It was so awesome to see so many busy little filmmakers at our third Workshop today! Thanks to our amazing Workshop designer/leader AJ Meininger for a very successful day.
We had 30 students and we broke into 6 groups to continue learning the basics of making a film on your phone. All 6 films were successfully airdropped to me and we had enough time to view each film and briefly provide feedback.
This workshop was a bit different since AJ asked us to start with sounds and work from there. It really helped everyone to slow down and notice all the sounds around us, and then to build a story from that place.
A few lessons learned that we need to be conscious of moving forward:
1) We CANNOT record audio or video in or just outside of the restrooms. There are obviously privacy concerns in this location.
2) We need to all be cognizant that we are in a Library when we break into groups and start shooting. Libraries are traditionally quiet spaces, and we need to remember to be respectful of this environment.
3) We cannot use any of the spaces that are reserved for Staff.
Special thanks to Team Redwood, a group of High School students (and recent grads) assisting with all things technical. Sam, Aaron, Sebastian, Sofia, Enzo, Izzy and Bjorn: You guys once again rocked it today! I heard so many comments about how helpful and patient you all were.
These workshops are designed to give you the confidence that will lead to some incredible films that will be screened in Belvedere Park on October 9, 2026 at 6pm.
All workshops are drop in, and there is no need to attend them all, but please show up and be settled into your seat so we can start at 11am sharp. We want the workshops to move through the lesson plan quickly so we can get to writing, shooting, editing and showing them to the group.
For those that want to access the practice films from the workshops, you can do so by clicking HERE.
Workshop Schedule
| Date | Topic |
|---|---|
| July 4 | NO WORKSHOP. Happy Independence Day! |
| July 11 | Genre & Silence |
| July 18 | Stop Motion Animation (led by Pixar alum Norm DeCarlo!) |
| July 25 | Real People, Real Stories |
| Aug 15 | Montage & The Kuleshov Effect |
| Aug 22 | The Close-Up |
| Sept 12 | Surreal & Experimental |
| Sept 19 | Editing Clinic & Festival Prep |
What to Bring
💻 Laptop (fully charged) with CapCut installed — use the desktop version, not the cloud version (it’s free!)
📱 Smartphone (fully charged)
- Any gear you have: tripod, gimbal, camera rig, audio equipment — but don’t worry if you don’t have any of it
- A few lavalier mics will be available to borrow
- Most importantly: start thinking about a film you’d like to make. Celebrate your community! Each workshop features hands-on exercises designed to give you the tools and skills to bring it to life.
With much appreciation,
Adam Gavzer
Creator and Executive Director
Belvedere Home Made Film Festival 
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