Movie Camp: Looking at Movies
This camp is designed for teens who love movies.
Through lively discussion and with guidance from St. Luke’s faculty member and movie aficionado, Evan Downey, students will sharpen their understanding of film form and deconstruct how films communicate with their audience through their formal elements, deepening their appreciation for film as a narrative art form.
See below for a daily schedule of movies and topics.
Day 1: Introduction to Film Form and Analysis
Topic: Understanding Film Form
Activities: Introduce basic concepts of film form (mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound, music) and narrative structure to help students understand the language of cinema.
Movie: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
Activities: Introduce basic concepts of film form (mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound, music) and narrative structure to help students understand the language of cinema.
Movie: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
Day 2: Visual Storytelling
Topic: Cinematography and Visual Composition
Activities: Explore how camera angles, framing, lighting, and color contribute to storytelling and mood.
Movie: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Activities: Explore how camera angles, framing, lighting, and color contribute to storytelling and mood.
Movie: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Day 3: The Power of Editing
Topic: Editing and Narrative Structure
Activities: Analyze the role of editing in shaping narrative pacing, continuity, and emotional impact.
Movie: Hard Boiled (John Woo, 1992)
Activities: Analyze the role of editing in shaping narrative pacing, continuity, and emotional impact.
Movie: Hard Boiled (John Woo, 1992)
Day 4: Sound and Music in Film
Topic: Sound Design and Music in Cinema
Activities: Discuss how sound effects, dialogue, and music contribute to atmosphere and storytelling.
Movie: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014)
Activities: Discuss how sound effects, dialogue, and music contribute to atmosphere and storytelling.
Movie: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014)
Day 5: Putting It All Together
Topic: Analyzing Films as a Formal System
Activities: Apply the concepts learned throughout the week to critically analyze a complete film.
Movie: The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006)
Activities: Apply the concepts learned throughout the week to critically analyze a complete film.
Movie: The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006)
Instructor:
Evan Downey
Evan Downey
Session I
June 23-27, 2025
9:00am-12:00pm*
(Rising 9th-12th graders + Class of 2025)
(Rising 9th-12th graders + Class of 2025)
COST: $400
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Leading with Humanity curriculum builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
