Not every camp job is about being outside all day. Arts and media roles, from theater tech to photography to music, are real specialty positions at most camps, and camps have specifically flagged this as an area where they need more strong male applicants, right alongside sports and waterfront.
What the job actually involves
Arts and media covers more ground than most people expect:
- Photography and videography counselors shoot and edit the daily photo and video content camps send home to parents, and increasingly run content for the camp’s own social media, a real and growing role at most camps now.
- Theater and stagecraft counselors run lighting, sound, set-building, and tech for camp plays and performances, on top of or instead of onstage roles.
- Music counselors teach instrumental or vocal music, run a camp band or ensemble, or lead music at all-camp events.
- Making and maker-space roles cover woodworking, ceramics, and other hands-on craft areas, depending on the camp’s program.
Most arts and media counselors run daily activity periods teaching their specialty to different age groups, plus a bigger project (a show, a video, a piece of work) that builds across the summer.
Do you need formal training?
It depends on the role. Photo and video roles want someone who can actually shoot and edit, whether that’s from film school, a media program, or just years of doing it yourself. Theater tech wants hands-on stagecraft experience, from a college theater program or from working shows in high school or community theater. Music roles want real instrumental or vocal ability. Formal credentials matter less than being able to show your actual work.
What to put in front of a camp
Camps hiring for arts and media roles want to see your actual work, not just a list of interests. For photo and video, that means a short reel or a portfolio of your best stills, ideally showing you can shoot people in motion, not just posed shots. For theater tech, mention specific shows you’ve worked and what you ran (lighting board, sound, set build). For music, a short recording or a list of instruments and ensembles you’ve played in tells a camp more than a general “I like music” line. Attaching even a simple portfolio link to your application puts you ahead of most applicants in this category, since most don’t include one.
Who this is right for
This role fits film, media, theater, and music students, stagecraft and AV crew, and anyone who’s spent real time behind a camera, on a lighting board, or on an instrument. It’s a genuinely good option if you want a creative, hands-on summer instead of an office internship, and it’s an area where camps are actively trying to recruit more guys, not just tolerating applications. It’s less of a fit if your interest is more casual than hands-on: camps are looking for real skill in these areas, the same as any other specialty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Most camps now run daily photo and video content for parents and social media, and a strong photo or video counselor is one of the more in-demand specialty hires on staff.
No. Tech roles (lighting, sound, set-building, stage management) are a full track of their own, separate from acting, and camps need both.
Say so in your application. Smaller camps especially are glad to have a counselor who can cover more than one specialty (say, video and music, or theater tech and woodworking).
Arts and media roles are indoor or studio-based specialty positions, not land or water activities. If sports is more your background, see How to Get a Camp Coaching or Sports Instructor Job instead.
Usually, yes, the same as most specialty roles. You’ll typically live in a cabin and take on general supervision and evening-activity duties alongside your specialty hours, unless a camp specifically hires you as a standalone media or production staffer.
How to get started
Check ASC’s job search and the media job listings for current openings, and put a real portfolio or work sample in front of camps if you can, a reel, a few photos, a recording. “…where anything is possible!” isn’t just about the campers. A creative specialty job at camp is a real production job, on a deadline, with an audience, all summer.
