El Segundo, CA, USA
Campers step in front of and behind the camera to build a short acting reel from several different kinds of performances. The week combines acting, filmmaking, speech work, and writing as children explore drama, comedy, action, commercial, theatrical, television, and voiceover material. They practice character choices, monologues, newscasting, accents, diction, projection, and on-camera performance while learning how scenes are planned, filmed, edited, and mastered.
Each one-week session is designed for ages 9–14. Campers work in specialty workshops with an instructor, then reconnect with the wider camp group for warm-ups, social time, snack, lunch, play, group games, photo sessions, and other shared activities. The program includes film-crew roles and collaboration, so children are not only performers; they also learn how a reel comes together as a team project. PAW describes its teaching environment as non-competitive, and no audition is required for camp participation.
At the El Segundo Main Street location, the regular camp day runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the United Methodist Church auditorium, with supervised drop-off before camp and optional extended play afterward. Recording equipment and sound-editing software are provided for campers to use and share. By the end of the session, each camper receives a finished Sizzle Reel on a flash drive, assembled from performances created during the week.
| Ages: | 9–14 |
| Type: | Day |
| Gender: | Co-Ed |
| Setting: | City |
| Academics: | Academics, Liberal Arts, Creative Writing |
| Arts: | Arts, Performing Arts, Acting, Comedy, Drama, Film, Speech, Theater, TV |
| Meals Type: | Bring Your Own |
| Time: | 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM |
| Staff to Сamper Ratio: | 1:10 to 1:12 |
| Address: | United Methodist Church, 540 Main Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 (In Auditorium) |
| El Segundo | |
| USA |
You won’t be charged yet. The camp will contact you to confirm all terms first.
| Dates | Days | Price | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2 - Aug 6, 2027 | 5 | $595 |
The one-week Actor’s Sizzle Reel program moves campers through the core steps of creating a short performance reel. Acting workshops cover commercial, film, television, and theatrical technique, while speech training focuses on diction, projection, accents, and dialects. Campers also work on creative writing and scripting, storyboarding, film-crew roles, on-camera acting, editing, and mastering. The goal is to build several short clips that show different styles of performance rather than spending the week on one single scene.
The broader camp day begins with a group warm-up and social circle before campers separate into their specialty programs. Within the Sizzle Reel group, children learn together with a specialized instructor and move through several workshops across the day. Snack, lunch, play periods, group games, photo sessions, and Friday Spirit Day activities bring specialty groups together at different points.
Campers take part without an audition. PAW states that the program is non-competitive and reserves the right to determine which footage is included in individual or class reels. Recording equipment and sound-editing software are provided for campers to use and share, and the finished Sizzle Reel is supplied on a flash drive at the end of the session.
Campers bring their own mid-morning snack, complete lunch, beverage, and water bottle each day. The camp facilities do not provide refrigeration for lunches, so food should either be safe without refrigeration or packed in an insulated lunch box with an ice pack. PAW advises families to pack enough food for both snack time and lunch because the camp day is active. Families should also disclose food allergies and other medical needs through the camp’s required guidance process so staff can review the child’s needs before attendance.
Every camper must be signed in and signed out each day. PAW requires written authorization when a child will be picked up by someone other than a parent or guardian, or when a child has permission to walk or bike home. Campers with cell phones must keep them in their backpacks during the camp day. Teaching staff are screened before working with campers and must clear a criminal background check. The published teacher-to-student ratio is one adult for every 10 to 12 children.
Parents are required to disclose allergies, medications, disabilities, or special needs and submit PAW’s Disclosure & Guidance Form. Some situations may require written guidance or releases from a parent and a doctor. With written permission, PAW may be able to assist with simple medications; approved medications are labeled and given to the on-site director for safekeeping. PAW notes that its instructors are trained in their arts disciplines but are not medically trained, so some medications or needs may not be supportable. Families are directed to contact the PAW office before enrollment to discuss specific needs.
PAW says its teachers are working professionals in their respective fields, have or are working toward bachelor’s or master’s degrees, and have prior experience working with children. Teaching staff are screened and must clear a criminal background check before placement. For individualized attention, PAW publishes a teacher-to-student ratio of one adult for every 10 to 12 children. Specialty campers learn with instructors focused on the arts discipline they enrolled in.
Parents can call the PAW office when an important message needs to reach a child or on-site staff member. On-site directors and teachers are required to check in with the office multiple times during the day, and PAW uses the office as the main communication link between families and camp locations. Campers’ cell phones must stay zipped in backpacks during camp. Staff may contact parents when a child is ill, has forgotten food, or has not been picked up.
At El Segundo Main Street, supervised drop-off begins at 8:45 AM and the camp day runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, followed by a pickup window through 3:10 PM. Optional Sunrise Student care opens at 8:00 AM, and Extended Play is available from 3:10 PM to 5:00 PM. Families must sign campers in and out each day and submit authorization for alternate pickup or independent walking or biking. Actor’s Sizzle Reel campers should bring the PAW-provided composition book each day, along with a snack, lunch, beverage, and water bottle.
Standard tuition for a one-week Actor’s Sizzle Reel Camp session is $595 before any eligible camp discount. Sunrise Student early drop-off and Extended Play are optional add-ons at locations where those services are available.
