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Film & Video

Summer Screenwriting Brings Great Characters To Life

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Are you a creative writer, playwright, and/or storyteller between the ages of 11 and 18? The Summer Screenwriting Workshop, June 24-28, 2019, can help you create and develop amazing characters, translate stories and dialogue into tv and movie ready scripts, and give you tools to transfer your ideas and plotlines to the written page.

George Mason University Professor Amanda Kraus leads this exciting program, in collaboration with Mason’s Film & Video Studies Program. Located on the Mason Fairfax campus in Fairfax, VA (in the Washington, DC Metro area), the workshop uses the university classrooms in the Art & Design Building.

 

 

With the underlying theme that good stories come from great characters, the topic of character development is one that is heavily emphasized, discussed and explored.

“Your child can look forward to a fun structured camp where they learn the fundamentals of good story telling,” stated Professor Kraus.

 

Students reading at summer Screenwriting camp

 

“I love working with the students and seeing their ideas come to life throughout the workshop,” said Ms. Kraus. “One of my favorite parts is on the last day, when they do the performed table reads of their scripts, and also the a-ha moment when they realize how to break down the structure of a story.”

 

Summer Screenwriting Workshop 2019 Flier

 

Another fun feature of the program is that selected final scripts will have a chance to be used in the following Filmmaking Workshops, where the stories and characters will come to life on the screen in several edited versions.

“Good stories come from great characters and great characters come from living your best life,” proclaimed Professor Kraus. “What inspires you? Write about it!”

 

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Music

Summer Songwriting Students Form Bands And Friendships

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Our Singer/ Songwriter Workshop, July 29-August 2, 2019, gives aspiring songwriters ages 13-18 the opportunity to begin writing their own songs, receive vocal coaching, work with new friends to form small bands, and perform their songs together in a final show.

Mason School of Music alum Thom Routon is now in his 3rd year teaching the workshop. Mr. Routon is an experienced musician, songwriter and audio engineer, and provides great insights to young musicians considering pursuing contemporary music careers. Emi Eiting will also be returning as the vocal coach, helping students with their singing techniques and performance expression. The program takes place at the Mason Community Arts Academy building, just off of the main Mason campus, in Fairfax, VA (part of the Washington, DC Metro area).

 

 

During the week, the students will divide into several small groups and begin building their original songs (including lyrics and melodies), learning new tools and techniques to help the creative process. The groups evolve into makeshift bands, preparing as many songs as possible in a week to present for family and friends in a casual “coffeehouse-style” performance.

“If your student has an interest in music but wants something more than learning songs that are already written, they can expect to start their journey of original music writing right here at this camp!” stated Mr. Routon.

 

Students performing at summer songwriting camp

 

Ms. Eiting will come in for specific hours during the week to work on building good, healthy singing habits and stage performance, which raises the level of presentation and expression of the final performance.

“My favorite part of the program is when we spend time listening to songs by artists of various genres, and we break everything down into the building blocks of a song: from the verse form to the lyric meaning to the chords they choose!” said Mr. Routon. “That kind of analysis can be really eye-opening for the students.” 

 

Singer Songwriter Workshop 2019 Flier

 

“One of the greatest moments during the week happens when the groups get to play what they have written so far to each other,” explained Mr. Routon. “We always maintain a positive and supportive environment, and the students really enjoy listening to what their friends have written.”

The workshop is the perfect opportunity for students to develop that melody they’ve had stuck in your head for so long. It’s also a safe space to bounce ideas off like-minded students and get some experience playing in a band. And for those who might not know anything about songwriting, this camp is a great place to get started and get the creative thoughts flowing!

 

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Film & Video Music

Filmscoring Camp Takes Young Music Composers To The Movies

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Mason alum and Hollywood composer Vincent Oppido returns to Fairfax from Los Angeles for another extraordinary Art of Filmscoring summer camp, June 24-28, 2019. More advanced music composition students ages 13-18 are invited to go to the movies!

Vincent Oppido is a rising talent in Hollywood. His music has been performed and recorded in Europe and Japan, and across the United States from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood scoring stages of Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures Studios. He returns to Mason’s School of Music on the Mason Fairfax campus in Fairfax, VA (in the Washington, DC Metro area), where years ago he studied composition and conducting with Professors Mark Camphouse and Anthony Maiello (pictured below with Mr. Oppido at Mason in 2013).

 

Vincent Oppido and Anthony Maiello

 

Mr. Oppido’s recent scoring credits include the indie films Alien Code (Archstone/Sony Home Pictures – starring Kyle Gallner and Richard Schiff), Watch the Sky (Breaking Glass Pictures – starring Renee O’Connor), and the upcoming CollegeHumor series Troopers. Other writing credits include original music for Sinclair Oil‘s 2017 commercial advertisements and musical source arrangements for projects such as It Happened In LA (Sundance Selected) and the upcoming Paramount Pictures film What Men Want. He has also composed additional music for projects including Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween and TruTV’s Adam Ruins Everything: Reanimated History.  Also an orchestrator, Oppido has worked on projects such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2Cobra Kai, and NBC’s Timeless. His first job in Hollywood, as a music proofreader, enabled him to work on dozens of motion pictures and television shows including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Frozen,Family Guy and The 2013 Oscars.

 

Listen to examples of works by Vincent Oppido:

Audio Player image

 

The Art of Filmscoring workshop gives students an inside look into today’s film and TV industry and provides some  direction as they consider next steps for higher education and/or a professional career. They will learn specific compositional skills to be a unique composer in today’s media and technology-driven age.

“We will take a look at some recent projects I worked on, including the upcoming College Humor series Troopers, the video game Fortnite, and the TV series Adam Ruins Everything,” said Mr. Oppido.

 

Filmscoring Workshop Flier 2019

 

“Watching student’s compositional growth in just a few days of study at the camp is wonderful to witness,” shared Mr. Oppido. “One of my favorite moments is at the end of the week when the students share the scenes they rescored.”

If you love creating music and are considering a career in composing music for film, television and other media, then you will have a great time at the Art of Filmscoring!

 

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Music

Summer Camp For Young Recording Artists And Engineers

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If you are a teenager who wants to learn how to record, mix, and edit your owns songs (and/or others’), then this summer’s Music Recording Studio, June 17-21, is where you need to be! Students will take home recordings of their completed songs, which will also be featured in a special “Listening Party” on the final day.

Teaching artist duo Dr. Andrew Cote (Mason faculty) and Thomas Routon return for another great summer of Music Recording Studio, which is part of Mason Summer Music Intensive Week. Located in Mason’s School of Music on the Mason Fairfax campus in Fairfax, VA (in the Washington, DC Metro area), the Summer Music Intensive Week brings aspiring teen musicians from across the region and the country together for rehearsals, clinics, masterclasses, performances, and more.

 

 

During the week, students will be writing, arranging, and/or recording a wide variety of songs, mostly originals and some cover songs. Mason’s professional Music Recording Studio serves as the perfect laboratory for creativity. Using industry standard technology, students will learn to record their own music (or a cover of a song) from start to finish.

“Parents can expect their son or daughter to walk away from this program with a knowledge of how to see a recording project from start to completion,” said Dr. Cote, “and a hunger to continue writing and recording music!”

“After our camp, students should have a solid foundation to start to record their own music and audio,” added Mr. Routon. “As mentors, we like to make suggestions for what to do next, if they are interested in continuing in the recording arts –  so their journey starts here!”

 

Students performing at summer music recording camp

 

Mason Music Technology Professor Dr. Robert Gillam will visit as a guest speaker for the camp, offering valuable insights into audio engineering and commercial music.

“My favorite part of this camp is showing students how to use a recording microphone for the first time, especially since some people are so shy around the expensive equipment!” said Mr. Routon. “We have a microphone ‘petting zoo’ where we take a look at all the microphones in our studio and demonstrate how each of them work. Last summer, we had students talk about what they had for breakfast that morning, and then played around with the recorded audio and showed the class how we could edit and change it!”

I love the Listening Party at the end of the week,” shared Dr. Cote. “Students are able to share with the public the hard work they have spent creating these new recordings.”

 

Music Recording Camp 2019 Flier

 

“One of my favorite memories is when students need to come up with names for their songs or projects,” recalled Dr. Cote. “A lot of times students will come up with really funny names, and we write them up on the board for students to choose from later. Though many of them are never used, it becomes a fun inside joke throughout the week!” [laughs]

If you are a student who is a musician, a songwriter, and/or an audio nerd who is curious about the recording industry, then come to the Music Recording Studio to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to produce a song. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to make some new friends who love music just as much as you do!

As part of Summer Music Intensive Week, the Music Recording Studio also offers a Residential option, including on-campus housing and meals plus special evening activities, for an additional fee.

 

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Music

Young Music Producers Top The Charts At Summer Camp

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This summer, we are excited to offer the brand new Music Producer Intro Camp, July 8-12, for students ages 9-12. Taking advantage of the great tools and resources in the George Mason University Music Technology Lab and Recording Studio, kids will be able to utilize the same gear and software that professional music producers have been using to make popular music for over 40 years!

Directed by Mason Music Technology Professor Dr. Robert Gillam, the camp takes place in Mason’s School of Music on the Mason Fairfax campus in Fairfax, VA (part of the Washington, DC Metro area). Along with being an educator and composer, Dr. Gillam plays several different keyboard instruments including piano, Hammond organ, and his personal favorite, the keytar. He is also a highly skilled synthesizer and drum machine programmer. His primary areas of interest are in music technology, composition, sound design, commercial music and music for media.

 

Music Recording Studio

 

During the week, students will have a chance to explore different software programs and different types of hardware for making and recording music. The Lab has computers with professional music production software, vintage drum machines, synthesizers, microphones and a full recording studio.

“It’s an amazing space where students can explore and be really creative,” explained Dr. Gillam. “They can expect to develop better musicianship skills, explore a wide range of musical creativity tools, and better appreciate what it takes to make the music that they love to listen to.”

 

Student mixing at summer music recording camp

 

Although not fully confirmed as of the writing of this post, we are working on setting up a special video conference session with platinum-selling music producer working in Los Angeles! (More details to follow…)

“I know the kids are going to have a blast working with the professional production equipment and hearing their song ideas come to life!” exclaimed Dr. Gillam. “When it comes to music production, it’s often ‘the weirder, the better!’ After leaving this class, students will have the skills they need to work on creating their own music tracks and gain a much better appreciation for everything that goes in to making a piece of recorded music.”

 

Music Producer Intro Camp 2019 Flier

 

The camp offers a great mix of music fundamentals, creativity skills, hands-on technology use, and audio science. Students will be highly encouraged to be creative and try new things, and they will be introduced to great tools available for the beginning music producer. Who knows, maybe they will produce a chart-topping hit in the future!

 

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The Academy will be closed for Spring Break beginning Monday, March 25 and will re-open on Monday, April 1. We will be operating with limited hours. For any urgent requests, please call 703-993-9889.

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