Hands-on Digital Filmmaking for Kids in Marin this Summer

One of the great things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area is having companies like Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Industrial Light and Magic right in our backyard, as well as having the creative, talented, and skilled people who work there as members of our community. And what kid hasn't dreamed of making his or her own movies?

This summer kids ages 10 and up can take advantage of the skills of digital effects professional and Marin County resident Howard Gersh, whose series of comprehensive digital filmmaking classes run from June 18 through August 10. Howard has helped create some of the movie world's most memorable and fantastic images, and has worked on such films as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith, and many more.

In his exciting classes students will learn the techniques and artistry behind these and other major motion pictures, and get a hands-on introduction and overview of the work that goes into a computer generated or visual effects-driven movie. Classes will explore modeling, animation, texturing, lighting, compositing, and more.

Week-long classes take place daily from 9 am to 3 pm in the Hamilton area of Novato. Cost is $450 for the week, which includes a USB flash drive on which to bring home your work. New this year are advanced digital filmmaking classes for graduates of the indroductory program. Multi-session, referral, repeat customer, and sibling discounts are available. For more information on Howard Gersh's summer Introduction to Digital Filmmaking classes, visit www.howardgersh.com/classes or call (415) 506-0282.