Festival Flick Lab

Launch

Students will launch the film festival challenge by analyzing how short films shape audience experience, improvising and filming quick scene tests, and using early feedback plus community input to define strong audience-centered directions for later research and planning.

Days 1 - 3

🎬 Red Carpet Scene Sprint

Launch 145m

🧠 Audience Experience Breakdown

Knowledge/Skill Building 135m

🎤 Festival Standards Q&A Notes

Community Experience 145m

Research & Plan

Students will gather direct audience evidence, study how short films shape viewer experience, and turn research into a practical production direction brief with clear crew roles, feedback routines, and checkpoint plans.

Days 4 - 9

🎬 Audience Hooks in Short Films

Knowledge/Skill Building 120m

📝 Interview Protocol and Consent Cards

Knowledge/Skill Building 135m

🎤 Viewer Interviews and Festival Q&A

Community Experience 145m

🗂️ Empathy Map and Assumption Check

Research 145m

📄 Short Film Direction Brief

Deliverable 145m

✅ Crew Plan and Checkpoint Conference

Assessment 145m

Synthesize & Pitch

Students will synthesize audience research into a focused film direction, generate and compare multiple short film concepts, and pitch storyboarded options that show how story structure, shot sequencing, and scene transitions are designed for a specific audience.

Days 10 - 15

🧩 Audience Insight Wall

Knowledge/Skill Building 145m

🎯 How Might We Brief

Knowledge/Skill Building 145m

🗂️ Concept Sprint Boards

Project Work 145m

🗣️ Storyboard Pitch Clinic

Deliverable 145m

📋 Pitch Deck and Shot Plan

Deliverable 145m

🎬 Greenlight Concept Pitch

Assessment 145m

Prototype & Test

Days 16 - 21

No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Refine & Present

Students will turn tested concepts into polished festival-ready short films by tightening rough cuts, validating choices with representative viewers, revising through structured critique cycles, and preparing a public-facing director’s note and team presentation that explain how audience feedback shaped the final film.

Days 22 - 27

🎬 Rough Cut Revision Clinic

Knowledge/Skill Building 120m

🛠️ Rough Cut Peer Notes Round

Deliverable 145m

✂️ Final Cut Build Session

Project Work 145m

👥 Validation Screening with Festival Partner

Community Experience 145m

📝 Director’s Note and Intro Rehearsal

Knowledge/Skill Building 135m

🎥 Final Cut Presentation Gate

Assessment 145m

Showcase

Students will finalize festival presentation details, present their short films to an authentic public audience, and document how audience feedback and the full design process shaped their final creative choices.

Days 28 - 30

🎬 Festival Run-of-Show Rehearsal

Knowledge/Skill Building 120m

🎥 Behind the Lens Showcase

Community Experience 180m

📝 Director's Note Reflection Portfolio

Assessment 135m

Launch Days 1–3

Day 1

🎬 Red Carpet Scene Sprint

Launch 145m

Day 2

🧠 Audience Experience Breakdown

Knowledge/Skill Building 135m

Day 3

🎤 Festival Standards Q&A Notes

Community Experience 145m

Research & Plan Days 4–9

Day 4

🎬 Audience Hooks in Short Films

Knowledge/Skill Building 120m

Day 5

📝 Interview Protocol and Consent Cards

Knowledge/Skill Building 135m

Day 6

🎤 Viewer Interviews and Festival Q&A

Community Experience 145m

Day 7

🗂️ Empathy Map and Assumption Check

Research 145m

Day 8

📄 Short Film Direction Brief

Deliverable 145m

Day 9

✅ Crew Plan and Checkpoint Conference

Assessment 145m

Synthesize & Pitch Days 10–15

Day 10

🧩 Audience Insight Wall

Knowledge/Skill Building 145m

Day 11

🎯 How Might We Brief

Knowledge/Skill Building 145m

Day 12

🗂️ Concept Sprint Boards

Project Work 145m

Day 13

🗣️ Storyboard Pitch Clinic

Deliverable 145m

Day 14

📋 Pitch Deck and Shot Plan

Deliverable 145m

Day 15

🎬 Greenlight Concept Pitch

Assessment 145m

Prototype & Test Days 16–21

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Refine & Present Days 22–27

Day 22

🎬 Rough Cut Revision Clinic

Knowledge/Skill Building 120m

Day 23

🛠️ Rough Cut Peer Notes Round

Deliverable 145m

Day 24

✂️ Final Cut Build Session

Project Work 145m

Day 25

👥 Validation Screening with Festival Partner

Community Experience 145m

Day 26

📝 Director’s Note and Intro Rehearsal

Knowledge/Skill Building 135m

Day 27

🎥 Final Cut Presentation Gate

Assessment 145m

Showcase Days 28–30

Day 28

🎬 Festival Run-of-Show Rehearsal

Knowledge/Skill Building 120m

Day 29

🎥 Behind the Lens Showcase

Community Experience 180m

Day 30

📝 Director's Note Reflection Portfolio

Assessment 135m

September 2026

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

28 Day 1

Launch

🎬 Red Carpet Scene Sprint

29 Day 2

🧠 Audience Experience Breakdown

30 Day 3

🎤 Festival Standards Q&A Notes

1 Day 4

Research & Plan

🎬 Audience Hooks in Short Films

2 Day 5

📝 Interview Protocol and Consent Cards

October 2026

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

5 Day 6

🎤 Viewer Interviews and Festival Q&A

6 Day 7

🗂️ Empathy Map and Assumption Check

7 Day 8

📄 Short Film Direction Brief

8 Day 9

✅ Crew Plan and Checkpoint Conference

9 Day 10

Synthesize & Pitch

🧩 Audience Insight Wall

12 Day 11

🎯 How Might We Brief

13 Day 12

🗂️ Concept Sprint Boards

14 Day 13

🗣️ Storyboard Pitch Clinic

15 Day 14

📋 Pitch Deck and Shot Plan

16 Day 15

🎬 Greenlight Concept Pitch

19 Day 16

Prototype & Test

20 Day 17

21 Day 18

22 Day 19

23 Day 20

26 Day 21

27 Day 22

Refine & Present

🎬 Rough Cut Revision Clinic

28 Day 23

🛠️ Rough Cut Peer Notes Round

29 Day 24

✂️ Final Cut Build Session

30 Day 25

👥 Validation Screening with Festival Partner

November 2026

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

2 Day 26

📝 Director’s Note and Intro Rehearsal

3 Day 27

🎥 Final Cut Presentation Gate

4 Day 28

Showcase

🎬 Festival Run-of-Show Rehearsal

5 Day 29

🎥 Behind the Lens Showcase

6 Day 30

📝 Director's Note Reflection Portfolio