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Moviemaking

Scouts BSA · Merit Badge · Arts

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Moviemaking turns an idea into a story people can watch and feel. You'll plan, film, and edit your own short movie. All you need is a phone or simple camera and some imagination.

Why it's worth it

Movies can make an audience laugh, jump, or cry, and they do it with tricks you can learn: where the camera sits, how long a shot lasts, what music plays underneath. This badge takes you through the whole process, from an idea on paper to a finished short film people can watch. A phone is enough to start. You'll learn to tell a story, lead a small crew, and fix problems on the fly, skills that help with school projects, troop videos, and maybe a future career.

Start this week

  1. Watch a favorite movie scene with the sound off, and notice how the camera angles and cuts still tell the story.
  2. Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Moviemaking counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
  3. Write down three short film ideas that could be shot in one afternoon with a few friends or family members.
  4. Find out what free editing app or software is available on a family device or at your school or library.

Stay safe

  • Film in safe places with permission, never near traffic, water, or heights without adult supervision.
  • Get permission from a parent before posting your film online, and don't post other young people's faces or names without their parents' OK.

Requirements · 4

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).

  1. Requirement 1

    Discuss and demonstrate what makes a good movie, including visual storytelling, rhythm, the 180-degree rule, camera movement, shot framing and composition, and lens choice

    Tip: Watch a favorite movie and pay attention to the story, camera angles, sound, and music. Which parts made it work for you?

    For example: Pick a movie you know well and break down one scene: what the story beat is, how the camera moves, what the lighting feels like, how the music and sound effects build tension, and why the editor cut where they did.

  2. Requirement 2

    Plan and shoot your film

    Tips for this section: Keep your first film short and simple. Draw quick stick-figure storyboards and get friends or family to act or help with the camera.

    Example for this section: Write a three- or four-paragraph treatment that paints the picture: "A Scout loses the troop's only compass the night before a hike and has to retrace their day to find it." Then draw six to ten storyboard frames and shoot a short film of a few minutes.

    1. Requirement 2a

      Write a three- or four-paragraph treatment of the story you'll film that paints a clear visual picture

    2. Requirement 2b

      Make a storyboard for your film (rough sketches and stick figures are fine)

    3. Requirement 2c

      Shooting techniques

      1. Requirement 2c1

        Demonstrate shooting with a tripod

      2. Requirement 2c2

        Demonstrate panning the camera

      3. Requirement 2c3

        Demonstrate framing a shot

      4. Requirement 2c4

        Demonstrate choosing a camera angle

      5. Requirement 2c5

        Demonstrate choosing the right lighting

      6. Requirement 2c6

        Demonstrate handheld shooting

    4. Requirement 2d

      Make and present a program. Choose 1 of 3

      1. Requirement 2d1

        Starting with a treatment, plan and film a court of honor using the techniques you learned, and show it to an audience such as your class, patrol, troop, or a pack

      2. Requirement 2d2

        Starting with a treatment, plan and make your own short feature film with the techniques you learned, then present it to your class, patrol, troop, or a pack

      3. Requirement 2d3

        Starting with a treatment, plan and shoot a short vignette that could teach a new Scout a Scouting skill, then present it to your class, patrol, troop, or a pack

  3. Requirement 3

    Production studio or zoom lens. Choose 1 of 2

    Tips for this section: If you can't visit a set, look closely at a camera with a zoom lens and learn what its main parts do, like the zoom ring, the focus ring, and the aperture.

    Example for this section: If you can't visit a set, use a camera with a zoom lens to show how zooming in narrows the view and makes the background look closer. Point out three parts, like the glass lens elements, the zoom ring, and the aperture, and explain what each does.

    1. Requirement 3a

      With a parent's or guardian's permission and your counselor's OK, visit a film set or TV studio and watch how production is done

    2. Requirement 3b

      Explain to your counselor how a zoom lens works and three of its important parts

  4. Requirement 4

    Careers or hobbies. Choose 1 of 2

    Tips for this section: Look into jobs like editor, sound designer, or director, or join a school film or theater club.

    Example for this section: Look into jobs beyond director, like editor, cinematographer, sound mixer, gaffer, and production assistant. Pick one, find out the training, and try that role on a friend's or classmate's film.

    1. Requirement 4a

      Research one career related to moviemaking: training and education, costs, job outlook, pay, duties, and advancement. With a parent's or guardian's OK you may search online or at a library, interview a pro, or visit a workplace. Discuss your findings with your counselor and what makes the career appealing

    2. Requirement 4b

      Explore how you could turn this badge's skills into a hobby or a healthy lifestyle. Look into needed training, costs, and supporting groups, and talk with your counselor about short- and long-term goals you might set

Places to visit

Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.

  • A community media center or public-access TV studio

    You can see cameras, lights, and editing stations and meet people who make videos in your community.

    How: Have a parent call or check the website for tours, youth classes, or open studio days, and go together.

  • A local TV station or production studio

    You can see a set, a control room, and how a crew works together to make a show.

    How: Have an adult contact the station and ask about a tour for a small Scout group.

Where it can lead

  • Film editorCuts raw footage into a finished story; many start by editing short projects and building a reel.
  • CinematographerPlans the camera and lighting to give every scene its look.
  • Sound designerRecords and mixes dialogue, effects, and music so a film sounds right.
  • Grip or lighting technicianSets up lights and camera rigs on set; often learned on the job.
  • DirectorLeads the cast and crew and makes the big creative decisions.

Ask yourself

  • What kind of movies do you love, and what do you think makes them work?
  • What went differently on the shoot than you planned, and how did you adapt?
  • How did it feel to lead other people on your crew?
  • What did you learn by watching your film with an audience?
  • What story would you like to tell in your next film?

Good questions to ask a filmmaker, video producer, or film teacher

  • How do you turn an idea into a story that works on screen?
  • What's the most common mistake in a beginner's first film?
  • How do you plan a shoot so you don't run out of time?
  • What's one editing trick that makes a big difference?
  • How did you get started making movies?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Host a troop movie night where scouts screen their short films for each other.
  • Ask a local TV station or community media center about a behind-the-scenes visit.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Into this? Explore more

Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.