Dan, at left, taking notes while Curator Betsy Kornhauser speaks about Emanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware
«Last week, Audrey wrote a blog post about the Met's Drawing and Painting Experiments teen class. I also participated in a summer teen program at the Met: the Art and Film Intensive, a three-week course taught by staff from the New York Film Academy and the Metropolitan Museum.»
Let me give you a scenario. It's summer, which means you are as free as can be whilst adhering to scholastic bureaucracy and living off good ole Mom and Pop, so you are living in ecstasy. The world is your oyster, and you have a glorious chance to decide what you want to do—how liberating! And of course, you choose to spend your days sleeping until 2:00 in the afternoon. Listen, I support your right to indulge in such activities, but take it from someone who has had bedsores: that little enterprise gets old real fast. I would make the assertion that you should aspire to more—like participate in the summer Art and Film Intensive at the Met.
Dan filming in the American Wing
Now I know this sounds like a daunting proposition, but here's the first thing you should know about this nifty program: no experience required! That's right, aspiring filmies, this is your chance to learn and grow in a safe, supportive environment. Don't fret if you don't fancy yourself an expert; there is fun to be had at this workshop. You see, the films we made were entirely our handiwork. (Not literally, of course. We've gone digital, Gramps.) It was up to us to script, shoot, and edit our own movies about some of the fabulous objects in this museum (with the help of some New York Film Academy TAs). I was assigned to create a film about Emanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware, and it was a real treat. Our shorts will be up in Met Media and on the For Teens page soon, so make sure to check back and take a look at our hard work.