The Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region, in cooperation with the Smíchov Secondary Industrial School, the Radlická Grammar School and the Hotel School in Smíchov, organized a five-day educational stay activity called "Media Camp Terezín". Sixteen high school students from the Ústí nad Labem Region went through the complete process of creating a short film over five days: from the initial idea to the final screening.
Three schools, two films, sixteen filmmakers
The target group was students from three secondary schools in the Ústí nad Labem region: Josef Jungmann Grammar School in Litoměřice, Lovosice Grammar School and Jateční Grammar School in Ústí nad Labem. The participants were divided into two working groups, each of which worked in parallel on its own film project. The camp resulted in two short audiovisual works, in the creation of which all participants participated - whether in the role of screenwriters, directors, cameramen, actors or editors.
"I signed up to learn how to work with media, and I was most excited about the filming itself, because it’s about creativity. My biggest challenge was acting, because I got the lead role and I had to really try. But I also tried my hand at sound engineering and learned how to use technology. I would definitely recommend the camp to everyone.”, revealed David Holan from Litoměřice High School.
Peer-to-peer: when peers teach
A key element of the entire program was the peer-to-peer format. The role of lecturers was not played by adult experts, but by students from the partner Smíchov Secondary School, which has long been profiled in the field of media and audiovisual creation. This approach was chosen intentionally. Peer guidance reduces the psychological barrier between the lecturer and the participant, uses shared generational experiences and at the same time develops the competences of the lecturers themselves in the areas of presentation, organizational and methodological skills. For participants from the Ústí nad Labem Region, the Smíchov students also represented an inspiring example of the practical application of secondary school studies.
„"I am a third-year student from Smíchov and I came to mentor the students from Litoměřice. I have to say that they were incredibly skilled and passionate about their work, which pleasantly surprised me. They worked great in teams, spending time together, even when they weren't working. But what completely shocked me was their internal drive - some of them got up at four in the morning and went shooting until nine.", mentor and student Gisele Neie from Smíchov High School did not hide her positive surprise.
From brainstorming to final cut
The camp program was designed to take participants through all phases of film production. Monday's program was dedicated to getting to know each other, setting the rules of the camp, and dividing into groups. In the afternoon, brainstorming and creating the first ideas began, on which the groups worked until the evening.
Tuesday included the completion of the scripts, the distribution of production and acting roles, and the start of filming itself, which continued throughout Wednesday. Participants gradually became familiar with working with the camera, sound, shot composition, and directing the actors.
"I was one of the actors and sometimes I stepped in as a sound engineer. I actually liked everything, but the biggest problem was time. We had little time and the weather didn't work out, so the biggest challenge was getting everything filmed. If I could change anything, I would have planned the schedule better because we were almost there. They didn't have much time. But the experience is great.,“ said Miloš Šípek, a student at the Jateční Gymnasium in Ústí nad Labem. Another participant, Dan Königsmark from the Litoměřice Gymnasium, added: „I had a lot of fun coming up with the script and deciding on the angles of the shots. That was also the hardest part. Like Miloš, I struggled with time – we ended up doing almost everything overnight, which I would try to do differently next time. But the camp was great for 100 %."
Thursday brought the transition from filming to editing – the participants first shot the final scenes and then immersed themselves in post-production, which was a completely new discipline for many of them. Friday's program culminated in the finalization of both films, a joint screening and feedback.
"The commitment was really high. Once the students got up to speed, it was great. We managed to get some beautiful scenes, even though shooting at night in the rain was quite a challenge. But what surprised me the most was what the people who were holding a camera for the first time in their lives were able to create. The result was really good.,"," added Patrik Müller, mentor and student, also from Smíchov Secondary Industrial School.
Students in teams They filmed their videos even at night. The night shooting in the rain was one of the most demanding parts of the program for the participants of the media camp, but it also showed their great commitment. The shooting at night was also due to the lack of time during the day. It was a great challenge, but on the other hand it was accompanied by their inner enthusiasm. Despite the rain and night conditions, the shooting was successful and the scenes were great, even though their previous experience with working with a camera was almost zero.
Throughout the camp, the students learned using the "learning by doing" method. They mastered working with various types of media technology, came up with scenarios and angles, dealt with post-production and sound. They were in acting roles, where they also portrayed the main characters. A positive surprise was the high level of skills even among those who held the technology in their hands for the first time.
Working with the camera was crucial for the students. They learned not only technical control, but also creative aspects such as choosing angles of shots. They then moved into the role sound engineers, which included practical control of sound recording equipment. Post-production taught them how to process the filmed material, such as combining sound with movement or fine-tuning colors.
The media camp provided participants with practical skills in areas that are usually only marginally represented in the secondary school curriculum: storyboarding and screenwriting, the basics of film direction, cameramanship, acting basics, post-production editing and, last but not least, teamwork within the production process with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In addition to technical and creative skills, the participants also gained the experience of intensive five-day work in a team composed of students from different schools - precisely the inter-regional and inter-secondary school networking experience that the RUR project systematically supports.
Smíchov peer tutors tried out working with a real group of "protégés", had to build a program, lead a team, solve production problems in real time and pass on their know-how.
"When we included Media Camp in the RUR program, we did not want it to be a one-time activity, but to verify a model that can live on. Peer learning in practice showed exactly what we hoped for: high school students are capable lecturers who can pass on skills to their classmates with an authenticity that an adult lecturer can never completely replace. This year's pilot was a proof of concept for us. In the next wave, we want to transfer the same format to other schools in the Ústí nad Labem region, with the role of mentors and lecturers this time being taken over by students from the Josef Jungmann Gymnasium. in Litoměřice, who went through the entire process themselves this year. That is exactly what we want in the RUR project – to ensure that the competencies we invest in remain in the region and spread further., ,” summarized Daniel Trnka, manager of educational activities and organizer of the event from the Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region.
➡️ The event was financed by the project RUR – Region University, university of the region, registration number CZ.10.02.01/00/22_002/0000210. RUR is a strategic project financed by the Just Transition Operational Programme, which aims to strengthen the human capital of the Ústí nad Labem Region, develop the competences of pupils and students and support their relationship with the region. The media camp is one of the activities of the project targeting secondary school pupils in the Ústí nad Labem Region.
