Pre-College

Nature & Environmental Filmmaking

Lights, Camera, Nature!

This program is an opportunity for high school students to explore filmmaking and visual storytelling through the lens of the natural world. Working alongside Eckerd faculty on our 188-acre waterfront campus on the Gulf of Mexico, students will learn the theory and practice of ecocritical filmmaking: how filmmakers use images and sound to shape the stories we tell about water, wildlife, and the environment. In small production teams, students will experiment with underwater cinematography, shoot with macro and telephoto lenses, record on-location sound, and conduct documentary interviews. Each day ends with a finished short film, so students leave with a portfolio of work and hands-on experience with professional equipment. No prior filmmaking experience is required.

Core Topics

• The visual language of cinema
• Ecocritical film analysis
• Conventions and techniques of wildlife film
• Underwater cinematography
• Macro and telephoto filming with mirrorless cameras
• On-location sound recording and sound design
• Documentary interview techniques
• Editing and post-production

Students enrolled in this program will:

• Learn the basics of underwater filmmaking at the pool and waterfront, and produce a short water film with promotional materials
• Use a professional film camera to create a short ecocinema poem
• Work in production teams to film an animal portrait, learning how to make little animals seem big and big animals seem accessible in the wild
• Interview an environmental scientist and produce a short documentary about Eckerd’s unique wildlife habitats
• Attend an evening film screening in Miller Auditorium

Take a look at our sample schedule to get a sense of the daily activities.