VIDEO – Mouldable young minds set themselves to a little moulding of their own last week at Byte Camp, a clay animation camp.
Held at Sliammon Salish Centre, the workshop was a whole lot of fun—so much so that participants hardly noticed they were learning about focus, concentration and patience.
“I loved that I learned how to create a movie and add detail and sound,” said Jordyn Paul, 10. “What surprised me, though, is that you have to take 15 pictures to fill one just second of film.”
Jordyn was one of several children who got a chance to let imaginations come alive in clay at the five-day free camp. They built sets and learned to harness their creative potential.
“Animating movies is really fun,” said Alexa Washington, 10, as she described the action film she made which included the dramatic rescue a kidnapped wartime bride. “I totally want to keep making movies at home.”
After creating their own films, children at the camp collaborated in making a final film, about a rather troublesome dog at a picnic.
Byte Camp is a highly rated, Vancouver Island-based, non-profit organization dedicated to giving children quality creative opportunities. And although Byte Camp is typically a very structured activity with outdoor games built around movie making—at Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation, organizers were guided toward a different approach.
“We were told it was important to let the kids structure their own time,” said Ylaiza Padua, 18, a Byte Team member, visiting Tla’amin for the first time. “The kids were great, asking if they could have outside play breaks, a snack or even for extra time on their projects.
“I am thinking we should always do our camps like this,” she said. “All the kids had fun and enjoyed making their films, which is the most important thing.”
For more information about Byte Camp, readers can visit the program’s website, which includes some student work.
Rachel Turner - the Perfect Picnic from Powell River Peak on Vimeo.
