Apple's Set to Screen Podcasts & Lesson Plans

Apple has a free filmmaking series aimed at high school and college students. The Set to Screen series offers a monthly podcast and contest tied to the filmmaking process. (Update: This webpage is down, but you you can access the videos here.)

They also offer free lessons plans at either the high school or college level.

From the Apple website:

Learn moviemaking from a master.

Great movies are full of adventure, and Australia, the next film from acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet), is no exception. But making a movie is an even bigger adventure—an adventure in creativity—and with the Apple Set to Screen Series, you can be a part of it.

Every few weeks through October (2008), a new podcast episode from Baz and his production team will introduce you to another aspect of moviemaking, starting with on-set still photography, then moving on to costume design, cinematography, scoring, and more. You’ll get insights from the artists at work on Australia, watch them in action, footage the rest of the world hasn’t seen yet, and follow along as the movie comes together.

Here's where you come in.

Five of the episodes will also come with a challenge: Create a project inspired by what you’ve learned. Each time one of these episodes is released, you’ll have three weeks to post your work to the Apple Student Gallery. If your project is one of the best (10 from high schoolers and 10 from college students), you’ll win an iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch, or a MacBook Pro. And if your work is chosen as the most creative of all, you’ll be going on yet another kind of adventure—a trip for two to Australia. Five challenges mean you’ve got five chances to win.

Of course, we saved the best for last. Submit the top project for the final challenge, and Baz himself will plan your trip to Oz, meet you there, and take you along on the promotional tour for the film in the U.S. Your project will even be included on the DVD release of Australia.