Creator Camp Changed My Life

Photo Courtesy of Parker Floris

I’ve mentioned Creator Camp during this project before, but you might not really know what it is or why it’s so important. Creator Camp is a content organization ran by Simon Kim, Max Reisinger, Chris Duncan, and Cristina Colina. Simon and Max have both been creating content on YouTube for a few years, but not just regular videos. Their content, along with creators like Natalie Lynn, Gawx, and Zach Schy, are the true definition of “internet filmmaking.” They tell a story and have the same quality of a film, but with the personal nature of a YouTube video. Creator Camp started with just a simple Instagram DM. Simon messaged Max saying he loved his work and that he would love to talk some time. That led to them hosting creative summits all across the world with different creators, creating a physical version of the experience their videos brought. However, these events were limited to about 100 creators and were usually invite only. Creator Camp needed a way to not only bring this experience to more people, but to also take the next step in internet filmmaking.

In April 2025, Creator Camp and Patreon hosted the Camp Film Fest in Austin, Texas, funding and showcasing 8 short films and 1 feature films from internet creators that had zero traditional film experience. 1,200 people showed up to the Paramount Theater and the LZR to view these films and attend workshops from top creators in the space. I was one of these lucky 1,200 people, and it changed my life.

It's important for me to note that the people that started Creator Camp and the ones hosting the workshops weren’t just your average content creators, at least not to me. I had been watching Simon Kim and Natalie Lynn for the past few years, and they were who motivated me the most and who I look to as model creators. It felt surreal to even be in the same room as them and the other incredibly talented creators whose work I was seeing. I got to meet Simon and Natalie, as well as the CEO of Patreon Jack Conte, and a few other incredible creators that have inspired me.

Myself with Ethan Tran, Baron Ryan, Caroline Grossman, and Sarah J Bartholomew at the Two Sleepy People Premiere in NYC (Photo Courtesy of Parker Floris)

But the best part of the experience by far was meeting people in the creative community. I met so many people from across and even out of the country, all that came because they believe in the power of internet filmmaking. I made so many amazing friends, and even though we only spent a weekend together, we all bonded so quickly because we got to share such a unique and special experience with each other. I never thought I would meet people that understand my passion for this to such a specific degree, but I got that and so much more. I recently reunited with some of them in New York City to watch the official premiere of the feature film of Camp Film Fest, Baron Ryan’s Two Sleepy People (twosleepypeople.com). It’s crazy to think that I all of us, all from different lives and places across the world, would fly to NYC after only spending a weekend with each other. But that weekend wasn’t just a weekend. It wasn’t just a film festival. It wasn’t just a creative workshop. It was a glimpse of the future. It was proof that we don’t need the big Hollywood system for our stories to be told and to reach people. The only thing we need to do is to hit record.

My friends from Camp Film Fest in NYC (Photo courtesy of Justine Canlas)