• Film Academy promo with students in the studio filming

    Attention Middle & High School Students!

    Discover the art of digital storytelling and embark on a creative journey. Dive into a world of cinematic possibilities.

    Get the essentials—storytelling, camera, audio, lighting, and editing— and master the tools that make your stories come alive! Spring session runs February 4 – May 1, 2025, and is open to 9th through 12th grade students.

    Learn More

  • Film Academy Senior Video 2024

    WQED Film Academy presents the 2024 Senior Video

    Congratulations to the class of 2024 on graduating and finishing up their time with the Film Academy. We look forward to seeing what your futures bring!!

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  • Born2Ride video covershot featuring a young man with a helmet on looking into a mirror.

    Born2Ride

    Born2Ride was created as part of “The Mystery Box Challenge” where contestants were required to incorporate specific prompts and props: a character named Frankie, cards, and a mirror. Our students crafted a unique concept for ‘Born2Ride‘—a film featuring a motorcycle! The film emerged as a finalist in “The Mystery Box Challenge” and was proudly premiered at the esteemed Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival. Born2Ride was also accepted and played at The Life Screenings One Minute Film Festival and NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth), the world’s largest film festival for emerging filmmakers under 24.

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The Creator Academy has both student-focused and adult-focused enrichment opportunities. We offering programming for both middle and high school students in a classroom experience at our WQED studios in Oakland, or in your location. We support the regional film community through development opportunities for filmmakers.

The Creator Academy is focused on diversity, equity and inclusion to disrupt the status quo and create opportunities for all. We share the idea of revolutionizing the industry by breaking down barriers for high school students and adults pursuing a career in film and digital media production.

Teens: Become a Filmmaker in our WQED Studios

The Creator Academy gives middle and high-school teens an opportunity to learn filmmaking in our WQED Studios, engage with other filmmakers, attend lectures and experience production-related field trips.

Teens learn basic filmmaking concepts through a curriculum paired with projects that demonstrate these skills at an increasingly advanced level throughout the semester. Students work from concept through completion of a final, collaborative film project.

FOR PARENTS: MORE ABOUT THE CREATOR ACADEMY

Students making film on green screen
Paul Johnson leads a demonstration for students on location in Wilkins

Educators: Bring The Creator Academy to your Location

Discover what we can do in your school or camp! The Creator Academy teaches and empowers students to create digital media that matters. But we don’t just do it at our WQED Studios. We bring the studio experience to your location! Our curriculum and teaching assistants are available to educators and community organizations through our On Location Experience. In school and after school programming for schools and organizations can be custom fit to meet your needs.

FOR EDUCATORS: MORE ABOUT The Creator ACADEMY ON LOCATION