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By the Film Camp instructors
Reviewed August 2026
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FILMMAKING CAMPS FOR KIDS & TEENS · AGES 7–17
KIDS MAKE MOVIES.
FILM CAMPS.
AFTER SCHOOL.
WEEKEND CLASSES.
PREMIERE NIGHT.
LIGHTS… CAMERA…
ACTION!
Write. Direct. Act. Edit. In one week your kid walks out with a real movie... and your family with a cherished memory for a lifetime.
Film Camp runs hands-on filmmaking camps for kids ages 7–17 in Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
The fastest growing private film program for kids & teens in America.
Partners & program sponsors
School nights, weekends, or a full week of camp. Whichever one fits your calendar, your young filmmaker ends up on a crew of twelve with a real camera in their hands and a finished film with their name in the credits.
Ages 7–17 · No experience needed · Payment plans and sibling discounts available
Kids and teens find their role on a crew, get good at it in front of people their own age, and walk out taller than they came in.
Every camper rotates through all six. Nobody sits and watches.
Dozens of camper films are up on our YouTube channel. Every one of them was written, shot, acted and cut by kids at Film Camp.
★★★★★
"My son was excited for camp but had little experience! By week’s end my guy was fully involved and invested. He learned so much and loved seeing his ideas come to life. Thanks for a super fun week!
Pamela S.
Parent · Los Angeles
★★★★★
"My kids loved the camp so so so much. Everyday was a new adventure. This was both of their first time acting and being behind the camera. They are already asking to go back. Absolutely worth it, great instructors"
Tiffany J.
Parent of two campers · Los Angeles
★★★★★
"Thank you for the wonderful opportunity for my boys Maksim and Nikita! It was an incredible experience! My kids were super excited all 5 days!"
Yaroslav
Parent · San Francisco
★★★★★
"It was a great experience for my son. He was excited from day one. Kids wrote the script, participated in discussion, played, acted, filmed. They did so much in these 5 days!"
Oxana
Parent · Dallas camp
★★★★★
"My son loves the camp! He says the magic chair was his favorite part. We are definitely doing it again."
Lucero
Parent · Austin camp
★★★★★
"Great! My son loved this camp and wants to do it again. The teacher encouraged creativity and all the kids clearly had bonded by the end. It was a space for the kids to be creative and playful while learning about putting a film together."
Kate S.
Parent · After-school, Glendale
Still unsure? Tell us your camper's age and city and we'll say which one we'd pick.
Start here · Classes for kids, classes for teens
FILMMAKING CLASSES FOR ALL AGES.
Kids ages 7–12 and teens 13–17 have their own class, their own crew and their own film. Pick your child's age group and the rest of the page follows.
or
Six days of work in the order a real production does it — script first, premiere last, and every camper hands-on with the cameras, lights and edit from start to finish.
Most camp listings sound identical. These are the eight things that actually separate a week where kids make a film from a week where kids watch one — ask them of us and of anybody else you are considering.
The short version
Film Camp's Thanksgiving break camp runs Monday November 23 to Wednesday November 25, 2026, 9am to 4pm, for kids and teens ages 7 to 17 in Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
It costs $449 per camper, all equipment included, at a 12:1 camper-to-instructor ratio. Every camper is credited on a finished short film that our staff edit after camp and post to the Film Camp YouTube channel.
Dates
Nov 23–25
Hours
9am–4pm
Ages
7–17
Cities
Five
Tuition
$449
Three days, on set
This is what the week looks like
The schedule is built backwards from the cut, which is why three days is enough. Nobody spends a morning on theory.
There is no materials fee, no equipment rental and no premiere ticket. The only thing you pack is lunch.
Thanksgiving camp 2026
$449
per camper
Three days, 9am–4pm, Nov 23–25.
"He barely talked to anyone on Monday. By Wednesday he was telling the crew where to put the camera."
Kate M. · Parent of a 9-year-old camper
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available · Holiday weeks cap at 12 per room
Five cities where kids and teens can unleash their creativity. Now that's something to be thankful for!
Filmmaking camp for kids · Ages 7–12
Big stories. Big imaginations.
Kids bring the ideas — we hand them the camera and a job on the crew, and they figure out the rest together. It’s loud, it’s funny, and by day two the shy ones are directing. They walk away with a real movie and their name in the credits.
Real cameras, lights, costumes, the works — no experience needed.
Small groups · Background-checked instructors · Payment plans available
Five days of writing, shooting, acting and editing — every camper hands-on with the cameras and lights from start to finish. They walk away with a film they can be proud of.
"My shy daughter came home beaming. She played the lead AND directed two scenes."
Marisol R. · Parent of a 10-year-old camper
Filmmaking camp for teens · Ages 13–17
Find your voice.
A production, not an activity. Their idea, their department, their name in the credits.
They pitch the idea, write the screenplay, run a real department for the week, shoot on professional video cameras and cut it themselves. Everyone walks away credited on a finished short film.
Professional video cameras and lighting kits · Industry guests · A credited short film
Filmmaking camp for teens ages 13–17: three days from $449 depending on city, or five days $599–$649. Running in Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
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Teens spend the week off their phones and on a set — pitching their own ideas out loud, collaborating about a shot, and making something for a big screen instead of scrolling a small one.
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Film camp was our son’s favorite camp for the whole summer! He came home with novel and exciting experiences to share everyday, and is already asking about joining film camp again next year. Thank you for a wonderful time and the fun and educational experiences!
Sheralyn Lee · Los Angeles
12:1
Campers to instructors, so a teen gets the attention they deserve.
13–17
Their own crew and their own film, made with kids their own age — teens work alongside teens.
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AFTER-SCHOOL FILM CLASSES FOR KIDS & TEENS · AGES 7–17
After-school film classes
Ten weeks. One film. And a kid who stops asking permission to have ideas.
Ten weeks with the same crew and instructor — long enough for kids to get comfortable, get loud with their ideas and get good at the roles they pick. They finish with a film they are proud to put their name on.
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available
After-school film classes for kids ages 7–17: one ten-week term for $549, one afternoon a week after the bell, ending in one finished film. At our studios and partner schools in Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
Weekend film classes for kids · Sundays · Ages 7–17
Weekend film classes
Say goodbye to boring weekends. Kids have fun filmmaking and collaborating with their peers.
Two hours on a real set with real cameras. Drop in for one class, or stay for all ten Sundays and walk out with a finished film.
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available
Weekend film classes for kids ages 7–17 run two hours on a Sunday — $89 for a single class or $549–$599 for the ten-week term, which finishes with a film. Drop in or take the term.
Drop in
$89 a session
One Sunday, one craft — directing, camera, edit, stunts, make-up. No commitment, no experience needed. Good for a first try.
Best value · Full term
$549–$599 a term
Ten Sundays, one film, one crew. $599 in Los Angeles and San Francisco, $549 in Texas — and the work actually builds week to week.
Filmmaking camps for kids · Five cities · Six studios
Find a film camp near you
Film Camp runs filmmaking camps for kids ages 7–17 in five cities and six studios: Los Angeles, two campuses in Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
Camps run 9am–4pm at real working studios. Easily accessible. Safe and convenient drop-off and pick-up at each location.
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Working filmmakers
WHO YOUNG FILMMAKERS LEARN FROM
Directors, editors, camera operators and drama teachers who work in film the rest of the year — so when a student asks how a scene really gets made, they get a real answer. Twelve campers to one instructor. Every one background-checked and first-aid certified.
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Free · 14 pages · PDF
The parent's guide to film camp
Everything we get asked on the phone, written down. Read it before you enroll anywhere — ours or anyone else's.
Free PDF · 14 pages · 2.1 MB
Written by the instructors who run the camps.
Send me the guide
Pick an age group.
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Since 2015
We hand the kids the camera…And let their imaginations run wild.
Film Camp is the fastest-growing private film program for kids and teens in America.
Film Camp was born and conceived in Hollywood — the moviemaking capital of the world — by indie filmmaker, director, producer and writer David Pope.
It started with one week, one borrowed studio and eleven kids who had never held a camera. Today, Film Camp is a place where dreams are made.
David Pope
Founder · Director, producer & writer
IMDb ↗
Film Camp is a filmmaking program for kids and teens ages 7 to 17. Director and producer David Pope founded it in 2015. It now runs in five US cities: Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
Campers write, shoot, act in and edit a real short film. Choose three days ($449 depending on city), five days ($649), a ten-week after-school term ($549), or Sunday classes ($89 a session). Every camper leaves with the finished film and a credit on it. Every city holds a premiere where families watch the films together.
Partners & program sponsors
On set — a camp crew shooting their own scene
A film needs a director, an actor, a sound person and an editor — so there is a role for the kid who wants the spotlight and the kid who would rather run the camera. Twelve campers to one instructor means every one of them gets the job, the notes and the credit. We encourage them to unleash their creativity in a safe, fun, and collaborative environment… among their peers.
Every frame is theirs. They pitch it, light it, shoot it, act in it and cut it — and when something lands, they know exactly why, because they were the ones holding the boom. That's the whole point: a student who can look at their own work, see what to do better, and can't wait to go again. They leave with a film they made and the confidence that comes with it.
There's a moment every camper waits for: the lights go down, the title card comes up, and there is their name on a film they made. Every city holds an annual Film Camp Film Festival where those films play on a big screen for a real audience — every student, every family invited. Applause from people who mean it, for work that is entirely theirs.
Email
hello@film.camp
Phone
(512) 617-0297
Main campus
7501 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin TX
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No experience needed · Small groups · Payment plans available
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The facility
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★★★★★ From a local parent
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For parents
Before you enroll
Everything worth reading before you enroll — who we are, what the films look like, and the answers to what parents actually ask us on the phone.
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Read →
Start with the guide
How camp actually runs and what to expect. Free, and no one will call you.
Student work · 500+ films
The kid stays in the picture!
Local student films premiere to a packed house — now streaming.
Every film here was written, shot, acted and cut by Film Camp students.
Asked and answered
Questions
Don't see yours? Call (512) 617-0297 or email hello@film.camp.
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For parents & young filmmakers
Notes from set
What we're learning from five hundred kids with cameras — plus camp news and things worth watching at home.
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Read more →
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Where to next
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Keep reading
Step 2 of 2 · Payment
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Step 2 of 2 · Payment
Save their spot
Their place is held while you pay. Payment is processed by Stripe and never leaves this page.
Your session
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Apply
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Discounts apply to tuition only, not add-ons or merch. One code per enrollment.
Need longer days?
Optional. Kids stay on set — gear, editing, rehearsal — with an instructor.
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Kit them out
Optional. Collect at drop-off on day one — most campers wear theirs all week.
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Pay in full
One charge today, nothing else to remember.
25% deposit
Hold the spot now, balance closer to the date.
Full refund up to 14 days before the first day · Questions? hello@film.camp
Enrollment
Enroll your
filmmaker
One minute of form, then we take it from there. This tells us who's coming, which session you want, and anything we need to know to keep your camper safe and busy on set.
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available
1 · Which program
2 · Which city
Pick a program and a city above and the open dates will appear here.
Nothing on the calendar for that combination yet. Tell us the dates you'd like and we'll email you when they open.
3 · Your campers
Bringing a brother or sister? Add them here — one form, one payment, one confirmation email.
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4 · Parent or guardian
Name and phone for each. We check photo ID at the door.
5 · Safety details
Your instructor and the on-floor lead both see this before day one.
6 · How did you find us?
Tick everything that applies — it tells us where to spend our time.
We'll deduct it from your balance and email a confirmation — you won't be charged the gift card amount twice.
Trusted by families & partners
Jennifer Zawadzki
Local Guide · 18 reviews
★★★★★
2 months ago
“Absolutely incredible experience. My 11 year old son rates it a 10/10, 5 stars, and 2 thumbs up! Highly recommend!”
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available
Confidential
Everything you send goes to hello@film.camp and stays with the staff running your camp. We never sell, rent or share it. Privacy policy · Cancellation policy
Payment received · Enrollment confirmed
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is saved
You're on the crew list. Now go tell them.
Stripe has emailed your receipt. Our welcome note — parking, drop-off and what to bring — lands within one working day.
Paid today
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What you booked
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Nothing ships — we'll have it waiting on day one.
What happens next
01
Your receipt is already in your inbox
Sent by Stripe. Keep the confirmation number above for anything you need from us.
02
A welcome email within one working day
Drop-off times, what to pack, who's teaching, and the paperwork we still need signed.
03
Day one: they walk in and start writing
Real cameras, a crew role with their name on it, and a finished film with their name in the credits.
Read the Parent's Guide
Hour by hour, what to pack, and what your kid comes home with.
Questions before day one
Drop-off, gear, experience level, refunds — answered.
Something not right?
Wrong session, wrong spelling, a sibling to add — call (512) 617-0297 or email hello@film.camp and quote your confirmation number. Changes are free up to 14 days before the first day — see the cancellation policy.
Enrollment
Nothing to show here
This page shows a confirmation right after a payment. If you've already paid, your receipt is in your email — call (512) 617-0297 and we'll look it up.
Enrollment received
That's a wrap
on the paperwork
Your enrollment is on its way to hello@film.camp. A real person reads it — we confirm your session and send payment options within one working day.
Need it faster, or didn't see your email client open? Call (512) 617-0297 or write to hello@film.camp.
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Gift cards
THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY NEVER STOPS GIVING.
Give a kid a camera, a crew and a week to make the movie they've been imagining.
Pick an amount, pay, and the code lands in your inbox with a printable card you can hand over. They choose the city, the program and the date whenever they're ready.
Never expires · Works on any program, any city · Ages 7–17
A Film Camp gift card can be spent on any filmmaking camp, after-school term or Sunday class for kids ages 7–17 in Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas or Houston. Cards start at $89, never expire, and are emailed to you with a print-at-home card the same day.
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Another amount
Anything from $25 to infinity. Part-funding a week works fine — they pay the difference at enrollment.
$
Who's it from, who's it for
Add it and we'll email them the card too — leave it blank to forward it yourself.
Everything goes to your inbox — you choose when they get it.
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The small print, in plain words
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Private events & parties
PARTY MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME.
Your kid and their friends arrive with an idea and end up with a real film.
A birthday, a scout troop, a team celebration, an end-of-year class trip — we bring the cameras, the lights, the crew roles and the instructors. They write it, shoot it and act in it — our team cuts it afterwards and sends everyone a link to the finished film. You bring the cake.
Ages 7–17 · 8 to 24 kids · As long as you want us · Quoted per event
Film Camp runs private filmmaking parties and group events for kids ages 7–17 in Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston — at our studios or at your venue. Every event shoots a complete short film on the day; our staff edit it afterwards and send every family a link to watch it. Email hello@film.camp or call (512) 617-0297 for a quote.
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What we bring
-
Professional video cameras, tripods and a shot list the kids fill in themselves. -
Boom mic and sound kit, so somebody gets to be the one who says "quiet on set." -
Lights and a portable green screen — space stations, courtrooms, haunted hallways. -
Costumes, props, masks and make-up effects, plus a slate with your event on it. -
A monitor on set so the crew can watch takes back while they shoot. -
Working filmmakers to run the set, background-checked and first-aid certified.
What we do
-
Run the pitch: they pick the genre, we help them turn it into a story that shoots. -
Hand out real crew roles — director, camera, sound, actors — and rotate them. -
Direct the shoot, coach the acting, and show them the camera and effects tricks. -
Take the footage away, cut it ourselves, and send you a link to the finished film.
Genres they pick from
Horror
Western
Crime drama
Sci-fi
Comedy
Action & adventure
Mystery
Detective
Music video
Talk show
Documentary
Fantasy
Superhero
Every event is quoted on the guest count, the city and how long you want us for. Instructors are background-checked and first-aid certified.
Fill in as much as you know — a date and a rough head count is enough to start. We answer within one working day with a plan and a price.
Email
hello@film.camp
Phone
(512) 617-0297
Lead time
Three weeks is comfortable. Ask anyway if it's sooner — we often make it work.
Pick an event type.
Pick a city.
We reply within one working day and never sell or share your details. Privacy policy
We'd love to hear from you
Contact us
Questions about a date, a payment plan, or about the courses? Don't hesitate to contact us.
Email
hello@film.camp
Phone
(512) 617-0297
Office hours
Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm Central
Main campus
The Magellan School, 7501 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78731
Send us a message
Pick a location.
Zero-spam policy
We reply within one working day. We never sell, rent or share your information, and unchecking the box above still gets you an answer — it just keeps you off the list. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy policy
Nothing on the calendar for that combination
Clear a filter, or get the guide and we'll email you when dates open in your city.
All camps run 9am–4pm unless noted. Early drop-off from 8am and late pick-up to 5pm available as add-ons at checkout.
Enrollment terms
Cancellations
& refunds
Plans change — we get it. This policy is meant to be fair to your family and still let us staff, cast and plan every session properly.
If you cancel
Transfers
Move your camper to a different session — any city, any week — up to 14 days before your start date, subject to availability. A $25 transfer fee may apply. One transfer per enrollment.
If we cancel
If Film Camp cancels a session for any reason — enrollment, staffing, weather or venue — you choose a full refund with no fees, or a transfer to another session at no charge.
Illness & emergencies
Sick camper or a family emergency inside the 14-day window? Email us. We'll offer a credit toward a future session where we can — talk to us rather than not showing up.
After-school & weekend terms
Term programs are refundable in full up to 14 days before the first meeting. After a term begins, individual missed sessions aren't refundable — the group is making one film together.
Need help?
Email hello@film.camp or call (512) 617-0297 — a human who runs camps will answer.
Last updated August 2026. Refunds are issued to the original payment method within 10 business days.
Your data
Privacy
policy
We take the privacy of families very seriously — here's exactly what we collect, why, and what we never do with it.
Last updated August 2026. Questions about your family's data? Email hello@film.camp and we'll answer it ourselves.
Message sent
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Your message is on its way to hello@film.camp. A real person who runs camps reads every one, and you'll hear back within one working day — usually sooner.
Need us sooner? Call (512) 617-0297, 9am–5pm CT.
While you wait
Your guide is ready
Tap the cover. Start reading.
It saves straight to your phone — what a week looks like hour by hour, what to pack, how drop-off works, and what your camper takes home on premiere night.
We also emailed you a copy, so it's waiting on the big screen at home if you'd rather read it there. Nothing in your inbox in five minutes? Check spam, or email hello@film.camp and we'll resend it.
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available
While you read it
How we keep camp safe
Safety &
supervision
A film set is a busy place. Ours is run by adults whose whole job is knowing where your camper is, what they're holding, and how they're doing.
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Questions about your camper?
Medical needs, an IEP, an anxious first-timer — tell us before camp and we'll plan for it. hello@film.camp · (512) 617-0297
Last updated August 2026. Our full emergency action plan and certificates of insurance are available on request.
The words on set · Ages 7–17
Talk like a film crew
Every word a camper picks up in a week at Film Camp, in plain English. Kids arrive not knowing what a slate is and leave calling for room tone — this is the vocabulary that comes with the job, and it is worth knowing before drop-off so the first morning makes sense.
Learn them on a real set
Your kid will be using every one of these words by Wednesday. Camps run 9am–4pm, three days for $449 or five for $649.
No experience needed · Ages 7–17 · Payment plans available
Early-bird pricing
Summer '27 dates are open — most weeks are down to single figures.
Parent's Guide
See all dates