Behind the Lens
Behind the Lens (BTL) connects talented young people to educational opportunities in the world of film and video. The program is centered at the historic Attucks Theatre in Norfolk, and provides a facility for hands-on production and cinema studies courses.
BTL is a one-of-a-kind educational opportunity for high school students, ages 14-18, who have demonstrated an interest in utilizing media arts to develop transferable skills — namely, writing, math, science and technology to pursue careers in film and television.
BTL offers qualified high school students an in-depth training not ordinarily available in most media arts and television curriculum. In addition to instruction in state of the art technology and communication in simple to use languages, BTL students will have the opportunity to work side-by-side as peers with film technicians, under-graduate and graduate film university students, and noted television and film professionals from across the country.
BTL invites applications from students who have demonstrated a strong interest in film and television production or related disciplines such as writing, math or science. BTL is a competitive program. Admittance to the program is by invitation and recommendation by high school guidance counselors and administrators.
BTL students selected for the program will develop a professional portfolio reel. The projects on the reel will demonstrate the creative and practical applications the students have acquired under the instruction of one of our outstanding instructors selected to the program. Additionally, each reel will showcase written work: treatments, and screenplays, three :30 second commercials, two documentary short films, one featuring an individual and the second will feature a non-profit organization. In addition, each student will receive a copy of the BTL group project which will be a 10 minute narrative fiction film.
2010 Behind The Lens Highlights
