Careers Behind the Camera with Amazon MGM Studios

About this tour

From the soundstage to the screen, discover how computer science, creativity, and people work together to create the films and shows you love.

STEM + Career-focused

Lights, Camera, Innovation!
Go behind the scenes with Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Future Engineer to discover how computer science, technology, and creative teams work together to build blockbuster movies and hit series! From massive digital worlds to viral social media trends, see how technology brings stories to life in ways you never imagined.

On this tour, students learn the answer to the following questions:

🎬 How do filmmakers use technology to plan epic scenes before the cameras even start rolling?

🎥 How do massive LED walls and video game software allow actors to step inside impossible digital worlds without ever leaving the studio?

📈 How do social media experts use math and data analytics to predict which movie trailers will go viral and find the perfect audience?

🤖 How is Artificial Intelligence acting as a “creative partner” to help artists brainstorm new characters and build worlds faster than ever?

In this tour, students explore the following careers: Visualization Supervisor, Hardware Engineer, Software Engineer, Post Production Supervisor, Social Media Marketing, Generative AI Visualization Supervisor

Aligned to Standards

The 40 minute, interactive tour is aligned to Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards. The Teacher Toolkit includes a facilitation guide, worksheets, and other resources to support learning during the tour. Recommended for grades 4+.

Careers Behind the Camera Tour is aligned to the following standards:

CSTA Standards:

1B-IC-18: Discuss computing technologies that have changed the world, and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices.
2-CS-02: Design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.
2-NI-04: Model the role of protocols in transmitting data across networks and the Internet.
2-DA-07: Represent data using multiple encoding schemes.
2-DA-08: Collect data using computational tools and transform the data to make it more useful and reliable.
2-AP-13: Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of complex programs.
2-IC-20: Compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that affect people’s everyday activities and career options.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The tour addresses these disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and engineering practices
MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem, accounting for relevant scientific principles.
MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process (e.g., choosing between traditional location filming and virtual production).
MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process.
Systems and System Models
Cause and Effect

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.1: Engage in collaborative discussions about how technology shapes culture and careers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.7: Integrate information presented in different media or formats.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5: Develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3.C: Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2: Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6: Attend to precision in mathematical communication and calculation.

Play it on Kahoot!

The fun, game-like tour will be available for FREE on Kahoot! to all interested classrooms and families. Students can play against each other while learning about getting data from the stadium to devices, troubleshooting, and creating new features to enhance sports streams. No account required.

Teacher Toolkit

Our Teacher Toolkit provides educators with guides, worksheets, and other documents aligned to CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards, Common Core, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Use these materials to discover all the possibilities with computer science learning and careers of the future, and to set students up for success before, during, and after the tour.

Student Worksheet

Distribute graphic organizers for students to capture their biggest learnings and wonderings on the tour.

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Word PDF
Student Worksheet Answer Key

Check your students' fill-in-the-blank answers on the student worksheet.

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Word PDF
Key Student Learnings

Discover the vocabulary, key points, and standards covered on the tour by tour stop.

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PDF
Facilitation Guide

Read instructions for setting up the Kahoot! tour with classes. Slide by slide script for delivering the tour to students.

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PDF
Discussion Questions

Deepen student engagement by using these prompts to spark written reflections or classroom discussions after each stop or upon completing the tour.

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Word PDF
Certificate

Print and distribute student certificates to celebrate completing the tour!

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PDF

FAQs

On the tour, students will discover how computer science, artificial intelligence, and creative teams work together to produce blockbuster movies and hit series for millions of viewers. At the first stop, students explore Previsualization, learning how directors and animators use 3D animated “rough drafts” to plan complex scenes before filming begins. In the second stop, they step into Virtual Production to see how game engines and massive LED walls allow actors to perform inside digital worlds in real-time.

The third stop covers Post-Production, where students see how editors use precise math and timecode to sync sound and video perfectly. In the fourth stop, students learn how Social Media Marketers use data analytics and ratios to connect stories with the right audience. Finally, students explore Innovation, discovering how cloud computing and Generative AI act as “creative partners” to help filmmakers brainstorm ideas and collaborate globally.

To learn more, check out the teacher toolkit resources.

The Amazon MGM Studios Tour is aligned to the following CSTA standards:

1B-IC-18: Discuss computing technologies that have changed the world, and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices.
2-CS-02: Design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.
2-NI-04: Model the role of protocols in transmitting data across networks and the Internet.
2-DA-07: Represent data using multiple encoding schemes.
2-DA-08: Collect data using computational tools and transform the data to make it more useful and reliable.
2-AP-13: Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of complex programs.
2-IC-20: Compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that affect people’s everyday activities and career options.

The tour is aligned to the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices:

MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem, accounting for relevant scientific principles.
MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process (e.g., choosing between traditional location filming and virtual production).
MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process.
Systems and System Models
Cause and Effect

The tour is aligned to the following math and ELA Common Core standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.1: Engage in collaborative discussions about how technology shapes culture and careers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.7: Integrate information presented in different media or formats.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5: Develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3.C: Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2: Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6: Attend to precision in mathematical communication and calculation.

We do not collect personal student information on either tour. If a teacher does have a Kahoot! account, they can assign the tour to their students to track their students’ progress, but individuals’ information is not shared with Amazon. During the tour, students will answer poll questions about their intent to pursue careers in STEM and their overall satisfaction with the tour. These questions are multiple choice and do not collect any Personally identifiable information (PII) from students.