HOW TO PREPARE FOR FILM CAMP
This guide is here to prepare you for what to expect at camp, get you excited for this amazing experience, and tell you what you need to prepare before camp starts. Use the table of contents to jump around, but take your time to familiarize yourself with how the two weeks will work.
At its core, this 2-week camp is a crash course in filmmaking through the production of a 4-6-minute short film. Campers will arrive on the first day of camp and pitch the film that they want to make (full details on how to pitch a film are provided below). Then the various counselors and campers will vote on the productions they feel are most feasible to produce and most exciting.
The campers will then be split up into groups that they will work with for the remainder of the camp, and assigned a counselor who will largely guide them through the process and help them to deliver on their goals for the project that they’ve embraked on.
The first week is largely devoted to filmmaking lessons from our expert counselors and pre-production time to write and plan our productions. That pre-production will pay off when we then shift to our production/shoot days in our various locations, with our professional actors and production designer.
Then, the final days are spent back at The Backlot in post-production, as campers will edit their films for their big premiere on the final night of camp.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- MEET YOUR COUNSELORS
- DAILY SCHEDULE
- WHAT TO PREPARE
- HOW TO PITCH YOUR FILM
- MEET YOUR ACTORS
- VISIT YOUR LOCATIONS
MEET YOUR COUNSELORS
Dan Gvozden
Founder of The Backlot & Counselor
(he/him) With over fifteen years of experience teaching filmmaking, photography, and creative writing at prestigious private high schools and universities, Dan’s passion for teaching his students to use the filmic arts to express their voices, regardless of budget, resources, or ability, led him to found The Backlot - Film School and Studio.
With a Film & Television Production BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, a Cinema and Media Studies MA from UCLA, a decade of published work as a film critic, and a lifetime of film productions, in addition to his years as a teacher, Dan is excited to give our campers an experience they’ll never forget!
Stephen Harrod
Production Sound Teacher
(he/him) Stephen Harrod is a production sound engineer from Annapolis. His career is highlighted by numerous works in feature, short, and streaming documentary films.
Ray Rushing
Cinematography Teacher & Counselor
(he/him) Ray is a New York City-based cinematographer with nearly two decades of experience in video production and still photography. He has worked across a wide range of projects, from commercials and branded content to narrative and documentary projects.
With a collaborative approach on set, he combines a deep understanding of visual language with meticulous planning and execution alongside his co-creators. Ray also has a passion for teaching and a desire to pass on what he has learned over the years to the next generation of filmmakers.
Tasnim Ochoa
Production & Costume Designer
(she/her) Tasnim is a production designer with an ardor for creating thoughtful, visually-compelling spaces that bring stories and experiences to life. Creativity and resourcefulness are at the heart of everything she does. She loves collaborating with people, paying attention to the details, and creating work that leaves a lasting impression.
Wyatt Unger
Directing Actors Teacher & Counselor
(he/him) Wyatt is a decorated actor and acting coach specializing in improvisation, with twenty years of experience on stage and screen. Wyatt currently directs "All County Improv" for Howard County Schools, guiding a super team of high school improvisers from across Howard County.
In addition, he is also a founder of the award-winning SHRUG Productions. Together, they have made over thirty short films and have seen them screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Wyatt’s passion for storytelling on stage and on the screen is only matched by his love for working with students. He teaches from a place of love and compassion to help each one of them to flourish and believe in their own vision.
DAILY SCHEDULE
JUNE 22nd (Monday)
Welcome
Pitching Our Films and Voting
Meeting Our Teams and Counselors
LESSON: The Stages of Production
LESSON: Screenwriting 101
Writing Our Scripts
JUNE 23rd (Tuesday)
LESSON: Cinematography & Camera Operation
LESSON: How to Shoot a Scene
Camera Exercise
LESSON: Creating a Shot List & Lined Script
Visiting Our Locations, Meeting Our Production Designer
Writing Our Shot Lists & Lined Script
JUNE 24th (Wednesday)
LESSON: On-Set Roles & Production Audio Recording
LESSON: Setting a Schedule
Pre-Production Work Session
JUNE 25th (Thursday)
LESSON: Directing Actors
LESSON: Film Lighting 101
Final Pre-Production Work Session
JUNE 26th (Friday)
SHOOT DAY!
JUNE 29th (Monday)
SHOOT DAY!
JUNE 30th (Tuesday)
LESSON: Post-Production Editing
Post-Production Time
Delivering Our Rough Cuts
JULY 1st (Wednesday)
LESSON: Post-Production Audio
Post-Production Time
Delivering Our Final Cuts
NIGHTTIME SCREENING AND GOODBYES
Details on this event will be announced soon.
WHAT TO PREPARE
HOW TO PITCH YOUR FILM
MEET YOUR ACTORS
One of the most exciting elements of our 2026 Summer Camps is that you’ll be working with professional actors (as well as your peers) to cast your films. Below are the bios and audition materials for the actors joining us for camp. Each of the actors has provided a headshot and auditioned for your, as of now, non-existent film. So, they have chosen a monologue to deliver to show you an example of a performance they can give. Then we provided them with a different direction for delivering the same monologue. This is an excellent way for actors to showcase their range and directablity (or flexibility) in their performances.
Watch through the auditions and use their performances for inspiration for your pitch, making note of who you think you’d like to work with and for what roles in the film pitches that you’ll be presenting for consideration on Monday, June 22nd, during our “Pitching Our Films and Voting” segment of the day.
Ben Bell
(he/him) Ben Bell is an Annapolis native and a professional actor/nerd. When he is not performing, he can be found in his basement playing board games and D&D. He has been professionally creative for over 15 years and is excited to be in your next film!
Watch his audition!
Emmanuel Kerry
(he/him) Emmanuel Kerry is an actor and filmmaker whose work spans television, film, theatre, commercials, and voiceover. He has built a reputation for grounded, compelling, dramatic performances. Passionate about fantasy, sci-fi, and supernatural storytelling, he is also the founder of Fabled Finch Productions, developing original projects that blend imagination, hope, and cultural resonance.
Watch his audition!
Cade Mac Aodhagáin
(they/them) Cade is a non-binary actor, fresh from Los Angeles, who works in film and theatre. Their film credits include The Book of Todd (Sarah), Celtic Cross (Keira), Beyond (River), and more. They trained at Shenandoah Conservatory and Stan Kirsch Studios (Los Angeles).
Watch their audition!
Claire Coyle
(she/her) Claire Coyle has been a professional actor and voiceover talent for the past 15 years. When she’s not on the mic, she’s learning new marketing skills and hanging out with her family and critters, including an energetic doggo and baby. She’s also an avid equiestrian who enjoys nature and can’t wait to work on some projects this summer with campers.
Watch her audition!
Kennedy Richman
(she/her) Kennedy is a theater kid at heart with a love for all sorts of performance. She is a student at Towson University, double-majoring in Theater and Electronic Media & Film. She has been performing for essentially her whole life, from musicals to open mic nights to choir to violin to improv, and she is looking forward to working with this year’s campers.
Watch her audition!
Wyatt Unger
(he/him) Wyatt is a decorated actor and acting coach specializing in improvisation, with twenty years of experience on stage and screen. Wyatt currently directs "All County Improv" for Howard County Schools, guiding a super team of high school improvisers from across Howard County.
Watch his audition!
VISIT YOUR LOCATIONS
The element that will most significantly impact your pitches is our shoot locations. For this year’s camp, we are fortunate to have three primary locations: The Backlot studio, The Chapel in Catonsville, and the Baltimore Arts Guild’s Clubhouse. With the help of our production designer, we can transform these spaces to some extent into whatever your pitch requires.
Please explore these virtual walkthroughs and videos to get a sense of the space and dream up how you would want to use them for your film. These are the three spaces we will have access to, so craft your pitch around them and be sure to include which spaces you’d want to use in your pitch, so that we can ensure that you will have access to them on our shoot days.
THE CHAPEL
Explore this virtual tour in another tab, if preferred.
The Chapel offers us a variety of exciting indoor and outdoor spaces to shoot our films. There is the central ballroom, with its lofty ceiling, stage, functional pipe organ, and balcony. We also have access to the kitchen and various other side rooms that could function as apartments, offices, and more. Lastly, we have access to the storage room/basement, in case we wanted to film something like an interrogation scene or something requiring a bit more of a dusty setting.
THE CLUBHOUSE
The Clubhouse offers us a variety of exciting indoor and outdoor spaces to shoot our films. There is the central ballroom, with its lofty ceiling, stage, chandeliers, and foyer. Each part of it could be sectioned off to become an independent space, if needed. We also have access to the kitchen and a spacious office (not seen here) that could function as apartments, offices, and more. We also have access to the patio/garden and the parking lot if exterior spaces are needed for the film.
THE BACKLOT STUDIOS
The Backlot - Film School and Studio is our home base for our pre- and post-production processes, but it can also serve as an excellent set for a film. Not only do we have the classroom setting, which can be used as such or made to look like a movie theater, but we also have a small office, computer lab, and lounge. The space has dividers that can be used to split the space up or to construct false walls for new sets. We also have a studio with black-and-white backdrops that can be raised behind an actor, whether they are in the void of space or doing a mock Apple commercial. Plus, we have a green screen that can functionally turn itself into any location you can imagine, just don’t assume we can pull off something as radical as teleporting your actors to Pandora.
