Behind the Scenes of Filming for Hume’s Summer Theme

By: Sarah Dains

As we approach summer camp 2023, what a fun way to ring it in by sharing some behind-the-scenes of the summer film process! As a kid, I came to Hume Lake as a camper for six years, and I remember watching the theme videos in chapel without any thought to how they were created and what that process was like. I just thought that it could not be that involved… Ha! If only I knew then what I know now.

The film process is divided into three major sections, pre-production, production, and postproduction. Pre-production is the initial stage of the process, and for us, this takes place immediately after the summer camp season ends. This is where all the planning and coordination happens. As a program team, we develop the Theme and get it into the hands of our incredible script writer. The script process takes about four months of going back and both to ensure that the script clearly, carefully, and creatively communicates the text we are teaching through the following summer. Once the script is final, usually by December, we begin scouting for film locations, often taking small trips to make sure the location can do what we need it to do once we are on the film set. Other things like costume design, filming shot lists, casting, line memorizing, etc., all get done during pre-production. The more we can be organized, the better the rest of the process goes.

Production is the second phase. This is when we gather all the footage we need on the film set. The process usually takes three weeks. We travel from place to place to gather footage. This year we shot all the interior locations at Hume Lake, and the exterior locations were shot at both Mount Hermon and San Simeon. This process is best summed as “work hard, play hard.” Days are typically 10-12 hours long to ensure enough daylight to capture all we need. Some days we go back at night to shoot night scenes. Finally, the postproduction process. This is where all the finishing touches happen and make the film come together. The main things that happen during this time are editing, visual effects, audio mixing, music score, and more. There are many hands that work on this project, and we would not be able to pull together the quality project without them. So, overall, the summer film from pre-production to postproduction takes about nine months to produce.

I hope this helps you see more into the filming process and all it entails to bring it together. The Lord is faithful always, and each year we get to experience that as he weaves together an amazing group of skilled people who have been impacted by the ministry of Hume to come together and make a movie. What a gift to be a part of that. The best part? The best part is seeing how the Lord uses the film as a tool to bring people into a meaningful relationship with Himself. The film cannot do that; only the Spirit of God through the teaching of His word. And yet He uses trivial things, like a film at a summer camp, to help people understand who He is just a little bit more. Below are some fun photos attached from this year’s film to give a sneak peek of what is to come; enjoy!!!

Click here for more info on the Theme!