning covers fundamentals — basic shot types, camera operation, and what makes a short film work. In the afternoon, crews dive into story development: voting on their concept, writing dialogue, building a shot list, and storyboarding key scenes. Every student contributes simultaneously across writing, art, and technical prep. By end of day both crews have a locked script, a cast, and a production plan ready for cameras to roll tomorrow.

Crews head into principal photography, shooting their films simultaneously at separate locations. Students rotate through on-set roles — director, camera operator, sound, and talent — so everyone gets experience in front of and behind the camera. A BTS crew documents the day for social media and program archives. By end of day each crew has the majority of their footage in the can and a clear picture of what still needs to be captured.

Day 3: Finish filming, Start the Cut

The filmmakers are back on set for one final push — wrapping remaining scenes, capturing those last critical shots, and making sure every moment the story needs is in the can. Once the cameras go down, the energy shifts. Footage gets pulled into the edit room and for the first time, the film starts to come alive on screen. What was a script and a shot list yesterday becomes a real story today. By end of day both crews have a rough cut taking shape on the timeline — and the excitement of seeing their film come together for the first time carries everyone into the home stretch.

Production is officially closed and the focus shifts entirely to finishing the film. The day opens with an introduction to the fundamentals of professional editing software — students learn the tools of the trade, from organizing footage and building a timeline to cutting scenes, adding transitions, and working with audio tracks. With these skills in hand, crews dive into their own films and the real creative work begins. Students divide across parallel post-production workstreams — editing, sound design, music, titles, graphics, and color — so every crew member is actively contributing. Both crews screen rough cuts for each other mid-afternoon, exchange feedback, and push toward picture lock before the day ends.

Day 5: Finish Strong

This is the day everything comes together. The morning is an all-hands final push — crews record last voiceover lines, dash out for any critical pickup shots, and lock in the finished music and sound design that will carry their film across the finish line. Simultaneously, a dedicated team assembles the behind-the-scenes reel capturing the entire week — the chaos, the creativity, and the camaraderie that made these films possible. By midday the films are done. The afternoon opens with a full in-house screening of every completed film, and the energy in the room is unlike anything else all week — these students made something real and they know it. The day closes with a mentorship session where industry professionals and program instructors talk about exploring careers in film, television, and media production — and how to turn your art into a sustainable and successfull career in media.