Websites:
Movie Maker Game
This online game consists of a Hollywood simulator for ten players in which movie bosses battle to get their films to the top of the charts. In addition to being free and easy to play, this is a fun way for teens who are interested in filmmaking to learn about the vocabulary of the film industry and the stages of the filmmaking process.
First Light Movies
First Light Movies is an organization dedicated to inspiring the making of films by young people. The website features a step by step guide to the filmmaking process (with plenty of photos) and a screening room where short films made by teens can be watched using Quicktime or Windows Media Player.
Listen Up!
Listen Up! involves young people in the culture of free speech and social responsibility by teaching them to use various media. It also offers a place for young filmmakers to network, learn about film contests/awards/film festivals geared towards young filmmakers, and a place to screen other films made by young filmmakers.
Student Filmmakers
While this Website is targeted towards college film students, it also has excellent resources for teens interested in filmmaking, including information about film schools, a webpage where young filmmakers can sign up to receive the magazine Student Fimmmakers for free, and other useful resources for beginning filmmakers.
Young Filmmakers Academy
The Young Filmmakers Academy is a Non-Profit organization that offers hands-on film and video production workshops to children and high school students between the ages of 9 and 18. Teens and “tweens” interested in filmmaking can attend various camps and workshops offered at the organizations campus in Los Angeles. Several scholarships are offered. The website has over twenty short films by previous camp attendees that can be watched on their website.
Books:
Lanier, Troy and Clay Nichols. Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts. Michael Wiese Productions. 2005.
High school film teachers Lanier and Nichols suggest teens start with a short-a five-minute film. They recommend that teens have a script before they begin, and be ready to take on many responsibilities: writer, producer, director and editor. This “how-to” resource is ideal for beginning teen filmmakers who have a small budget and limited resources.
Shaner, Pete and Gerald Jones. Digital Filmmaking for Teens. Course Technology. 2004.
Written in a non-technical, accessible manner, this book is ideal for the novice filmmaker. The chapters of this book are organized into “how-to” guides featuring definitions, tips, and advice from filmmaker veterans. The highlight of this source is an amazing DVD packed with advice, instructional videos, and examples of teen films.
Filmmaking for Dummies
Stoller, Bryan and Jerry Lewis. Filmmaking for Dummies. For Dummies. 2003.
While this source is not written specifically for teens, the simple language and instructions make it accessible to all novice filmmakers. The authors walk you through the entire filmmaking process from scouting out locations to directing actors. While this source does not include information about how to use technical equipment, it does introduce new filmmakers to the language of filmmaking.
