Moviemaking Merit Badge
Four requirements. Requirement 1 is the elements of a good motion picture, discussed and demonstrated. Requirement 2 is the production: a treatment, a storyboard, six shooting techniques, and ONE of three programs planned from a treatment and presented to a pack, troop, patrol or class. Then ONE of a visit to a film set or studio or the zoom lens explained, and ONE of a career or a hobby.
Elective Merit Badges Arts Communication Merit Badges Requirements
The plan behind this
Requirement 2: the production
| part | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 2(a) | a three- or four-paragraph treatment of the story you plan to produce, conveying a visual picture |
| 2(b) | a storyboard for your motion picture; rough sketches and stick figures are fine |
| 2(c) | demonstrate using a tripod, panning a camera, framing a shot, selecting an angle, selecting proper lighting and handheld shooting |
| 2(d) | using motion picture shooting techniques, plan ONE program (below); start with a treatment, and complete it by presenting the program to a pack or your troop, patrol or class |
Requirement 2(d): plan ONE program
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 2(d)(1) | film a court of honor and show it to an audience |
| 2(d)(2) | create a short feature of your own design, using the techniques you learned |
| 2(d)(3) | shoot a vignette that could be used to train a new Scout in a Scouting skill |
Requirements 3 and 4: one of two each
| requirement | the choice |
|---|---|
| 3 | (a) visit a film set or television production studio and watch how production work is done, with your parent or guardian's permission and your counselor's approval; or (b) explain the elements of the zoom lens and three important parts |
| 4 | (a) research one career related to moviemaking and discuss it with your counselor; or (b) moviemaking as a hobby or healthy lifestyle, with your short- and long-term goals |
Requirement 1
Discuss and demonstrate the proper elements of a good motion picture, including visual storytelling, rhythm, the 180-axis rule, camera movement, framing and composition of camera shots, and lens selection.
What this page is
The Moviemaking merit badge, drawn so the production of requirement 2 is drawn in order from treatment to presentation, with the program of 2(d), the visit or zoom lens of 3 and the career or hobby of 4 drawn as questions. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Moviemaking Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .