The SAAS Film Program empowers students to become both critical producers and thoughtful consumers of media. Through a three-phase process, which includes analysis and design, construction, and implementation, students learn to design, engineer, and refine their films while developing their own artistic voice and aesthetic.

Film courses at SAAS prepare students to navigate today’s media landscape with both insight and creativity. Guided by their teachers, students explore innovative approaches to producing and presenting original stories. Along the way, they experiment with a wide range of storytelling forms—from traditional film and animation to levels ranging from Beginning to Advanced.

FILM FESTIVALS

The SAAS Film Program offers opportunities for public screening and recognition. Selections of student work are shown at Seattle Academy assemblies, Gallery Walks and the spring Art Show, and Film Night. In addition, films are submitted to local, national, and international youth film festivals. SAAS students have screened at, and attended festivals in South Korea, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Croatia, and across the United States.

Middle School

Middle School

In 8th grade, students begin their digital storytelling journey through a Digital Media Arts class. Using creative applications on iPads, students explore photography, digital 2D art, animation, and live-action film. Students often create their own soundtracks, as well.

Designed to be both exploratory and individualized, the course allows students to experiment, develop their personal aesthetic, and discover the forms of digital media that inspire them most.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE

Upper School

Upper School

Upper School Beginning and Intermediate Film classes provide the foundation for young filmmakers. Film courses introduce the three-phase filmmaking process: pre-production, production, and post-production, allowing students to build technical skills with cameras and equipment, and gain proficiency in audio/visual editing software. Through the process, students also experiment with art-based and nontraditional approaches, challenging conventional media language and exploring new ways to create and present original work.

In Advanced Film, juniors and seniors assume a wide range of roles, including producer, director, cinematographer, or sound engineer, and gain direct experience in the various facets of professional filmmaking. Advanced Film students routinely create portfolios for film-school college applications.

Upper School Curriculum Guide

Film

FILM FESTIVALS

Student Films