Canon Korea’s ‘Canon Cinema Camp 2026’ Trains 30 Emerging Filmmakers

“You must water and give sunlight for flowers to bloom…” Canon Korea held ‘Canon Cinema Camp 2026’ from July 27 to July 31, bringing 30 aspiring filmmakers together for five days of lectures and on-set training. The program, which ranged from theory to practical production, paired participants with working professionals to make six films. Attendees gained hands-on experience across the filmmaking process while Canon Korea collected user feedback and assessed the video ecosystem.

About 1,000 people applied for ‘Canon Cinema Camp 2026,’ and 30 participants were selected. Chosen at a 33-to-1 ratio, the participants gathered on July 31 at Canon Plex in Gangnam, Seoul, to learn basic theory from experts. Jeong Byung-rim, head of marketing at Canon Korea, opened the camp with a welcome address, and camp leader and cinematographer Chu Gyeong-yeop and cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung gave lectures on their respective topics. Chu, who shot films such as 〈The 8th Night〉, 〈Gyeong-a’s Daughter〉 and 〈Heavy Snow〉 and directed the EOS R6 V short film 〈You and My Phototherapy〉, lectured on “the basic principles of image.” Kim, whose credits include 〈The People Back Then〉, 〈Late Autumn〉, 〈1987〉 and 〈Eojjeol suga eopda〉, explained the process of turning written text into visual scenes under the heading “How does a screenplay become a film?” Later, cinematographer Choi Yoon-man, known for dramas such as 〈Itaewon Class〉, 〈My Mister〉 and 〈Poksak Soksassuda〉, joined the session for a Q&A with participants, sharing practical concerns from the field and the instincts they rely on while shooting.

On the following day, August 1, the camp moved to Wonju in Gangwon Province, and intensive shooting practice began. Divided into six teams of five, participants worked under the theme “What is light?” to create the mood of a scene themselves. They used lighting gear on set to adjust poorly lit locations and immediately saw varied results. The instructors and working staff on hand observed the process and offered concrete advice. The practical sessions emphasized hands-on equipment use rather than following theory or fixed guides. In addition to Canon Korea, various brands provided equipment to elevate the training environment, including Aputure, SmallHD, SmallRig, SANDISK, TERADEK, LG Electronics, H&Y, FUNOMAD, Korea Photo Products (KPP), CL Media (CL MEDIA), TASCAM, DEITY and BLS.

On the third day, participants split into two groups and produced videos set to assigned music, then reviewed one another’s work. Carefully comparing intent to outcome and working with the instructors to identify improvements, participants experienced the kind of trial-and-error and confusion that happens on set. Actors then joined the site, and after teams agreed on overall scenario, concept, schedule and locations, each team began shooting its film starting on the fourth day. Using the EOS R6 V and EOS C50, teams shot while cinematographers Kim Woo-hyung and Choi Yoon-man observed and provided feedback. Teams reviewed the results again after applying that feedback and continued refining the work.

The camp’s final stage, postproduction, focused on color grading under the guidance of colorist Kim Jeong-ho. The sessions were structured so that the director first explained the desired result, then the colorist performed the work—teaching participants how to communicate effectively during postproduction.

After the camp concluded on July 31, participants completed postproduction and finished their films, then shared their work at a screening on August 7 at a certain movie theater. The participants watched the films together on the theater screen, and certificates were awarded that night, bringing ‘Canon Cinema Camp 2026’ to a close.

Since 2015 Canon Korea has operated “Canon Masters,” a program supporting the work of professionals in Korea’s photography and video fields. In 2026 Canon Korea selected eight Masters, including four specialists in video—Kim Woo-hyung, Shin Woo-seok, Choi Yoon-man and Hong Jeong-pyo—and ran ‘Canon Cinema Camp 2026’ to support emerging filmmakers and to demonstrate the brand’s sincerity while injecting new energy into the industry. Participants described the camp as “a guide to how we can improve on our own” and “a chance to learn even more than we hoped for, because it combined the basics with on-set practice.” Like those reflections, events such as ‘Canon Cinema Camp 2026’ can encourage more frequent meetings between industry professionals and emerging filmmakers in the Korean film community.