Programs Offered

Registration Open for 2024!

Odyssey Film Camps & WORKSHOPS

Summer Camps & Workshops for Students Age 13-18

Odyssey Film Camps

In-Person Camps Summer 2024:

Odyssey Film Camps at Cleveland State University’s School of Film & Media Arts offer a variety of exciting summer camps for high school students (age 13-18) interested in filmmaking. With access to the film school’s professional soundstages, editing labs, and a vast inventory of film production equipment, CSU Faculty teach students the art and craft of filmmaking from start to finish — included is screenwriting, story structure, acting for the camera, directing, shot composition, storyboards, pre-production, casting, location scouting, cinematography, lighting, editing, sound effects, and scoring.

Located in CSU Arts Campus at Historic Playhouse Square, Odyssey Film Camps offer four different Residential or Day Camp options including the all new 5-Day Film Challenge! Residential students get a preview of college life by staying in Cleveland State University Residential Halls and all campers are invited to experience Cleveland’s robust cultural offerings through scheduled weekend trips and activities.

All meals are provided for Residential students, and breakfast and lunch are provided for Day students. Day campers attend sessions Monday-Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and are invited to All Camp Weekend Activities.

The summer’s camps are:

Odyssey Three-Week Film Camp — Sunday, June 9 – Friday, June 28, 2024

Followed by 3 one-week intensive camps:

Odyssey Intensive: Stories and Scripts — Sunday, July 7 – Friday, July 12, 2024

Odyssey Intensive: Acting and Directing — Sunday, July 14 – Friday, July 19, 2024

Odyssey Intensive: 5-Day Film Challenge — Sunday, July 21 – Friday, July 26, 2024

Contact: 216-687-5087 or odyssey@csuohio.edu

Odyssey Three-Week Film Camp

In the Three-Week Film Camp Odyssey participants create their own original films in a fun and collaborative environment. Through interactive workshops and activities, CSU Faculty teach students the art and craft of filmmaking from start to finish — included is screenwriting, story structure, acting for the camera, directing, shot composition, storyboards, pre-production, casting, location scouting, cinematography, lighting, editing, sound effects, and scoring.

In addition to writing and directing their own film, all students will assist other students with their projects as part of the cast or in production roles. At the conclusion of the program, students will be provided with a copy of their film short for their portfolios and submission into film festivals.

Residential students get a preview of college life by staying in Cleveland State University Residential Halls and all campers are invited to experience Cleveland’s robust cultural offerings through scheduled weekend trips and activities.

All meals are provided for residential students, and breakfast and lunch are provided for day students. Day campers attend sessions Monday-Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and are invited to All Camp Weekend Activities.

Classes and workshops include:

Film Analysis: By watching films comedies, dramas, action, indies, and streamers (PG content) students analyze specific scenes and shots to see how they affect an audience and how they were constructed (lighting, color, graphics, editing, performance, directing, camera movement and lens choice).
Screenwriting 101: Learn the nuts and bolts of writing and formatting a script and developing characters and story structure. Each student will have access to their own account in the screenwriting program Celtx.
Act Up! An introduction to screen performance techniques – essential for actors, directors, editors, and cinematographers. Learn to be rather than act on the set – and to trust your transparency rather than indicating how you feel.
The Art of it All: Learn preproduction skills such as location selection and decorating sets, choosing wardrobe and props, dressing hair, makeup – even special effects makeup.
Settiquette: Learn how to behave on set, set safety, crew positions, and how to call and slate shots.
Directing on Set: Rehearse your actors in scenes, create storyboards, block the camera, and shoot the script! Everyone collaborates and supports each other’s projects.
The Cutting Room Floor: Learn or hone your editing skills, building scenes, creating energy and pacing to let the audience absorb the emotion with the film school’s Mac editing labs and using Adobe Premiere.
Sounds and Scores: Learn how to capture clean audio from your actors and tweak it in post. Learn how to build environmental sounds that brings your film to life and add musical themes to cue the audience’s emotions.
Screening the Film: Complete your film for an open screening at the end of the program.

Residential: $4500 Sunday, June 9 – Friday, June 28, 2024
Day Camp: $3600 Sunday, June 9 – Friday, June 28, 2024

This program was made possible by a generous gift from Lee and Ageleke Zapis.

Odyssey Intensive: Stories and Scripts

Everyone has a story to tell – learn the skills to tell your story for the screen with this one-week intensive summer camp.

In Stories and Scripts campers participate in creative workshops to spark story ideas and scenarios, then write film scenes or short scripts utilizing professional scriptwriting software.

Along with illustrative film screenings and special guest lectures, students will also learn about the different forms of screenwriting, plot arcs, and identifying genre. Workshops in improvisation and composition will launch a dramatic writing process highlighting story ideas, creating characters, dialogue, and learning scene structure.

Each student will have access to their own account in the industry-standard screenwriting program Celtx. After a week of thought-provoking creative activities and skill-building writing exercises, students will have completed a short script or scene which will be performed at a final table read on the last day of the program.

Residential: $1500 Sunday, July 7 – Friday, July 12, 2024
Day Camp: $1200 Sunday, July 7 – Friday, July 12, 2024

This program was made possible by a generous gift from Lee and Ageleke Zapis.

Odyssey Intensive: Acting and Directing

Odyssey Intensive: Acting and Directing — Sunday, July 14 – Friday, July 19, 2024

Students focus on the art and craft of acting and directing through creative projects emphasizing the collaboration between actors and directors. All students learn performance techniques for actors and camera techniques for directors.

Workshops in Acting:

Improv Games: Through games and exercises, students develop the ability to react spontaneously, live in the moment, and bring intensity and joy in their performances.
Crafting Characters: Create believable characters and understand subtext, objectives, and dramatic context.
Scenes: Learn cold reading skills and the performance of believable dialogue through the technique of listening and action-reaction.

Workshops in Directing:

Script Analysis: Learn how to closely read material in order to define the objectives of the characters, understand arcs, beats, and make choices to heighten the drama or comedy of a scene.
Staging a Scene: Learn how to block a scene for the camera and shoot for coverage with effective staging that keeps continuity in wide, medium, and close-up shots.

Combined Workshops:

The Art of Rehearsals: Collaborate as actors and directors and create a film project. Rehearse blocking, camera movement, and develop the final performance. Rehearsals are the time to experiment and create the magic in the scene.
Shooting Day: Everyone will participate, collaborate, and shoot their scene!

Through these series of workshops, CSU Faculty instruct students in improvisation, monologues, scene work, camera technique, script analysis, and blocking. Each camper films a selected scene for the final showing demonstrating their class work and creative progress. At the conclusion of the program, students will be provided with a copy of their filmed scene studies for their portfolios.

Residential: $1500 Sunday, July 14 – Friday, July 19, 2024
Day Camp: $1200 Sunday, July 14 – Friday, July 19, 2024

This program was made possible by a generous gift from Lee and Ageleke Zapis.

Odyssey Intensive: 5-Day Film Challenge

Odyssey Intensive: 5-Day Film Challenge — Sunday, July 21 – Friday, July 26, 2024

ALL NEW CAMP! Crew-up with friends new and old and take the 5-Day Film Challenge!

In this all new camp, Campers will produce an original short film from concept to final credits from a series of prompts and guidelines provided by CSU Faculty.

Through interactive workshops and activities, CSU Faculty will teach students how to develop a story structure, write a short screenplay, brainstorm pre-production, shoot scenes, edit, and make a sound score. All in 5-Days! With access to CSU film school’s professional soundstages and locations, camera and production equipment, props and costumes, editing and sound labs; the 5-Day Film Challenge is Odyssey’s version of a 48 Hour Film Project — plus more! At the conclusion of the program, students will be provided with a copy of their film short for their portfolios and submission into film festivals.

Residential: $1500 Sunday, July 21 – Friday, July 26, 2024
Day Camp: $1200 Sunday, July 21 – Friday, July 26, 2024

This program was made possible by a generous gift from Lee and Ageleke Zapis.

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP - Feb. 3

SCREENWRITING Workshop – Saturday, Feb 3, 2024 (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

The New Odyssey Workshops are given in two sessions: The Morning Session focuses on Acting and Performance and its relation to Screenwriting, Directing the Camera, or The Language of Film. Each Afternoon Session builds upon the themes explored in the acting exercises and improvisations and then applies them in unique creative ways for in-depth learning about filmmaking.

LUNCH is provided to Students who elect to attend both workshops in the ALL DAY option.

SCHEDULE:

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Storytelling and Acting

12:00 PM — 1:00 PM – LUNCH

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Story & Screenwriting

Workshop fees:

ALL DAY – $100

Morning Acting Workshop Only – $50

Afternoon Workshop Only – $75

ACTING & DIRECTING WORKSHOP - Feb. 24

ACTING & DIRECTING Workshop – Saturday, Feb 24, 2024 (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

LUNCH is provided to Students who elect to attend both workshops in the ALL DAY option.