This year’s Sneak On The Lot summer workshop marks the 15th annual workshop series. We can’t believe that we’ve been hosting workshops and making short films with teachers and students for 15 years.
Many of you know that these workshops, while designed for the teacher’s and student’s success inside and out of the classroom, also provide our curriculum with a host of various tutorials, interviews and content. Thus the reason why we never make the same type of film. We are constantly switching up the genres, techniques, effects, stunts and any other variable we can find.
This year we wanted to demonstrate two special techniques in film.
- We wanted to showcase old-time Hollywood monster makeup.
- Shooting miniatures rather than building a 3D model.
When first informing the participants that we would be making a “Horror” film this year, there were a few faces in the room that lost interest. Horror is not really our bag of tricks either but we would give it our own twist and have some fun with it. As we began into the development of the script those teachers reengaged.
I really don’t like horror films and when you said that’s what we would be making, my heart sank, but you guys have made it fun somehow and I can’t wait to get on set and see how it comes together!
As we went through the storyboarding process and began to visualize the project, people started laughing. Soon we were all back on the same page.
In the evenings we head out to Hollywood and Highland to show the participants a bit of the Hollywood nightlife.
The Sneak on the Lot Summer Workshop was the most empowering professional development event I’ve ever experience. It was so good, I went twice. I received hands-on training with industry professionals in all aspects of filmmaking. I am much better prepared now to teach my students the discipline and workflow of digital production.
Scott Smith
Media Instructor
Golden West High School
Visalia, Ca