Make A YouTube Channel: Animations and Digital Shorts

Price: Starting at $399
Age: 13 - 17
Skill Level: Beginner–Advanced

About This Course

Creators flock to YouTube to show off their stories and vision through videos and commentary. But creating is more than just pressing the upload button. You'll need skills in some of the most powerful industry-wide programs in the Adobe Suite, from Photoshop and Animate to Premiere and beyond. Next time you have an idea, you’ll have the ability to follow through and bring it to life.

Tools: Adobe Creative Cloud, YouTube

Topics Covered

Edit video and audio tracks
Create special effects and animations
Use animation and design tools
Practice character design and 2D animation/creative techniques
Make art to upload to social media
Translate visual inspiration to an effective digital portfolio

Sample Schedule

Here’s a sample of what a week in the course could look like. Please keep in mind that students will progress at varying paces; this is a general outline of key material and the overall student experience.

Monday: Create a Channel Logo in Photoshop

Students will design a character and create a YouTube channel logo in Adobe Photoshop.

Tuesday: Create Bouncing Ball Animation

Next, students will learn the fundamentals of animation in Adobe Animate by creating their own bouncing ball animation.

Wednesday: Create Storyboards for Final Project

As they progress, students will create storyboards to lay out their final project. Then, they will bring those storyboards into Adobe Animate and rough out the animation.

Thursday: Edit Scenes & Sound with Adobe Premiere

Students will finish up animations and then edit the scenes and sound together using Adobe Premiere.

Friday: Upload Projects to YouTube & Create Portfolio

To complete the week, students upload video projects to YouTube and create a portfolio of all of the work created this week.

Course Formats

Virtual Camp

Ideal for kids and teens who thrive in a high-energy, team-oriented environment! Meeting Monday through Friday, campers spend 2 hours together with their peers and instructors and 2 hours working independently on their project. Not your average online learning, our virtual camps include the games and challenges that make iD Tech camps core memory makers.

Private Lessons

Ideal for kids and teens who thrive in a focused, 1-on-1 setting, need flexible scheduling, or both! Your child will unlock new skills at their own pace, led by an experienced mentor who is dedicated to their success. These 8, one-hour lessons feature customized curriculum and are available to be scheduled 24/7.

Portfolio-Boosting Transcript

At the conclusion of your child's course, they will receive an official iD Tech transcript outlining the skills they learned over the course of the week.

Learn from the best.

Passion for tech. Unmatched expertise. Personality that brings out the absolute best in your child. With 23 years of experience, we know there's no replacement for the best teacher. It's no surprise that iconic companies like Google, EA, Microsoft, and Disney hire the same talent we do. Our iD Certified instructors possess the whole package of skills that top employers seek.

100% USA-based, adult instructors
Recruited from top universities like Stanford, Caltech, and NYU
Rigorous background and reference checks
Robust training programs and certification
Adherence to American Camp Association accredited guidelines

Instructor Highlights

Chris M.

Software Engineer
at Google

Instructor Highlights

Chris M.

Software Engineer
at Google

“My time as an iD instructor was really formative. I stayed with STEM in college as a Computer Science and Electrical Engineering major, and now I’m working at Google in Chicago. If you find yourself thinking about STEM-related things outside of school, follow that passion. Major in it. Keep pursuing it.”

Instructor Highlights

Aspen C.

Associate Designer
at Bethesda Softworks

Instructor Highlights

Aspen C.

Associate Designer
at Bethesda Softworks

“The spirit of innovation and creativity I felt around my students while teaching Unity led me toward my career as a professional game designer. My time at iD Tech taught me that no dream is too big, and that brilliant ideas can come from anywhere.”

Instructor Highlights

Brian M.

Software Engineer
at Disney

Instructor Highlights

Brian M.

Software Engineer
at Disney

“The opportunity to create an environment of collaboration, inclusion, and creativity was a truly special experience. The skills I honed while teaching at iD Tech led me to my software engineering roles at ESPN and the Walt Disney Company.”

Select your online format

Virtual Camp

Meets daily for 2 hours Monday-Friday

Private Lessons $449

8 lessons on your schedule

Get started

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a digital short?

A digital short can be thought of as a brief story created from a child’s imagination, concept sketches, and eventual animations. The process includes creating characters from scratch along with building the worlds which those characters call home. Storyboarding is a crucial step for anyone wanting to bring their animated stories to life!

Why should my child learn with YouTube?

Using the most powerful Adobe tools, from Photoshop and Animate to Premiere, students will edit video and audio, create special effects and animations, practice character design, make art for social media, and build an impressive digital portfolio. When teens’ artistic skills combine with the power of tech, their creativity can reach new heights.

What college and career opportunities can this course lead to?

Making engaging content takes more than just pressing “upload,” and the impressive STEAM skills teens can build in this course will speak volumes to future employers and prospective colleges. Whether your teen wants to become the next streaming sensation or animation powerhouse, or is looking to dip their toe in the water of a new STEAM hobby, learning to create great content can open doors to studying film, art, brand development, and much more.

Is this course suitable for all skill levels?

Yes, this course is designed for beginner to advanced students. Our small class size ensures that each student receives individual attention and has the freedom to learn at their own pace.

What is the online camp experience like?

While we are proud to offer world-class experiences on many of the world’s most prestigious university campuses, we also recognize that many families need the flexibility of quality virtual learning! It’s with these families in mind that we’ve adapted the core elements of our flagship camps to an online format with our Virtual Tech Camps.

Like our on-campus programs, Virtual Tech Camps feature structured small-group sessions led by expert instructors. Each week includes live teaching of our signature, cutting-edge curriculum, plus peer collaboration, social time, and independent project work. To complete the experience, our Virtual Tech Camps incorporate all the magic of summer camp including games, challenges, and legendary iD traditions!

What are the technical requirements for this online course?

To run this online course with iD Tech, students will need a Mac or Windows computer (no Chromebooks, unless otherwise specified), Adobe Creative Cloud, a webcam, and a stable internet connection with access to Zoom video conferencing. Additional info on course-specific installation requirements will be communicated after registration.