I have witnessed my student’s reading, writing and public speaking skills improve tremendously. I have seen their confidence grow leaps and bounds. And the work-based learning opportunities with film industry professionals and partners like the UCLA Film School, Merging Players and Vets, SEEFest, the German Film Festival, the Writers Guild, Screamfest provided my students with the career experience and skills needed to succeed in the film industry.
Our Mission
Creating Creators supports and aligns lessons in the classroom, with the entrepreneurial, creative, and collaborative rigor of film production and 21st century skills of working professionals.
Our Story
In 2007, Creating Creators founders, Jessica Just and Polo Munoz, were invited into classrooms in South and Central Los Angeles to teach film to elementary and high school students. Since then, their curriculum and instructional method has been used to implement film programs in over 20 school districts and their students have gone on to pursue higher education and opportunities created by their professional partners.
Our Philosophy
Creating Creators serves to help guide and develop the students, teachers, and creative professionals to discover skills and talents of their own that help them define who they are to the world. It is our firm belief that working with the next generation of global citizens is a delicate collaborative process.
How It Works
Professionals from the film industry, use their experience in the workplace to guide students and their certified teacher through the creative and technical process of making a film. During this 34 week process, professionals share lessons that have been aligned with the common core standards and are meant to support the curriculum of the certified teacher.
Film Pathway
| Grade | Classes | Projects |
|---|---|---|
| 4th | Beginner Film | 5 Scripts/Films (3-5mins), Posters |
| 6th | Beginner Film | 5 Scripts/Films (3-5mins), Posters |
| 7th / 8th | Homage to Film | 3 Scripts/Films (5-7mins), Posters (based on 3 film eras) |
| 9th | Intro to Cinematic Arts | 3 Scripts/Films (7-10Mins), Posters |
| 10th | Cinema Streaming Series | 3 Ads, Documentaries, News Broad casts, 3 Streaming TV Series, 3 episodes (3-5min each) |
| 11th | Cinematic College / Career Prep College & Festival Application Portfolios | 30 experimental projects (1per student) |
| 12th | Cinema Senior Thesis | Student Internship and Senior Project |
Student Portfolio
Below is a selection of the finished products from some of our partner classrooms. These works are screened for family and friends, industry networks, and at numerous film festivals.
“My student’s reading, writing and public speaking skills improve tremendously.”
-Kevin Morris
Principal, M.I.T. HS, Duarte, CA