About the Course

Storytelling Through Film

Film, photography, and video games are all popular modes of visual storytelling that are used to express an idea, theme, or story in today’s digital world. In this three-week mini course, we’ll explore the use of visual means to tell compelling stories through short films. We’ll learn key elements of visual design such as balance, contrast, color, and line; discuss narrative structure; and consider the role of sequencing, pacing, and transitions in a visual story. We’ll learn about and practice storyboarding and scripting. Analyses and discussions of one-minute films will strengthen your understanding of film as a method by which to tell a story. Building upon what you’ve learned, you become the filmmaker as you create a one-minute film of an original story.

Time commitment: 2.5-3.5 hours per week (1.5 hours of class time, 1-2 hours of independent work). Course will include 3 sessions over 3 weeks.

Course Overview

About Mini Courses

Taught over 1-3 sessions, these short survey courses are designed to give students the opportunity to sample a topic, engage with a community of advanced learners, and take a course that suits their busy schedule.

The content in Storytelling Through Film overlaps with the CTY course Storytelling Through Art, Film, and Media. Students who have already taken Storytelling Through Art, Film, and Media may wish to consult with an enrollment advisor before selecting this course.  

This course is

ungraded.

Classes

Register for an Online course by selecting an open class below. If no open classes are listed, then course enrollment is currently closed. Note: You will need to have an active CTY Account to complete registration through MyCTY.

Thursdays
-
2 weeks
Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. (ET)
$446
Enroll

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level Not required CTY-Level
Check your eligibility using existing test scores If you do not have existing test scores:

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Sign up for Testing Learn More

Cost and Financial Aid

  • Tuition
    • Varies
  • Application fee
    • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $15 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
    • Nonrefundable International Fee - $20 (outside US only)

CTY Financial Aid Availability for Online Programs

Academic Year 2025-26 (Course start dates July 1, 2025- June 30, 2026): Financial Aid funding is currently available for all eligible students while funding lasts. If interested in applying for financial aid, please select a course with start date of July 1, 2025, or later.

Learn More

Course Materials

Please acquire all course materials by the course start date, unless noted as perishable. Items marked as “perishable” should not be acquired until the student needs them in the course. If you have questions about these materials or difficulty locating them, please contact [email protected].
 

Families will be notified by email of any required materials one week prior to the course start date. 

Technical Requirements

This course requires a computer with high-speed Internet access and an up-to-date web browser such as Chrome or Firefox. You must be able to communicate with the instructor via email. Visit the Technical Requirements and Support page for more details.

About Language Arts at CTY

Enhance your skills in creative writing and critical reading, learn to craft effective sentences, and develop an analytical approach to reading and writing through our Language Arts courses. Guided by our expert instructors, you can further develop your communication skills in our interdisciplinary visual fluency courses, and explore topics in communication theory, design theory, and cognitive psychology. Through coursework and online discussions with classmates from around the world, you’ll elevate your writing structure and style, hone your craft, and become an adept wordsmith fluent in the language of literary arts. 

Write, Edit, Publish

Walk in the shoes of a writer, editor, and publisher this fall in Master Class I: Writing, Editing, and Publishing, and then collaborate with peers to create the next issue of our CTY Online student-developed literary journal, Lexophilia, in Master Class II: Writing, Editing, and Publishing, offered in the winter.

Explore Greek Myths

Newly revised for fall 2021, you'll read, discuss, and write about Greek myths in Young Readers’ Series: Greek Myths Revisited, studying exciting, heroic characters and ancient narratives that continue to teach us all valuable lessons about life, love, and family.

Meet our Language Arts Instructors