Not every young performer dreams first about a theater stage. Some imagine a camera.
Some want to know what it feels like to act in a scene that will be watched on a screen. Others are curious about self-tapes, close-ups, reaction shots, and the big difference between projecting your voice to the back row and letting a lens catch something much smaller.
That is the motivating idea behind the upcoming Film Acting Camp at The Spotlight Playhouse.
The intensive program runs from June 29 through July 3 at the playhouse facility at 214 Richmond Road in Berea. Open to rising 6th graders through age 18, the curriculum focuses on on-camera acting mechanics, scene work, self-taping, and helping students build real material for digital acting reels.
For the school, the camp offers a distinct departure from a traditional summer theater program. It remains rooted in storytelling and collaborative discipline. However, the presence of the camera fundamentally changes the physics of the room.
Acting for the Camera 📷
Stage performance and film acting share creative roots, but they demand entirely different physical outputs from an actor.
On stage, students learn how to project their voices, fill large spaces, carry energy across a crowded room, and make choices broad enough for a live audience to read. Those skills build voice, presence, and personal courage.
On camera, however, the work becomes micro-focused. A subtle glance can change the entire meaning of a scene. A deliberate pause carries immense narrative weight, and an actor’s scene partner may stand just an inch outside the physical frame.
The performer must learn where the lens is, understand its focal width, and discover how to stay truthful without pushing the performance too hard.
That is a critical lesson for young artists. It teaches listening and self-control. It also proves that acting isn’t only about being louder, bigger, or more dramatic. Sometimes the most compelling choice is the quietest one the lens can capture.
A Practical Skill for Modern Auditions 🎭
The curriculum explicitly introduces students to self-taping configurations and digital acting reels. That matters because the professional performance landscape has shifted drastically. Auditions no longer occur exclusively in physical casting rooms.
Students navigating theater programs, college auditions, commercial work, or digital media will inevitably encounter self-tape mandates. They must know how to record a scene independently, frame themselves properly, follow technical submission guidelines, and deliver an authentic performance into an empty room without a live audience to feed them energy.
That process can feel deeply alienating the first time. The camp gives local students a low-pressure laboratory to master those technical skills before encountering them in high-stakes collegiate or professional settings.
The goal isn’t to manufacture a Hollywood actor in five days. Instead, the objective is to demystify the technology, build confidence, and ensure students walk away with a clear grasp of on-camera grammar.
The Teaching Team and the Creative Ladder 🪜
The Film Acting Camp will be led by Spotlight’s core instruction team, featuring Kat Davis, Chad Hembree, and Mason Hembree.
Davis, who recently directed the organization’s technical theater intensives, brings deep knowledge of the backstage and production elements of storytelling. That background is invaluable for film work, where actors must understand how placement affects camera blocking, audio capture, pacing, and post-production editing.
Mason Hembree adds an essential collegiate layer to the instructional mix. After growing up entirely inside the Spotlight youth theater ecosystem, he is returning to the studio to co-lead the camp after completing his junior year as a Performing Arts major at Bellarmine University.
His involvement provides a vital link to the industry-standard audition landscape. Navigating university-level digital callbacks and self-tapes every semester, he brings the exact technical demands of the modern casting world straight into the Berea classroom.
That structure highlights a visible path for local youth. A student can begin in a neighborhood recreation program, build foundational skills through summer camps, climb toward university-level training, and eventually return to guide the next generation. It is a sustainable loop that transforms youth theater from a hobby into a true leadership pipeline.
Practical Details for Families 🧾
- The Schedule: The camp operates as a full-day intensive from Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 3, 2026. Morning drop-off begins at 7:45 a.m., with final daily pickup by 4:00 p.m.
- Financial Investment: Tuition is set at $150 for the entire five-day week, covering all studio time, technical gear use, and digital footage exports.
- The Lunch Policy: To maintain strict safety standards across all age brackets, the playhouse enforces a mandatory “Stay on Campus” lunch rule. Students must pack a daily lunch. However, older teenagers are granted the operational freedom to DoorDash or order pizza directly to the Playhouse box office lobby during the scheduled mid-day break.
- The Deliverable: Unlike stage shows that leave students with memories and applause, film work produces a tangible digital asset. Every student leaves the intensive with clean, edited video footage of their work to share, study, or deploy for future media portfolios.
Quick Summary ✅
- On-Camera Focus: Running June 29 to July 3, The Spotlight Playhouse’s specialized summer intensive shifts local students from theatrical stage projection to subtle film acting.
- Modern Toolsets: The curriculum explicitly targets self-tape mechanics, framing, and digital acting reel production to prepare students for the contemporary audition landscape.
- Legacy Mentorship: Returning from his collegiate studies as a Performing Arts major at Bellarmine University, alumnus Mason Hembree joins the instructional staff to deliver current industry training.
- Operational Guidelines: The $150 camp runs daily from 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for grades six through age 18. It also features a secure on-campus lunch policy with modern teen food delivery allowances.
Related Stories 🔗
- The $228.7 Million Question: What Berea College Actually Means for Madison County
- Community Wealth and Hand-Drums: Looking Back at the Junebug Festival
Upcoming Community Events 📅
- June 17 – July 31, 2026: Together We Thrive community art exhibition on view at the Berea Arts Council gallery.
- June 19–28, 2026: Macbeth final weekend performances at The Spotlight Playhouse.
- July 10–12, 2026: The Berea Craft Festival at Indian Fort Theater.
This article originally appeared on BereaOnline.com — your home for Madison County news, community events, and local updates.
About the Author ✍️
Chad Hembree serves as the Executive Director of Spotlight Acting School, The Spotlight Playhouse, and Spotlight Performing Arts. A resident of Berea, Kentucky, and a former member of the Berea City Council, he has spent decades working in community theater, arts education, and local journalism. Since 1995, he has operated BereaOnline.com, focusing on local news, civic issues, and stories that highlight community collaboration and grassroots efforts across Madison County.
Sources 📌
- Camp Enrollment and Curricular Outlines, Spotlight Acting School Class Directories
- Venue Mapping and Facility Regulations, The Spotlight Playhouse Operational Codes
- Collegiate Drama Alignment Metrics, Bellarmine University Theater Production Rosters