More than 20 aspiring young filmmakers took to the streets of Langley Monday afternoon to begin scouting the ideal location in which to film their original movies during the 10th annual Film Camp.

The camp provides students ages 12-18 with a chance to spend two weeks delving into the world of movie-making—from lights, camera, action to blooper reels and musical scores.

Kids come from across the island and are granted the chance to meet new friends and explore each others’ home turf while learning the intricacies of the craft from professionals.

“They both get to spend time in each other’s home territory and find out it’s not as foreign, different and scary as they thought,” said Chris Douthitt, Oak Harbor High School video and broadcasting teacher and head instructor of the camp, in a press release. “There are plenty of adults on the island who could benefit from that kind of positive interaction too.”

During the first week, campers learn to write scenes, cast actors and, finally, shoot their feature at their location of choice in South Whidbey.

The second week is spent at Oak Harbor High School’s Wildcat TV studio. Here, the kids score their films with accompanying sound effects and music and building title sequences. They also work on extras such as blooper reels, behind-the-scenes videos and movie posters.

According to Douthitt, creative kids from both the Whidbey Children’s Theater and Oak Harbor High School are invited to attend the camp based on their display of talent and enthusiasm.

Douthitt referenced the words of Martha Murphy, creator of  Whidbey Children’s Theater, who often reminded the participants that, although they would all be working hard to put the production together, the main idea was to have a great time doing it.

“Making movies, making films is something a lot of these kids are very interested in. They love movies, they love to see them. But a lot of them don’t know how to put them together,” Douthitt said.

He added that most kids wouldn’t be able to afford the array of equipment necessary for making a quality film. The camp grants them the chance to use anything they require, and to get assistance doing so in a comfortable environment.

“It will be interesting to see the interaction between them and the productions they put together,” said Douthitt.