High School Media Collective

05/06/2026

Real students. Real cameras. Real experience. 🎬

Everything we do at the Student Media Collective is built around one belief — that young people learn media by making media, with professional tools and professional mentorship from day one.

Proud to do this work with the support of .

An mentorship session for the Student Media Collective, sponsored by .

04/08/2026

A Student Media Collective Young Ambassador just produced an award-winning short film — and took notice. 🎬

Emery Eckman produced "A Passage of Silence," a Persian-speaking short film shot on the Blackmagic PYXIS 6K and featured in an official Blackmagic Design press release.

The film tells the story of a father working surveillance for an authoritarian regime whose loyalty is tested when his son needs help escaping. It is powerful, human, and timely.

Emery is a UC Irvine graduate, a published journalist, experienced filmmaker, and one of the SMC's first Young Ambassadors. This is the caliber of work our program stands behind.

Link to the Blackmagic press release in bio.

An mentorship session for the Student Media Collective, sponsored by .

03/31/2026

Something big is happening!⁠
⁠
The High School Media Collective is becoming the Student Media Collective — because these young filmmakers won'tt stop when they got their diplomas, and neither will we. ⁠
⁠
Pictured here are students from LFHS one of our flagship schools, at the All American High School Film Festival!. Stand by for more info on Steve Douglass, this month's All-Star Teacher!⁠
⁠
From classroom workshops to red carpets. ⁠
⁠
From first cameras to film festivals. This community grows because they grow.⁠
⁠
New name. Same mission. Bigger vision.⁠
⁠
studentmediacollective.com — coming soon.⁠
⁠

10/08/2024

Thank you Blackmagic Design for sponsoring another amazing event with HSMC for students and teachers in Duluth Minnesota.. If you live in Minnesota or want to fly in, we've got an amazing day planned at Zeitgeist in Duluth.

Reserve your seat NOW and "Learn Filmmaking - Let's Make Some Magic with Movies!"

Click here for the Eventbrite page
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1026989301647

We are covering:

Showing a city premiere of a short film "Saving Silence" with Emily Tidwell
Story
Blackmagic Cameras
Live Demo and Workshop on Crew and what they each do
Intro to DaVinci Resolve
Color Grading with Resolve
Editing tutorial videos for YouTube
Panel discussion with UMFO re: filmmaking in the region
Prizes and memories

04/05/2024

Re: The High School Media Collective! An unexpected journey...

It was one of those phone calls that takes you on a new path in life. When Terry Frechette of Blackmagic Design called me and asked if I would like to start a non-profit benefitting high schoolers, I didn't hesitate!

A year later, we've interacted with numerous schools, teachers and industry professionals. John Parenteau of Blackmagic has been our never-ending helpful mentor and we are grateful!

Students are a very special breed and it is always nice to see the light in their eyes when they know that there is a group of mentors who have their best interests at heart.

Thank you BlackMagic for being our Founding Sponsor at the High School Media Collective.

Visit www.highschool.media for more information

DM us here if you would like to have us visit your classroom or have a special event with your M&E students you'd like us to help promote.

07/14/2023

Today, HSMC wants to thank our mentor, . Hollis Meminger is a renowned cinematographer with many film and television credits such asThe Blacklist, Narcos and Younger. He is also a passionate documentarian, focusing on projects which feature the marginalized community. Hollis is a recent graduate and now alumni advisor to the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program, and he founded the Bridgebuilder Cinematic Arts Program, where gives high school students located in rough neighborhoods, the opportunity to learn and love filmmaking.

07/13/2023

07/13/2023

Do you love to go on adventures? Cirina Catania is teaching in the wilderness of Minnesota. This August signups are active right now! There is still space to join the expedition to Northern Minnesota from August 10th-August 31st, 2023.

Blue Fractal is a bold new education experience where you'll be mentored by renowned filmmakers and photographers on life-changing expeditions to the most beautiful places on earth. Visit bluefractal.net or visit the link in our bio to create the adventure of your life!

07/12/2023

Cirina Catania, Executive Director of HSMC and K20 Media doing what she loves best! Sharing creativity on stage with amazing minds.

Special thank you to Carlos Grijalva for the photos!

07/11/2023

Lumberjacks Builder is going to be available in the App Store now! It will be called Builder NLE and it works with computers that have silicon chips. If you are a student who wants to develop stories and social media clips from their original footage, this is for you! You can cut it directly in Builder and send it to final cut for finishing. Shout out to our amazing HSMC mentors who made this happen.

.hodgetts