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SUMMERCAMP! A Movie filmed at Swift Nature Camp

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SUMMERCAMP! the Movie all started back a few years ago when 2 independent film makers came to us and asked if they could come to camp and make a documentary about life at Swift Nature Camp. After hours of phone conversations discussing their agenda and purpose of such a film we felt comfortable that Bradley and Sarah wanted to make a movie showing why summer camp continues to be a special place for children. To be honest I believe they wanted to relive a bit of their special times that they spent at camp. The only thing we asked for was when showing conflict you had to show resolution.

So prior to camp waivers were sent out to all parents asking for permission to film their children. We received unbelievable support with only 3 out of 100 children not wanting to participate.

Finally the day came when the film crew arrived. We had no idea what to expect and neither did they. For us it was unbelievably intimidating having cameras in everyone's faces 24/7. They were shooting all the time and everywhere, there was no way to escape their cameras. But after 4 or 5 days we all became more comfortable having cameras follow us everywhere. For the film crew of 4, we gave them what they affectionately call a broom closet for accommodations and after 4 days or so of life in a closet they moved to a motel down the street.

The process of filming was extremely exciting. Each morning they were filming before we got up and stopped after all had gone to bed. Daily they would follow cabin groups around and film everything they did from making their beds to going on a canoe tip. At night they went back to their accommodations and watched the film they had shot. Remember their purpose was extremely open so they were looking for a story to develop. By the end of the first week they had a good idea which campers they wanted to concentrate on. Then they scheduled times to do extensive interviews with those campers.

By the end of the 4th week they had shot nearly 200 hours of tape but still had no specific story. We had all kinda forgotten about the movie until nearly three years later we got an email saying that the documentary was near completion.

We were sent a copy and loved the realism of the movie but were concerned by a few areas in the video that may not show camp in the best light. For instance there is a section where a child, Luke gets a fish hook in the corner of his eye. In the movie all campers are terribly worried as they should be, but in reality once we got Luke to the Health Center and he had calmed down the fish hook fell out with a blink. Unfortunately, we did not allow filming in the Health Center so that happy ending was not shown in the film.

At the recent Chicago Film Festival we all got together for its debut. We had many campers, parents and staff to see the movie as well as just a bunch of folks who paid to see it. It was wonderful to listen to the audience laugh so much. There are serious parts in the movie as well that instantly silence an audience.

It's especially good that it took three years to get the movie ready for showing because for the main characters Holly and Cameron , who went through ups and downs that summer it is all just part of their history now and they feel comfortable talking about that summer at Swift Nature Camp.

At the end of the Chicago Film Festival screening one of our campers families stood and said how great it was to get a look at what summer camp is like from a child's point of view and what a wonderful and supportive place Swift Nature Camp is. Even a parent who had no affiliation with Swift Nature Camp came up to me and said how they enjoyed the movie and it brought back wonderful camp memories.

As camp directors we are proud how friendships are made at camp, how counselors give more than a hundred percent to their campers and really are there for the right reasons. They do get exhausted but at the end of the summer there are tears and hugs and no one wants to leave camp.

After watching "SUMMERCAMP!" we had a bunch of campers come up to us and say they want to come back to Swift even more now. One camper, Julia went to her dad and said "Why would I want to go to Australia next summer when my summer family is at Swift Nature Camp." How cool is that!

 

The movie is currently looking for distribution in theaters, on TV and DVD. The makers of the documentary hope that in 2007 the distribution of the film will be completed. So watch a local theater for the release of "SUMMERCAMP!"

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