Film Intensive Actor. Producer. Director. Take on every role as you and your colleagues craft your own cinematic masterpieces.
Sunday, June 15 - Friday, June 27, 2024 | Residential & Commuter Options
This course is an introduction to the basic principles and practices of cinema production. Students will learn the fundamentals of single-camera production including the basic aesthetic and technical aspects of producing, directing, editing and cinematography. Lectures, screenings and in-class exercises will focus on giving students the skills they need to write, produce and edit their own short films. In addition, each student will function in key crew positions on several of their classmates’ projects.
Daily classes, workshops and labs give students the basics skills in writing, directing, cinematography, and editing that they need to make their own movie using HD digital video cameras and Adobe Premiere CC editing software. The class culminates in a premiere screening to which students can invite friends and family.
Read about our 2024 Cinema Summer Intensives here!
To participate in this exciting program, students must be entering grades 9-12 as of Fall 2025 and/or be a 2025 high school graduate. No prior experience is necessary in order to participate. Students must be available over the weekend (Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22).
This program is open to the first 16 students who complete the registration and pay their deposit.
Please note: Class content may contain clips from R-Rated films.
Important Dates:
Residential and Commuter Check-In: Sunday, June 15 from 1 pm - 4 pm
6 pm: Dinner
Program Start Date: Monday, June 16
Program End Date: Friday, June 27
Short Film Showcase: Friday, June 27 @ 6 pm in the GRW Theatre located in the University Center
Residential Move-Out: Friday, June 27 (evening) or Saturday, June 28 (morning)
Class Outlook:
Most classes will be held from 10 am - 4:30 pm, with a 1-hour lunch break. Each day will consist of lectures and hands-on assignments. *Please note the days with a different timeline.
Please note that this schedule is a sample and is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the instructor. The full two-week schedule will be provided prior to the start of the program.
Sunday, June 15 | Activity |
1:00 - 3:00 pm | Resident and Commuter Check-In |
4:00 - 5:00 pm | Student Orientation |
5:00 - 6:00 pm |
Dinner |
7:00 - 8:00 pm | Pre-College Staff Meet & Greet |
Monday, June 16 | Activity |
10:00 - 10:30 am | Introductory Session |
10:00 - 11:30 am | Lecture: The Visual Language, Essentials of Storytelling & the Aesthetics of Film |
11:30 am - 12:00 pm | Activity: Scene Breaker |
12:00 - 12:30 pm | Workshop: Scene Breakdown - Pair & Share |
12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
1:30 - 3:00 pm | Lecture: Intro to Directing, Continuity, Coverage, & 180-Degree Rule |
3:00 - 4:00 pm | Lecture: Writing Screenplay |
4:00 - 4:30 pm | 90 Second Short Film with 2 Characters at 1 Location |
Homework | Write Treatment for 90 Second Film with 2 Characters at 1 Location |
Tuesday, June 17 | Activity |
10:00 - 11:00 am | Arrival Workshop: Pitch Treament/Make Groups for Weekend Production |
11:00 - 11:30 am | Set Etiquette & On Set Procedures |
11:30 am - 12:30 pm | Lecture: Cinematography, Lenses & Exposure |
12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
1:30 - 4:00 pm | Activity: Camera 101 Exercise |
4:00 - 4:30 pm | Workshop: Transfer Footage to External Hard Drives |
Homework | Create shot list from screenplay |
Wednesday, June 18 | Activity |
10:00 - 11:00 am | Review Footage from Camera 101 Exercise |
11:00 - 11:30 am |
Workshop: Troubleshoot Potential Production Problems |
11:30 am - 12:30 pm | Create Production Schedule From Shot List |
12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
1:30 - 4:30 pm | Field Trip (The Science of Pixar - Carnegie Science Center) |
Thursday, June 19 | Activity |
10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Camera 102 Exercise |
12:00 - 12:30 pm | Workshop: Transfer Footage from Camera 102 Exercise |
12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
1:30 - 2:30 pm | Screening: Review Footage from Camera 102 Exercise |
2:30 - 3:30 pm | Activity: Finalize Scripts, Shot Lists, Schedule, Storyboards, Locations |
3:30 - 4:30 pm | Activity: Review Pre-Pro Paperwork, Script, Visual Plan |
Friday, June 20 | Activity |
Mroning | Group A Shoot |
12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
Afternoon | Group B Shoot |
Saturday, June 21 | Activity |
Morning | Group C Shoot |
12:30 - 1:30 pm |
Lunch |
Afternoon | Group D Shoot |
Family and friends are invited to the final screening of student films on Friday, June 27, 2025! More information to come.
The program will conclude with a showcase of student projects on the evening of Friday, July 16.
The program will conclude with a showcase of student projects on the evening of Friday, July 16.
Kelly Donnellan, MFA
Associate Professor of Cinema Production
Kelly Donnellan is an award-winning editor and director. She has edited two feature documentaries and more than 50 short films, including the Student Academy Award-winning documentary Dying Green in 2012, which received a silver medal.
Donnellan’s editorial work can be seen on several short documentaries for the Favorite Poem Project Chicago, sponsored by the National Poetry Foundation. She edited the award-winning short documentary I Throw Rocks! and her directorial effort, I is Another, earned her recognition as the "Best Female Director-Woman to Watch” from the Underexposed Film Festival in 2013.
She collaborated with information artist Laura Foxman on THE LISTENING ARCHIVE, which was installed from February-April 2018 at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) in the Mike Kelley Mobile Homestead.
Payment Information:
All payments are due before the start of the program.
Registration and payments will be handled through our easy, user-friendly online registration platform, CampDoc. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and Electronic Checks are accepted. Payment plans are available. Students receive a t-shirt, swag bag, and ID holder with their registration.
Non-Refundable Deposit:
A non-refundable deposit of $200.00 is required to reserve your space in the program. Please review our FAQs for the most up-to-date information on cancellations and refunds.
Dorm and Meal Plan Information:
When applicable, residential students receive 3 meals on weekdays and 2 meals on weekends. Commuters receive a daily lunch buffet. All meals take place in our Lawrence Hall Dining Room.
BREAKDOWN | COST |
Deposit | $200 |
Tuition | $1,400 |
Total Commuter | $1,600.00 |
Add-On: Dorm & Meals | $1,500 |
Total Resident | $3,100.00 |
Available Discounts:
1. A 30% tuition discount is currently offered to Point Park University employees, alumni, and their immediate family members. Family is defined as yourself, your spouse, and/or your children. Room and board costs are not available for this discount.
Welcome to our campus!
All classes will be held on campus at Point Park University. Cinema classes take place in the University Center.
Address:
Point Park University
201 Wood Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Production Equipment:
• All students will receive a portable hard drive.
iMac Editing Suites:
Main Screening Theater
GRW Theater (located in Point Park’s University Center, view campus mapThe option to live on campus during this program is available to students at least 14 years old.
We will do our best to fulfill roommate requests, but requests are NOT guaranteed. Students will have the opportunity to enter requests during the registration process.
Each residence hall has multiple points of secure access to student living areas, such as keycards, access codes, and lock and key.
Adult resident assistants (RAs) live on campus to supervise students who are minors. Each RA is responsible for eight to ten minors.
Camp Hollywood Red Carpet Moment
Pictured above are students who participated in our 2019 Camp Hollywood Program. These students presented their 3-minute short films to an audience full of family and friends.
As an undergraduate, graduate or international student at Point Park, you'll have access to opportunities only a world-class city can offer — and few universities can match — for a real-world, career-oriented education. Consider a B.F.A. in Cinema Production.
summercamps@pointpark.edu | |
Call | 412-392-3456 |
Connect |