High schoolers dive into filmmaking, game design, and journalism at summer precollege programs
High school and elementary students visited Franklin Hall this summer as attendees of several precollege programs at The Media School in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington.
During June and July, students spent up to a week on campus while gaining hands-on experience in film production, video game development, animation, and journalism. Some stayed overnight in campus dorms and got a taste of the authentic college lifestyle while others enjoyed interactive online workshops with knowledgeable mentors and guest speakers.
Here are some highlights from each camp.
Cinema Academy
The 2024 IU Cinema Academy consisted of sessions focusing on beginning and advanced production, screenwriting, and animation. The academy was overseen and instructed by Game Lab Director and Digital Production Specialist Andrew Behringer.
Overall, there were 88 participants, a 41.9% increase from 2023’s session. Over half of the visiting students were from Indiana, but out-of-state attendees came from all over the U.S., including New York, Texas, California, Florida, and several other states. International students from China, Mexico, and India also attended.
Seventeen students had their camp tuition partially or fully paid for due to scholarships offered by The Media School and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs.
Each session ended its week with a student work showcase, inviting parents to view the projects students made during their workshops. Animation Camp and Digital Cinema Academy had a combined final event in the Fine Arts Building, and the Screenwriting Camp, with its first ever in-person session, invited students from the theatre department to act out the scripts created by the aspiring screenwriters.
High School Journalism Institute
The High School Journalism Institute met in two sessions during July, offering a total of 14 workshops that ranged from design and photography to news writing and news leadership.
Of the 216 high school students who attended, 80% were rising juniors or seniors. Scholarships of $400-$500 were awarded to 24 rising seniors, going toward tuition if they attend IU. Six high school journalism teachers attended HSJI to take courses as well.
HSJI Director and senior lecturer Teresa White oversaw the two weeks of intensive workshops as students produced various forms of media, including photos, articles, podcast segments, yearbook plans, documentaries, and graphic design pieces. Podcasting students visited local radio stations, and sports writing students toured IU’s Memorial Stadium and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
HSJI students came from 88 different high schools, and of the attendees, 53% of students came from Indiana. Students coming from other midwestern states made up 34% of the participants, and 11% came from the U.S. coasts.
HSJI concluded with an awards ceremony for each week, inviting parents to join as students were recognized for their hard work during workshops. Students published their projects on the HSJI website and YouTube.
View HSJI’s Student Work GalleryGame Development Camp
Game Development Camp hosted 115 students of ages 12-18 for both in-person and online sessions in 2D and 3D game design. Attendance increased by 27.7% from last year. Behringer also served as an instructor and overseer during these sessions.
Students had access to professional-level game development software and equipment while they spent a week bringing some of their ideas to life. They also listened to several guest lecturers from industry professionals.
Game Development Camp received attendees from all over Indiana as well as other states such as Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, Texas, New York, and Colorado. Nine students were awarded scholarships that went toward camp tuition.