Outlast Filmmaking Institute:
Meet the 2025 Cohort
This five-day camp in Pine Ridge marked the beginning of our new Outlast Cohort—bringing together filmmaking and intentional community building.
Through a combination of workshops, wellness practices, and production sessions, students nurtured their creative selves and connections to one another.
DAY 1
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DAY 1 ☆
Community, Story & Intention
We kicked off the Pine Ridge program with intention.
As this marked the first gathering of the new Outlast Cohort, we spent the morning building relationships between the students.
This allowed them to learn more about one another and begin building trust. In film, we must be able to work in teams and have trust while working on a project.
We started with "Flex Time"—a mix of games and team-building activities designed to break the ice and build trust.
Next, Anika led a grounding wellness session that invited students to journal and reflect on their goals for the week. It was a quiet moment to set individual and community intentions.
We moved into Visual Storytelling Foundations. Students explored how camera angles, movement, and composition create meaning, laying the groundwork for strong documentaries.
Near the end of the first day, students began pre-production: brainstorming topics and beginning to map out their 60-second documentary ideas.
“My camp experience was a great experience. I’ve learned how to make documentaries. I learned how to run a camera, gaff, direct, and act. These skills will help me a lot in my future plans in Computer Science Business. This camp was overall an amazing camp, and I will be attending next year.”
DAY 2
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DAY 2 ☆
Camera Skills, Set Roles & Editing Practice
The day began with a camera workshop going over the basics of camera technology.
Students practiced setting ISO, shutter speed, aperture, white balance, and experimented with composition through a camera scavenger hunt.
Jayden, one of our Outlast Youth Leaders, led a Set Etiquette session, sharing how to show up with professionalism, respect, and energy on set.
After lunch, students filmed short, creative scenes using scripts from Zootopia, Finding Nemo, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The focus? Practicing set roles, blocking, and visual storytelling.
The day ended with an editing workshop. Using DaVinci Resolve, students began assembling their footage, learning how pacing, transitions, and visual rhythm shape their films.
“My camp experience was definitely an interesting thing. This camp will impact my social skills and, most importantly, my filming experiences. I had a very good time. I really enjoyed doing different stuff with new people. The food had to be the best part—besides filming and acting.”
DAY 3
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DAY 3 ☆
Lighting & Production Kickoff
The morning started with a hands-on lighting workshop.
Students rotated through different lighting scenarios —from natural looks to dramatic setups—learning how to set mood and guide audience emotion.
Next, they entered their final pre-production phase.
Each team finalized their topic, interview subjects, key questions, and B-roll ideas.
In the afternoon, cameras rolled!
Production officially began, and students took the lead as directors, camera operators, and storytellers.
“I am glad I came to camp. It was fun and interesting to learn about everything they taught us. The best part was getting to film our own documentaries. The mentors were all really kind and fun. I would do it again.”
DAY 4
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DAY 4 ☆
Production & Post-Production
With their stories outlined and production underway, students spent Day 4 filming their documentaries.
Interviews were conducted, b-roll was captured, and teams worked together to bring their stories to life.
Later in the day, groups began post-production.
Editing teams reviewed footage, started rough cuts, and began shaping their final 60-second documentaries.
“I loved this week—it was so much fun. I made new friends, and I wish this week would never end. I hope everyone likes our film. I wish that everyone would learn from our film: don’t be on your phone all the time, and communicate with others. Editing was fun, not just today was fun—every day was fun. I hope I come back next year.”
DAY 5
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DAY 5 ☆
Final Edits & Big Celebrations
Day 5 was filled with quiet focus and big celebration.
In the morning, students made final adjustments to their edits—adding music, text overlays, and transitions.
By the afternoon, it was time to share.
At our community screening, students presented their short documentaries with pride in front of their families and community members. Each group introduced their members, why they chose their documentary subject, and answered questions from the audience. This continued to build their public speaking skills when presenting their art.
Final Films from the
2025 Cohort
Experience the powerful stories brought to life through film.
