2024 Camp K Coaches Lineup Announced

For those emerging post production artists who are stumped on a creative or craft issue as they create their Camp Kuleshov submissions, help is now available. The Camp K Coaches hotline is open and ready to pitch in with creative counseling, support and mentorship to entrants who have questions as they proceed along their respective creative paths. 

Camp K - named for the Russian film theorist Lev Kuleshov – gives emerging talent a chance to heighten their creative and craft problem-solving skills while also gaining access to invaluable mentorship opportunities. It challenges entrants across various disciplines to take existing films and re-imagine them as something new and different. The winners of Camp K on the chapter level will become eligible for a chance to win the Camp K grand prizes, known as The Lev Awards. Musicbed | Film Supply, an AICP Supporting Partner, provides each Lev winner with a $1,000 prize, and also makes selections from its production music library available to entrants.

Serving as Coaches this year are Editors Chris Franklin and Val Lasser of Big Sky Edit; Jen Dean, Jay Nelson and Robert Ryang of Cut+Run; David Rubin of Cutters; Susan Munro of Hybrid; Shaddai Berrón of Republic; and Sound Designer/Mix Engineer Joe O’Connell of Sonic Union. 

Camp K participants interested in connecting with one of the Camp K Coaches should send an email to the ‘Camp Counselors’ at campk@aicp.com, and a coach will be assigned to assist them. A full listing of this year’s source films for each category in the competition, as well as complete rules and objectives, can be found on the Camp K website at www.campkuleshov.org. Deadline for entries is Sept. 20, 2024, at 11.59 pm PT. All Camp K winners will be announced during events held in participating chapters later this fall. 

In the Editorial category, entrants must choose a film and, via a 90-second trailer, recast it from a different genre or directed by a filmmaker with a distinctive visual or narrative style – i.e., a political thriller is transformed into a comedy. In Graphics, entrants must create an opening title sequence for a movie that never had one or had a weak one, and which conveys their impression or interpretation of the film. 

Sound design entrants are tasked with choosing a section of a film and creating an entirely new sound design, with their interpretation of the scene through sound design being noticeably different from the original, while still being entirely original in and of itself. Rounding out the Camp K categories is Music Scoring, in which entrants must create and score a music track for a scene that presently doesn’t have one. The submission must enhance the original scene and invoke emotion in line with the original movie. 

Big Sky’s Lasser says the ability to tap into the insight and experience of the Camp K coaches is an important benefit for those taking part. The coaching hotline was launched back in 2017, she notes, not long after the Camp K competition went national with uniform rules and source films across all participating chapters. “This expansion got us to think about tailoring coaching assignments more precisely,” she recalled. “And since we introduced the hotline, it’s grown every year, which is a testament to the transformative impact noted by numerous Camp K finalists, who found the mentoring experience to be truly game-changing.”

The coach selection process, Lasser adds, has become more clearly defined over time. “We’ve established formal guidelines for our coaches, but the most crucial requirement is their extensive experience as editors, mixers, graphic artists and music composers,” she remarks. “This challenge demands a discerning eye for the intricate details of each craft. Ultimately, coaches are there to critique, provide references, and act as a sounding board, rather than directing the campers on what to do.” 

This year’s coaching lineup includes both veteran coaches and newcomers, all of whom bring a unique set of perspectives to their role. Editor Susan Munro at Hybrid is a first-timer, and says she signed up for a number of reasons, one of which was the opportunity to connect with younger, on-the-rise  artists. “The great part of Camp K is that it isn’t just open to assistants, but the greater support staff at AICP companies - even interns,” she observes. “Camp K provides an opportunity for someone who might be the receptionist or vault person to explore their creative side and share it with a greater audience. 

“To mentor the Camp K applicants is very important, so that we continue to grow and develop talent in our industry,” Munro continues. “For many of these young people, it can be scary the first time you sit in ‘the chair’ with clients, and the Camp K program gives them a safe environment to receive feedback and express the reasons behind their editorial, graphics, sound design or music choices. In that respect, it’s a great training ground for future talent.”

Republic’s Shaddai Berrón was a Camp K entrant several times during her years as an assistant, and was enticed to take on the coaches role by fellow Republic Editor Keith James, who was a coach last year. She believes that the Camp K process benefits assistants and rising stars in a variety of ways. “For editors, being an assistant means your job is ninety percent technical and ten percent creative. Since it’s so demanding from a tech and logistical standpoint, it’s important to have a creative outlet that allows you to search for your voice and experiment with different things. Camp K gives them permission to play and enjoy the process.”

Camp K is open to junior-level creatives, as well as admin and entry-level employees at AICP member post production and production companies, as well as freelancers and support staff sponsored by member companies. Students and interns sponsored by a member company may also enter Camp K, as well as junior-level employees at music, sound and audio post companies that are members of the Association of Music Producers (AMP).

The fee for single K entries is $65; three or more entries are $55 each; five or more entries are $45 each, with the discounts applying to either companies or individuals. Any questions entrants may have regarding rules, eligibility or anything else can be directed to campk@aicp.com, and a ‘Camp Counselor’ will reply promptly.