New program gives high school students on East Side opportunity to learn about filmmaking

SAN ANTONIO – Students in a new media arts program on the East Side will learn from seasoned professionals in the film industry.

The six-week free program is designed to teach high school students how to take their content from script to screen.

“The studio being here on the East Side in District 2, it’s something that gives our students here on the East Side something to look forward to, something to grow from and something to build from right out of their own backyard,” said Dat Mayne DeeWayne, instructor at Alamo City Studios.

DeeWayne is one of the instructors of the new Eastside Youth Content Creation Program being held at Alamo City Studios.

The East Side native is an award-winning director and excited to be part of this project.

“I have movies out there such as policing, currently a sitcom called the “Odd Life of Shay Little.” And what I bring to the program is the experience that I have and being an independent filmmaker and the trials and tribulations that we go through and how to overcome those things,” DeeWayne said.

Students will learn how to use film equipment, how to write scripts and how to act.

Kat Steffens has 20 years of experience in professional acting and is another instructor of the program.

“I worked in Chicago, LA and the Texas markets. I can bring a lot of real-world sort of acting experience for these kids and also teach them how to be a working actor because there’s a difference between acting as a hobby and acting for a profession,” Steffens said.

The program was funded by the City of San Antonio and 24 kids are participating this year.