University of Miami Summer Scholars: Filmmaking and Storytelling

The Summer Scholars Program (SSP) at the University of Miami provides a unique opportunity for high school students to study for three weeks and earn college credits. This program focuses on film creation where students take on the role of screenwriter, director, actor, and editor.

Coursework will cover:

Introduction to Digital Production and Filmmaking (3 Credit Hours): Students will learn cinematography, lighting, editing, audio recording, and story development through lecture, discussion, screenings, labs and projects. We will focus on both technical aspects and aesthetic principles of filmmaking. Throughout the class, students will critique shared work to develop analytical skills and enhance the quality of class film projects. Students will learn the visual language of film, and how to tell stories visually.

Introduction to 3D Character Design, Motion Capture and Augmented Reality _3 Credit Hours): This course introduces the skills real game and interactive artists use daily to create 3D characters and environments. This would help students master the skills and techniques they need to excel in the competitive games and augmented reality industry which would include how to create a 3D game model using a concept design as a guide, prepare the 3D model for texture mapping, master the character rigging process, from setting up a skeleton to preparing blend shapes. This course would also cover motion capture, the technique of isolating the movement of a real person and applying it to a computer-generated character. Finally, students will add their designed and animated 3D characters to real-time video recordings of their surroundings using Augmented Reality apps on their mobile devices. 

Maximum enrollment: 15
Prerequisites(s): 9th and 10th grade English