Jake LaPorte was bursting with energy, fueled by a chocolatey Devil Dog.
One of 12 kids who descended on Pembroke City Limits this week to try their hands at creating a short film, 10-year-old LaPorte had just learned the basics of scriptwriting, storyboard sketching, character development, improvisation and camera skills.
The young aficionado has always had an interest in the art of filmmaking, starting out at home with nothing but his own imagination.
“I used to upload videos on my YouTube channel with my stuffed animals, make them talk. I made it into a whole universe,” he said.
He showed no signs of stopping as his group entered post-production at FC Academy’s filmmaking camp. With fellow 10-year-olds Lenny French and Ben Michaud, LaPort had run up and down the rows of music records at Pembroke City Limits and used the restaurant’s bar setting to produce action-packed scenes of a goblin chasing around customers.
Their short film and the ones created by other campers will be shown on the big screen at FC Academy’s free “Movies Under the Stars!” screening in Massachusetts on August 24.
Two of the camp’s teachers, Christine Torrey and Max Gofstein, said the program is all about giving the students creative liberty. Fueling a passion for acting and recording isn’t hard; the difficult part is helping kids understand the processes and preparation that make a film successful.
Torrey and Gofstein supervised the films for age-appropriate content, but besides basic parameters, the kids had full control. All of the films had an element of action, a chase, a fight or a mystery.
Torrey, a local independent photographer and videographer, explained that Generation Alpha is inherently knowledgeable about the technology and skills required to piece together clips.
“The main goal is just to provide a safe haven to learn the ins and outs of videography, from planning it, storylining it,” Torrey said.
Each group had its own style. A group of older boys — Everett Micuccui, Brayden Hixon and Gavin Despes — chose a slightly more complicated storyline for their crime-comedy.
They used all available props and mise-en-scene features to create a thrilling narrative where a man tries to catch a pickpocket.
The three of them had worked on other films together before for fun, but having access to equipment and a new location were huge upgrades.
While the older boys filmed their last scenes in the back of the record store, Athena Chapman and a third group of campers spent time editing a suspenseful murder mystery with a large cast of characters.
There wasn’t an inch of the location that wasn’t used between the three films. As they edited their clips, reliving the excitement of each scene, the kids let out full belly laughs.
“I think there’s been a big emphasis on fun, and I think that, in my opinion, ties well to what makes film special,” Gofstein said.
“Movies Under the Stars!” will be screened at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School in Melrose, Mass., from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 24. The event will feature films from summer camps across New England.