deadCenter Education
Empowering the next generation of filmmakers, storytellers, and movie lovers!
Statewide Education Tour
Created in 2012, the deadCenter Statewide Education Tour was created to educate and inspire high school students across the state on the art of filmmaking. The FREE program is designed to help students think more creatively, collaborate more willingly, and speak more confidently in front of their peers while learning the fundamentals of film literacy and movie magic through the lens of an OSCAR®-qualifying film festival. The tour focuses on two areas of filmmaking. The first is storytelling, and we are excited to encourage students to create and share their unique perspectives via our 3 Minute Short Film Competition, a category developed exclusively for Statewide Education Tour participants. Winners will be invited to the 24th Annual deadCenter Film Festival in June 2024! The second area of focus is workforce development. The film industry in Oklahoma is booming, and jobs are available for talented young people in production design, cinematography, set-building, costume design, editing, illustration, and many other areas. The Statewide Education Tour won the Governor’s Arts Award for Education in 2014 and has reached more than 24,000 students.
Programs and Activities
deadCenter would love to come to your classroom to explore the fundamentals of filmmaking, film festival culture, and work in the film sector. Most presentations are for one class period, but appearances can be customized to meet individual school needs. Activities include the following:
Who We Are – Film Festival Culture
Fundamental Film Literacy
Career Opportunities in the Oklahoma Film Industry
Tell Your Original (Okie) Story: The Angle of Your Arc
3 Minute Short Film Competition for Tour Students only!
Meet Victor!
In his 20 years in the industry, Victor Caballero has modeled in various print campaigns & acted in multiple commercials & films such as McDonalds, Stillwater, God’s Not Dead: We The People, & Malicious Motives. He's an independent award-winning producer and director. His latest film “Seeker” won Best Thriller at Venice Shorts, Arrow Festival, and Best Directing at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival.
In addition to his filmmaking, one of Victor’s greatest passions is teaching students the art of cinema and journalism. In 2022, he worked as a coach for the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism at the University of Oklahoma and previously served on the Education Advisory Committee for deadCenter University. Since 2017, he has provided hands-on filmmaking experience through the OKCine Latino Film Institute. From pre-production to post-production each student is presented with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and tools needed to start them down the path of movie-making.