Each year, American University’s School of Communication welcomes students from Montgomery County Public Schools and D.C. Public and Charter Schools to our campus for hands-on Environmental Filmmaking Workshops. Workshop participants learn about documentary filmmaking alongside current AU Graduate and Undergraduate students who are working towards degrees in Film and Media Arts. 

Students who participate in our environmental workshops are middle and high school students who are passionate about environmental issues. Workshops begin with an introduction and icebreaker in the Media Innovation Lab. Then visiting students join breakout sessions led by AU students covering various filmmaking topics including editing, producing, and cinematography. Students take turns experimenting with different filmmaking roles such as camera operator, sound recordist, and editor and learn about the kinds of equipment and software used by documentary filmmaking pros. In previous years, AU students have also led filmmaking workshops on site at Montgomery County area schools. Students have the opportunity to enter their completed films into the MCPS Environmental Film Festival. 

At the moment, plans for the 2022 filmmaking workshop are pending. If you are interested in signing your class up for a future filmmaking workshop, contact Sarah Menke-Fish, Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning at (202) 885-2098 or smenke@american.edu. 

DC public and charter high school students interested in filmmaking may also enter their films into the Washington DC High School Film Festival hosted by Avalon Theater and American University’s School of Communication Discover The World of Communication Program.