We’re thrilled to share the brand new theme for this year’s Summer Shoots. In this year’s movie making summer camps, crew members are set to delve into their own Worlds of Wonder.
The Summer Shoots – our action-packed movie making camps for filmmakers ages 5-18 – are all about getting stuck into movie making and expressing creative ideas. Over five fun-filled workshop days, young filmmakers work together to produce their own unique movie production from scratch.
Every year, we introduce a brand new theme that is set to challenge the movie makers to think creatively, be imaginative and express themselves. In this brand new theme, Worlds of Wonder, young filmmakers taking part in the Summer Shoots will explore the craft of world-building at every stage of the filmmaking process.
The Challenges of World-Building
World building is the process of constructing a fictional world or universe in which a story takes place. It involves creating a detailed setting with its own unique geography, history, cultures, technologies, and characters.
World building is an important aspect of storytelling, especially for film and visual media. The filmmakers must create a universe that is both believable and immersive, so as to ‘suspend the disbelief’ of the audience.
In Worlds of Wonder, as storytellers and screenwriters, the young filmmakers will need to be highly imaginative as they devise and develop their own fantastical worlds, settings and characters. As production designers, they will need to think creatively to bring the visions of their worlds to life through scenery, costumes, makeup and props.
During the production process, as directors, actors, cinematographers and production crew, they will need to be visual and creative to produce memorable, iconic imagery and distinctive looks-and-feels to their film productions.
As editors, they will also need to work in harmony to convey both the story and its settings effectively through post-production techniques.
In addition to physical details like geography and technology, world building may also involve the creation of fictional cultures, societies, religions, languages and systems.
This theme will offer a fantastic creative challenge for this year’s Summer Shoots filmmakers, one we know that they will rise to in order to create a sensational slate of brand new youth film productions!
Worlds of Wonder: Inspirations for 2023
To help inspire lots of their own ideas for brave new worlds, we’ll be looking to some incredible films for storytelling inspiration…
Alice in Wonderland
We’ll be adventuring off down the rabbit-hole to find all sorts of mischief and mayhem, hopefully in time for an unbirthday or two.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Who knows what mystical lands might be hiding just behind the furniture? A sightseeing tour of Narnia is there to help filmmakers find their own fantasy.
The Hobbit / Lord of the Rings
Some film crews will look at epic fantasy staple Lord of the Rings as inspiration for their quests through dangerous times.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
What happens when two worlds collide and the old rules no longer apply? Hopefully the live action, animated hybrid comedy can tell us what to expect!
Avatar
For filmmakers looking to leave the planet, we’ll take a look at alien worlds including Avatar’s Pandora for inspiration on how to head off into a new imaginative dimension.
Star Wars
And for those seeking to build worlds upon worlds, examples from Star Wars can show the way.
Inception
Or, for filmmakers to head in the opposite direction, a look at Inception can inspire worlds within worlds instead.
These are just some of the examples that we’ll be looking at for inspiration this summer, across the filmmaker age range.
The aim will be for each crew to find their own starting point to help them create their own fantastical, detailed worlds to base their own original stories.
Their final film productions are always completely unique and surprising. Our team of filmmaking instructors will guide them through lots of different filmmaking techniques they can use to bring their stories to the screen.
Learn More
The Summer Shoots are taking place at Sparks Film School locations around the UK throughout the summer. Each film school offers its own dates and availability of the different studio age groups.
To find out more about the Summer Shoots and what is in store for young filmmakers this year, take a look here >>
To check availability for your nearest Sparks Film School, please take a look here >>
