Summer Camp Departments Covered

ACTING

Working in this department, actors are required to perform in various roles on the feature film as well as in short film projects. Working closely with the Head of Acting and Acting Mentors you will be involved in all aspects of what it takes to be an actor on a professional film set. When you’re not filming, you will be involved in high level acting training in extensive worskhops that run throughout the five weeks; these workshops are led by industry professionals and conservatoire drama school graduates and students.

DIRECTING

This department takes you through what is required and what it takes to direct a film. Working closely with the Associate Director, you will take part in numerous workshops and masterclasses, in addition to being given the chance to direct scenes in the main feature and short films. This role requires you to be thoroughly engaged in all aspects of directing, from preparing story boards, through to the actual shoot and on to post production editing.

ASSISTANT DIRECTION

This department is focused on the practical management and organisation of the film set as a whole, to enable the Director to concentrate on central direction. There are First, Second and Third ADs, Assistant Directors, as well as AD runners. The roles of the different ADs are all different but the duties include: preparation of call sheets, tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, using radios to manage on-set communications, management of actors from green room, through costume to hair & make-up, organisation of Background Actors while on and off the film set, checking the arrival of cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. This job can be quite physical, with common sense and intuition being vital.

Camera

Responsible for the set up and working of all camera related aspects of a shoot, this department is technically and sometimes physically demanding. Working closely with the Director of Photography (DoP), also known as a Cinematographer, camera team members’ tasks may include: assembling, preparing and setting up equipment prior to filming (including tripods, monitors, lighting, cables and leads, and headphones), studying scripts, planning shots, practising the camera moves required for pre-arranged shots, finding solutions to technical or other practical problems (eg - for an outside broadcast, the natural light conditions need to be taken into account when setting up shots), taking instructions from the Director or the Director of Photography, whilst always demonstrating a thorough awareness of health and safety issues.

Grip

The Grip is part of the Camera Department, focused on the physical set up and movement of the camera during a shot. Grips satisfy rigging needs on-set. Simple rigs can be menace arms that offset lighting instruments to reach over set walls, or goalposts that span the set to rig over actors and crew. Tasks may include: moving the camera and tripod into position, laying down track for the camera to move along, performing in-shot movement (eg operating a pulley system to open a secret door).

Lighting

The lighting team work in the Camera Department. Lighting technicians are responsible for the movement and set up of various pieces of lighting equipment for visual effects. You will work closely with the DoP and the Gaffer (the head of the Lighting Department). Lighting Technicians may also lay electrical cables, wire fixtures, install colour effects or image patterns, focus the lights, and assist in creating effects or programming sequences. The lighting technician's duties include: altering the height, focus and intensity of a lantern, using flags, gels and reflectors to alter the effect of the lighting, placement and focus of lighting fixtures for any given scene to be photographed, distribution of power and work lights around the set and support areas (including portable production offices, catering, etc.)

Sound

The entire musical score for the feature film and all related sound are created within this department. This department is responsible for all the sound, from music to foley, on both the feature film set as well as on all short film projects. Whether you are a budding musical composer or have an interest in the technical management, recording and production of sound, this department is for you. You will be guided by the Sound Department Head and Mentors throughout your time.

Boom Operator

Part of the Sound Department, the principal responsibility of the boom operator is microphone placement – sometimes using a "fishpole" with a microphone attached to the end and sometimes, when the situation permits, using a "boom" or a Fisher Boom, which is a more intricate and specialised piece of equipment that the operator stands on, allowing precise control of the microphone at a much greater distance from the actors. Tasks may include: working with the Camera Department to ensure the boom cannot be seen in shot, working with the Sound Recordist to establish the optimum positioning of the boom, listening to the sound through headphones during a take to provide feedback on quality of recording. Holding a boom can be tiring and requires focus and attention to detail.

This department will work closely with the Post Production team to ensure all sound is created, captured, stored and then made available to them to work with in editing. Tasks may include: creating foley sounds either on location or in a recording suite, mixing sounds in the edit suite, composing music and collaborate in the development of musical scores. A creative mind and a hands-on approach are essential in this job.

ART

The Art Department works under the close guidance of the Production Designer and Art Director and comprises: Art Design, Props & Set Dressing, Construction, Wardrobe, Hair and Make-up. The Art Department is responsible for the art and design of all the physical aspects in a shot. The team will be responsible for delivering the whole feature film’s design concept.

Property Master, more commonly known as the Props Master

This person is in charge of finding and managing all the props that appear in the film. The props builder, or more frequently propmaker, as the name implies, builds the props that are used for the film. Tasks may include: sourcing and management of raw art materials, designing and creating a wide array of props for use during the shoot, decorating and dressing sets. Assistance is then required to manage these items and their involvement during the shoot.

The wardrobe team is responsible for all the clothing and costumes worn by all the actors that appear on screen. They are also responsible for designing, planning, and organising the construction of the garments down to the fabric, colours, and sizes. Tasks may include: dressing actors appropriately with respect to the theme of the film and requirements of the shoot, organising, preparing and maintaining all costumes so that they can be efficiently used throughout the shoot.

Hair and Make-Up team is required to work with the whole team to design and deliver the completed look, this may include: simple hair and make-up for cast members, creating hair-styles and make-up, the make-up of injuries and prosthetics (additions to people’s face or body e.g. warts, noses, hair, etc). This role requires basic skills, ability to work under pressure and an attention to detail.

PRODUCTION

This team manages the production from the office and is the backbone of the whole film. Working under the supervision of the Producer and Production Manager, your job will focus on general management and organisation of the entire film set and Summer School. Roles from Assistant Production Managers, through to runners, will manage everything to ensure success on and off the film set. Tasks may include: organising and managing products and services from external companies, scheduling and logistics of places and production elements (such as food, equipment and people), administrative work – including the utilisation of programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel – and on-set marketing. This role requires good organisational skills and a willingness to do whatever it takes to produce the film successfully.

CONTINUITY AND SCRIPT SUPERVISION

It is essential in any production to maintain continuity across the chaotic and typically non-linear production shoot. Tasks may include: making and filing efficient notes on the set up of a shot, how it changes and recording what the actors say and how they move, using these notes for the management of props and the actors in shot, liaising through the ADs with the Art Department to correct any problems with props and the Director to correct any problems with acting. This role is hands on and requires good attention to detail.

POST PRODUCTION

This department works during and after the shoot and is responsible for cutting the shots, placing them in order, creating and imputing effects and ensuring sound and picture quality on the feature film and short film projects. Tasks may include: capturing footage from the original film tapes or transferring data on set, logging shots with respect to notes made by the Director, and editing rough cuts of scenes from the film. Having an understanding of Final Cut Pro is useful, but don’t worry if you haven’t because we can teach you! This role is key to the end film’s professional quality and requires an interest in all areas of editing.

MENTOR

In addition to heads of each department, we have opportunities for mature, skilled individuals to be mentors on the Summer Camps. Mentors must be over 18 – students can apply through the application form for this area. In addition to any department roles they may have, mentors will be responsible for a small group of students on a day to day basis. They will be required to meet with their group every morning and at night to take a register, ensure that all of their group is well, and that there are no areas of concern. After lights out, mentors and camp staff have a meeting to discuss the pastoral wellbeing of all students.

Our student/mentor ratio during the summer camp is minimum 10/1. Our mentors come from a range of backgrounds from within education and industry. All mentors are CRB checked. All camps also have qualified first-aiders, security for monitoring the camp where required and a member of staff responsible for the overall pastoral welfare of all students.