About Us

Hoop Snake is focused on art & design education. We offer classes on a wide variety of subjects, from game development to podcasting to screenwriting, and keep class sizes small to ensure that we’re actively addressing each student’s needs and interests. Hoop Snake is all about giving kids the skills they need to create the things they’re passionate about.

Every class we teach is built around a simple, three-point educational philosophy:

1. Kids are Smart

I've been teaching for a while now, and the most important thing I've learned is that kids are much, much smarter than people give them credit for. I get frustrated watching summer camps and classes geared toward middle and high school students consistently underestimate what kids are capable of.

I try to build my courses around a fundamental respect for my students, their intelligence, and the things they want to accomplish. It always pays off.

2. Class, Not Camp

I find that a lot of summer camps are meant to give kids the feeling of being a game designer, a screenwriter, or a filmmaker, without really developing the skills those fields require. There’s nothing wrong with that — sometimes that’s exactly what you want — but it can leave students who want to pursue their passions long-term without the foundation they need.

In contrast, our classes are designed to teach kids useful, real-world skills; the exact same skills we'd teach in a class for adults.

3. This is Step One

People don't usually dream about taking classes on screenwriting or game design; they dream about producing award-winning screenplays and best-selling games, and they know that taking a class is an important step toward their ultimate goal.

When we design classes at Hoop Snake, we focus on building a strong foundation for future work. When we teach screenwriting, we also teach students how to submit to film festivals. When we teach podcasting, we also cover release strategies and press kits. Every step of the way, we’re setting students up for the long haul.

Once the course is over, we also offer advanced classes, group workshops, and one-on-one tutoring to help students further develop their skills.

Location

Wait, hold on, what’s a Hoop Snake?

A Hoop Snake is a mythical creature written about in Henry H. Tryon’s Fearsome Critters of the Lumberwoods, a book of bizarre creatures Tryon collected from American folklore and his own imagination. Supposedly, it’s a snake that bites its own tail and rolls down hills as a way to surprise its prey.

While most of Tryon’s Fearsome Critters were always understood to be entirely fictional, the Hoop Snake is one of the few with several recorded sightings. One of those sightings, recorded in J. F. D. Smyth’s 1784 book Tour in the U.S.A., Volume One, was right here in Wake County!

There’s actually a trust at a bank in New York for the first person to prove they exist — about $10,000 plus a century or so of interest. I think it’s probably safe to say that the money will never be collected, but I’m always really drawn to stories like this. I love the idea that there’s something magic hidden around us, and that $10,000 reward is a fun reminder that keeping an eye out for strange & unique things can be very rewarding.

I have other questions!

They might be answered on our FAQ page. If not, feel free to get in touch and we’ll answer everything as soon as we can!