The past couple years have been full of firsts for Cleveland State University’s new School of Film & Media Arts, and this summer the film school will add one more to the list. The inaugural session of the Odyssey Program, a film camp for teenagers, will see its very first campers arrive on July 12. 

The Odyssey Program aims to teach young aspiring filmmakers many of the basic skills they will need going into the industry. 

According to Valerie Temple, administrative coordinator for the School of Film & Media Arts, the goal is for three week-long sessions this summer. Each section will be for a distinct cohort, ages 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18. 

Every age will get the same learning opportunities, and program plans include a broad range of skills every day.

“The day is going to be very structured,” Temple said. “It’s going to be a lot of group work, and we’ve got a great curriculum already in place on our website. So, there’s just going to be a lot of different little classes that will teach them different aspects of filmmaking. You know, like how to tell a story, how to write a screenplay, and how to use a camera."

"There’ll be workshops like special effects makeup and costuming," she added. "We’re going to try to give them a little taste of really everything.” 

The program will offer both day camp and overnight camp options, priced at $3,600 and $4,400. The overnight campers will be staying in Cleveland State’s dorms for the week.  

“The day camp option is going to be five days a week, with breakfast and lunch, and it’s going to be sort of like an 8 to 4, or 8 to 5 kind of day,” Temple said. “And then the residency option is going to have activities in the evening, and then also there’s going to be field trips on the weekends.” 

She said that they are still working out where they will take the campers on field trips, but museums, baseball games, and opportunities with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission are all in the running. 

The Odyssey Program, originally conceptualized by Frederic Lahey, program director for the School of Film & Media Arts, grew from just an idea to a reality in less than a year’s time, Temple said. 

The program received three years of startup funding gifted by Lee and Ageleke Zapis, but Temple said they hope to continue Odyssey for years to come afterward.

“We are funded for at least three years, but we are hoping that it will be self-sustaining by the third year and we’ll just continue on," she said. "And our goal is for the first year to get 60 students for one session, but then we definitely want to increase it to two sessions.” 

The Odyssey Program will be accepting 20 students per cohort for the summer of 2020, and registration has recently opened. 
More information on the curriculum, pricing and film camp facilities can be found at csuohio.edu/odyssey.