Durham, NC · Since 2001

Make movies.Master the craftof acting.

Two programs under one roof for young filmmakers and actors, from first-timers to serious teens. Movie Makers puts students behind and in front of the camera. Studio A trains actors for stage and screen.

Teen filmmakers with a camera, a slate and studio lights in front of a green screen

Act one

Two programs, one creative home

Whether your student wants to tell the story or bring it to life, there's a place for them here.

A student camera operator films costumed actors holding a slate on a spooky set

The filmmaking program · Ages 6 to 17

Movie Makers

Students write, direct, act, run the camera and build the sets, costumes and makeup for their own films. Over a 10-week class or a one-week summer camp, they take a story from first idea to finished film. They rotate between roles in front of and behind the camera, so they learn how a real production works. Every film ends with a premiere on the big screen, and every student takes home a copy.

Writing, directing and storyboarding
Camera, sound and filming techniques
Sets, costumes and makeup
A premiere screening for family and friends

Explore Movie Makers

Studio A actors in masks guiding a performer through a scene on stage

The acting company · Ages 11 to adult

Studio A

Serious training for stage and screen. Studio A students study scene work and text for theater and film, using the techniques of Stanislavski, Meisner, Uta Hagen, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg. They work on camera several times each session, so they learn exactly how acting for film differs from acting on stage.

Scene study, from classic plays to modern film and TV
On-camera acting and stage technique
Audition skills and cold readings
The business side of acting

Levels: Beginning/Intermediate (ages 11 to 15) · Intermediate/Advanced (ages 14 to 21)

Explore Studio A

Act two

From first idea to finished film

Movie Makers

Write it

Students write, direct and storyboard their own films, taking a story from first idea to finished film.
Movie Makers

Build the world

They build the sets, costumes and makeup for their own films.
Movie Makers

Run the camera

They rotate between roles in front of and behind the camera, so they learn how a real production works.
Studio A

Find the character

Studio A students study scene work and text for theater and film, using the techniques of Stanislavski, Meisner, Uta Hagen, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg.
Studio A

Stage and screen

They work on camera several times each session, so they learn exactly how acting for film differs from acting on stage.
Opening night

Premiere

Every film ends with a premiere on the big screen, and every student takes home a copy.

Casting call

Where does your student start?

See Fall Classes

Two young students on set in the autumn woods, one in a leopard costume holding a slate

Ages6 to 10

Movie Making classes and themed summer camps. Hands-on, imaginative and built around making a real film together.

Movie Makers →Summer Camps →

A young director in a fedora calling the shot through a megaphone

Ages11 to 17

Filmmaking, Studio A acting classes, Acting for the Camera and advanced themed camps. More ownership, more technique, more challenge.

Movie Makers →Studio A →

Masked actors guiding a performer on stage

Ages14 to 21 and adults

Intermediate/Advanced acting, private coaching and audition preparation for students aiming higher.

Studio A →Private Coaching →

Summer camps · Registration opens January 1

One week. One film. One premiere.

Themed Movie Making campsAges 6 to 10 and 11 to 17From mystery and spy to science fiction and horror
Acting for the CameraAges 11 to 17
Dungeons & Dragons campaign weeksAges 11 to 17Led by a professional Dungeon Master

An instructor showing a group of campers how to use a video camera outdoors

Camps fill fast. Many 2026 weeks sold out.

Every summer, campers write, cast, shoot and star in a complete film in a single week, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM, with extended care available. The summer ends with an outdoor premiere on a giant screen, where friends and family watch the films under the stars.

WeekMonday to Friday
Day9 AM to 3 PM
CareExtended care available

View Summer Camps 2027 Join the Waitlist

The credits

From our studio to the big stage

Our students have gone on to study at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, UNC School of the Arts, USC, UCLA, UNCG and Elon. They have appeared in Law & Order, Army Wives and Survivor, and worked in commercials, voice-over, an HBO miniseries, independent films and professional theater.

Founded 2001
20+ years of films
Ages 6 to adult
As seen on TLC's Kate Plus 8

NYU Tisch School of the Arts
UNC School of the Arts
USC
UCLA
UNCG
Elon

Starring

Taught by working professionals

Meet Our Team

Founder and Director

Melissa Lozoff

Melissa trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and worked as a professional actress in Hollywood in soap operas, TV, film, music videos and commercials. She still acts in North Carolina, mainly in TV and film, and she founded Movie Makers in 2001.

Josh Lozoff

Josh began acting on stage in the Triangle at age nine and worked on film sets as a teen. He then spent about seven years working in TV and film in Hollywood before coming home to Durham.

Bonus features

More ways to create

Now showing

Watch what our students make

See films and highlights from our classes and camps.

Teen filmmakers with a camera and studio lights in front of a green screen

Play the student highlights video

What Our Students Are Doing Watch on YouTube

Ready for their close-up?

Classes and camps fill quickly. Pick a program, or call us and we'll help you choose.

Or call (919) 960-8233