From photography to music and from video to short stories, this year’s Intersession has a ton of ways to get your “creative” on! Bay students dig deep into their artistic passions during these week-long courses. Check out just a few of the creative courses offered in this year’s catalog.
Appreciation of Animation
In this intersession, we invite students to further appreciate the hard work and time that goes in to animated films. Many people write off animated films as children’s films, failing to see how each animated movie is a work of art that takes years to make. We plan to broaden the student’s understanding of how these films are made. We will watch many animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and DreamWorks Animation Studios while learning about the technology employed to make these films possible. We also hope to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum and Pixar Animation Studios in order to get some behind-the-scenes insight.
Cultivating Your Inner Music Snob
Students will spend the week learning to cultivate their inner music snob by engaging in all things music. We’ll educate ourselves about the artists and the music, of course, but we’ll also learn how to develop our rock ‘n roll personas. Activities will be a mixture of on-campus/off campus experiences. Off-campus activities will include field trips to KITS Live 105 radio station and Amoeba records, where we’ll both dig through the used bins and find out what’s at stake for the dedicated people who work in the music industry. Back on campus, we’ll drink tea and listen to records while pontificating about the finer subtleties of lo-fi and garage rock, watch poignant music documentaries and visit with professionals (via Skype and/or in person) who have made their lives about music in one way or another, including a music writer and two local DJs who will demonstrate and teach us how to mix and scratch records. Finally, we’ll try our hand at putting together our own music zine, including writing our own record reviews, artist profiles, music news and creating our own illustrations. Also, at the end of the week, we’ll put together a music mix that reflects our cultivated tastes.
Cyanotypes of Change
In collaboration with a local photographer, we’ll search for signs of change in San Francisco, take pictures of what we notice, make prints and create a map of the change we find in the city. We’ll take digital photographs, turn them into negatives, and then create cyanotype photographs using this old-school photographic process.
Documentaries and Comedians
What are the key issues of our day? How can our conversation about these issues be shaped through exposure to documentary film and stand-up comedy? How do these two art forms shape our perceptions of these issues? In this intersession, we will spend each morning watching a documentary on topics that might include science, politics, music or current events, and will follow the film with a discussion. Each day’s afternoon session will consist of watching a video of a stand-up comedian, discussing the social issue at the heart of the comedian’s work, the comedian’s views on the issue, and how comedy can be viewed differently from differing perspectives.
In-style Innovation
This DIY and fashion course draws inspiration from the T.V. series Project Runway and from the imagination and creativity of its student leader. Each day of the week is structured around team activities, or challenges, which aim to do just that: challenge the students to work together within the imposed time limits and material/thematic restrictions to create articles of clothing using unconventional materials and often improvised techniques. In addition to a healthy competitive spirit, this intersession also incorporates activities with a more individualized focus. During such times students will be able to explore new crafts and skills (and share those they already possess with one another) as they work on more personalized projects ranging from crafts to clothes.
Jump into a Cinematic Production!
Hit the ground running! Students will be taught the art of filmmaking in 5 adventure-filled days. They will get to shoot from a script on location, where they will spend the night. During the shoot, actors will get firsthand experience being on set and acting in front of a camera, while crew members will learn what it’s like to be on a film team. Students will then edit the footage into a final, cohesive film back at the Bay Mac Lab. The week will end with a screening of the final product at the Walt Disney Family Museum theater.
Short Story Writing Workshop
Student will learn fiction-writing skills and write a short story to be submitted for publication and/or a writing contest (if they choose to). Students will do fiction-writing exercises, play creative writing games, read exemplary short stories and engage 
in peer-editing of each other’s work.
Universal Music
This intersession is for the aspiring musician or experienced musician who is looking to improve the core elements of music. In the Universal Music intersession, you will learn the basics of percussion and music theory while also playing in a Jazz combo group. Most of the time will be spent playing music, but this intersession also provides the opportunity to visit a variety of live shows throughout the week. We are welcoming all instruments to join at any experience level, including singers. Note: This intersession begins at 1pm and will end at 10pm most nights.
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