Once Upon a Storyboard: REBOOTing Creativity as Young Voices Explore Cinema at KinderUniWien 2025
Every summer, KinderUni Wien transforms the University of Vienna into a ground of discovery, where children from across Austria step into the world of university life for two weeks filled with lectures, workshops and hands-on seminars designed to spark curiosity and inspire learning. In its 23rd edition, 4,145 children participated in a rich programme offering 358 courses spanning science, arts and culture.
Amid this lively academic environment, the REBOOT project team led its second consecutive children’s workshop on 8 July 2025. The session welcomed 22 children aged 7 to 12 for an interactive exploration of storytelling and scriptwriting, guiding them through the fundamentals of narrative creation and introducing playful, hands-on methods to bring their ideas to life. The workshop, titled “Insights into the World of Filmmaking: How Do You Write a Film Story?”, invited participants to discover the foundations of scriptwriting through group activities, cinematic exploration and creative expression. It forms part of REBOOT’s wider objective: to increase support for young people’s engagement with European film, planting early seeds of curiosity, cultural connection and creative confidence.
The session began with a light-hearted welcome activity: participants introduced themselves and shared their favourite films, establishing a relaxed and friendly environment. We then screened a series of short clips from different film genres (action, comedy, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, horror, drama and animation). The children enthusiastically discussed the features of each genre, demonstrating sharp awareness of cinematic elements and storytelling tone. This discussion laid the groundwork for understanding narrative form and audience engagement.
To provide a professional framework for their creativity, a film industry professional introduced the three key stages of filmmaking: pre-production, production and post-production. This segment helped contextualise scriptwriting within the broader filmmaking process and prepared the children to build their own stories from the ground up. Next on the agenda was the heart of the workshop. An exciting group challenge: the children were divided into two genre-based teams : Comedy and Action, and asked to produce a short film script and corresponding storyboard. Each team worked in smaller subgroups using custom-designed REBOOT scriptbooks to build their stories step by step, including introduction, rising action and conclusion. After an energetic session of brainstorming, drawing, plotting and collaborating, the young teams proudly presented their original stories.
A financial incentive, either in the form of a tax credit or a tax rebate, can be granted to productions that shoot most or a significant part of their filming in that country. Financial incentives, when combined with the development of human resources and related infrastructure, have been considered beneficial for the economies of the host countries (Balcerak et al., 2023). Indeed, they are devised to support the development of domestic film industries and increase the attractiveness of a country for foreign film producers (Stachoviak & Stryjakiewicz, 2018). Within the context of film productions, their relocation is facilitated by the standardised nature of the film industry, wherein core skills are uniform and transferable across borders. Moreover, incentives are considered a tool for investment promotion, as they create job opportunities, and can potentially attract film tourism and increase tourism flows (Tóth & Papp-Váry, 2025; Stachoviak & Stryjakiewicz, 2018). While measuring the direct and indirect economic effects of incentive schemes can be challenging, it can be affirmed that the appeal of tax incentives has increased international financial competition, leading to rising percentages of film production incentives (Castendyk, 2018). This global competition has led film producers to relocate their productions to where they can take advantage of the most attractive incentive scheme.
Amid this lively academic environment, the REBOOT project team led its second consecutive children’s workshop on 8 July 2025. The session welcomed 22 children aged 7 to 12 for an interactive exploration of storytelling and scriptwriting, guiding them through the fundamentals of narrative creation and introducing playful, hands-on methods to bring their ideas to life. The workshop, titled “Insights into the World of Filmmaking: How Do You Write a Film Story?”, invited participants to discover the foundations of scriptwriting through group activities, cinematic exploration and creative expression. It forms part of REBOOT’s wider objective: to increase support for young people’s engagement with European film, planting early seeds of curiosity, cultural connection and creative confidence.
The session began with a light-hearted welcome activity: participants introduced themselves and shared their favourite films, establishing a relaxed and friendly environment. We then screened a series of short clips from different film genres (action, comedy, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, horror, drama and animation). The children enthusiastically discussed the features of each genre, demonstrating sharp awareness of cinematic elements and storytelling tone. This discussion laid the groundwork for understanding narrative form and audience engagement.
To provide a professional framework for their creativity, a film industry professional introduced the three key stages of filmmaking: pre-production, production and post-production. This segment helped contextualise scriptwriting within the broader filmmaking process and prepared the children to build their own stories from the ground up. Next on the agenda was the heart of the workshop. An exciting group challenge: the children were divided into two genre-based teams : Comedy and Action, and asked to produce a short film script and corresponding storyboard. Each team worked in smaller subgroups using custom-designed REBOOT scriptbooks to build their stories step by step, including introduction, rising action and conclusion. After an energetic session of brainstorming, drawing, plotting and collaborating, the young teams proudly presented their original stories.
A financial incentive, either in the form of a tax credit or a tax rebate, can be granted to productions that shoot most or a significant part of their filming in that country. Financial incentives, when combined with the development of human resources and related infrastructure, have been considered beneficial for the economies of the host countries (Balcerak et al., 2023). Indeed, they are devised to support the development of domestic film industries and increase the attractiveness of a country for foreign film producers (Stachoviak & Stryjakiewicz, 2018). Within the context of film productions, their relocation is facilitated by the standardised nature of the film industry, wherein core skills are uniform and transferable across borders. Moreover, incentives are considered a tool for investment promotion, as they create job opportunities, and can potentially attract film tourism and increase tourism flows (Tóth & Papp-Váry, 2025; Stachoviak & Stryjakiewicz, 2018). While measuring the direct and indirect economic effects of incentive schemes can be challenging, it can be affirmed that the appeal of tax incentives has increased international financial competition, leading to rising percentages of film production incentives (Castendyk, 2018). This global competition has led film producers to relocate their productions to where they can take advantage of the most attractive incentive scheme.
Story Highlights
The Action group created a thrilling story about a group of friends who, while running from the police, fall into a bin and discover a laser-shooting skateboard. This magical skateboard transports them first to the moon, then to the distant planet Xylus. There, their rocket explodes, leaving them stranded until the skateboard returns and teleports them safely home.
The Comedy group spun a whimsical tale of Yann, a curious character who falls into a bin while searching for coins and finds the same enchanted skateboard. It shrinks her down and transports her to a mystical forest where she encounters a giant owl goddess. The story ends on a playful cliffhanger as the owl prepares to strike.
Following the presentations, we spoke with the children to hear their reflections. When asked if they could imagine themselves working in film one day, responses varied. Some voiced clear enthusiasm for acting, directing, scripting or editing, while others imagined film as a future hobby. One participant remarked, “I want to be an athlete, but maybe I could do this as a second job.” Another shared a dream of becoming a set designer. When asked what they would need to pursue filmmaking, many children mentioned access to cameras and equipment, while others pointed to the importance of user-friendly software and online tutorials as entry points.
Each child received a personalised REBOOT scriptbook and an official attendance certificate of their creative experience and tools to encourage continued storytelling exploration. This workshop with children aligns closely with REBOOT’s commitment to creating listening spaces where young participants can actively express their creativity and contribute to knowledge production. It reflects an approach to education and cultural engagement that recognises children as informed social actors, ensuring that their ideas are integrated directly into the research process rather than filtered exclusively through adults’ interpretations of their experiences, a long-standing limitation in mainstream practice (Montreuil et al., 2021).
Beyond a one-day event, the workshop was a meaningful introduction to the storytelling process, a boost to collaborative and artistic skills and a vivid example of how early engagement can foster lifelong interest in European film and media. This workshop was made possible thanks to the dedication and passion of its facilitators: K. Sarikakis, A. Chatziefraimidou, S. Haslauer, G. Ramadani and film industry professional Y.S.C. Zogo. A glimpse of children film creations: “3,2,1…and action!” Report on young people's preferences: Young People's Preferences
The Action group created a thrilling story about a group of friends who, while running from the police, fall into a bin and discover a laser-shooting skateboard. This magical skateboard transports them first to the moon, then to the distant planet Xylus. There, their rocket explodes, leaving them stranded until the skateboard returns and teleports them safely home.
The Comedy group spun a whimsical tale of Yann, a curious character who falls into a bin while searching for coins and finds the same enchanted skateboard. It shrinks her down and transports her to a mystical forest where she encounters a giant owl goddess. The story ends on a playful cliffhanger as the owl prepares to strike.
Following the presentations, we spoke with the children to hear their reflections. When asked if they could imagine themselves working in film one day, responses varied. Some voiced clear enthusiasm for acting, directing, scripting or editing, while others imagined film as a future hobby. One participant remarked, “I want to be an athlete, but maybe I could do this as a second job.” Another shared a dream of becoming a set designer. When asked what they would need to pursue filmmaking, many children mentioned access to cameras and equipment, while others pointed to the importance of user-friendly software and online tutorials as entry points.
Each child received a personalised REBOOT scriptbook and an official attendance certificate of their creative experience and tools to encourage continued storytelling exploration. This workshop with children aligns closely with REBOOT’s commitment to creating listening spaces where young participants can actively express their creativity and contribute to knowledge production. It reflects an approach to education and cultural engagement that recognises children as informed social actors, ensuring that their ideas are integrated directly into the research process rather than filtered exclusively through adults’ interpretations of their experiences, a long-standing limitation in mainstream practice (Montreuil et al., 2021).
Beyond a one-day event, the workshop was a meaningful introduction to the storytelling process, a boost to collaborative and artistic skills and a vivid example of how early engagement can foster lifelong interest in European film and media. This workshop was made possible thanks to the dedication and passion of its facilitators: K. Sarikakis, A. Chatziefraimidou, S. Haslauer, G. Ramadani and film industry professional Y.S.C. Zogo. A glimpse of children film creations: “3,2,1…and action!” Report on young people's preferences: Young People's Preferences
Author: Yves Saint Clair Zogo is a junior lecturer at Erasmus University, Rotterdam – the Netherlands, and a research assistant in the REBOOT project.