Round Top Film Festival to Host Summer Film-Making Camp

This summer the Round Top Film Festival will be hosting its first ever summer filmmaking camp, “Making the Short: From Script to Screen” for students ages 13 to 18 who are interested in film, storytelling, writing, or creative collaboration with limited spots available.

The camp will run from June 8-14. It’s a week long, immersive experience where students learn how films are made by working collaboratively through every stage of the process from script development to a completed short film that premieres on the big screen.

The camp runs daily from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Days one through five will take place at the Red Antler. Day six will be held at Fayetteville High School, where students will edit their films. The premiere location for day seven is to be determined.

The camp is led by film professionals and designed to be welcoming to students of all experience levels. Throughout the week, students gain hands-on experience in writing, directing, camera, sound, producing, and editing, while building creative confidence and collaboration skills.

The Week at a Glance Day 1: Who Are You On Set? - Presentations and conversations with working film professionals.

Day 2: Writing the Short Script development, dialogue craft, table reads, and story shaping.

Day 3: Prep - Casting, crew roles, shot lists, and production planning.

Day 4: Shoot Day One On-set fundamentals, performance direction, and camera basics.

Day 5: Shoot Day Two B-roll, pickups, collaborative problem-solving, and wrap- out.

Day 6: Editing Day - Cutting the emotion and rhythm, sound design and color pass.

Day 7: Red Carpet Premiere - Public screening, student Q&A, and celebration.

The market cost for a camp of this caliber is $3,000 per student. Thanks to the Round Top Film Festival’s commitment to arts education, we are able to offer this premiere camp at $1,200 per student. Students will pay a one time fee of $500, and the festival will work with the Round Top community to sponsor the remaining $700 of tuition for each student.

For more information or to register, go to https://roundtopfilmfest. org/summercamp.

Building a Legacy of Film Education

This is the latest in the Round Top Film Festival’s investment in local young filmmakers.

“Last spring, I had the opportunity to attend a screenwriting workshop sponsored by the Round Top Film Festival. That experience gave me valuable feedback on my writing and also introduced me to other writers in the area. Giovanni and Skylar helped me reach out of my comfort zone and write in genres I was not familiar with. The workshop helped me gain valuable skills and techniques that shaped my form of storytelling today,” said La Grange High School junior Jackson Elliott. “Unlike any other workshop I have been to, the people in charge of it actually kept in touch after the class. Giovanni has continued to reach out and offer professional advice and suggestions on my writing. Something that has not happened anywhere else.”

“The support I have received has given me confidence and continues to shape my writing today.”

Here’s some quotes from the organizers: “I’m really excited that we can bring a film and screenwriting education program to Round Top, Texas. It’s been a dream of mine, and I’m thrilled that it not only helps students who aspire to study film in college but also opens doors for others to discover what a career in film could look like. This is all part of the Round Top Film Festival, and I can’t wait to see who the next Richard Linklater, Quentin Tarantino, or Sofia Coppola might be… I think they might be right here in our backyard.”Shanna Schanen, CO-Founder & Festival Executive Producer

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