Today was the final production day, and the atmosphere in the editing suite was curiously quiet.  There was an air of focused concentration in the room as people shot frame after frame for their animated video, and diligently edited the main features, adding colorization to every piece of footage.

 

The young people that started this camp at the beginning of last week are undergoing a metamorphasis from students that had to be spoon fed instructions every step of the way, to independent creators with a vision, an understanding of story, and the knoweldge of how to turn their creativity into a tangible product.

 

When you grow up in Los Angeles, the entertainment industry becomes an almost innate part of your life, and a career in the industry is not a pipe dream but a very realistic option.  The quality of technology at our fingertips means that film-making is no longer an arena where only the billion dollar studios can compete.  Whilst your children have been learning how to use cameras and different types of microphones, it's still possible to shoot a short film using a phone!

 

With all of this in mind, I have compiled a list of film festivals - at the bottom of the page - of young film makers in the USA and across the world.  The journey from student to legend starts with doing what you love.

 

 

“...if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.”

 

Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald.