This BBC News Arabic investigation filmed undercover in Baghdad and Karbala – some of Iraq’s holiest shrines – exposes a secret world of sexual exploitation of children and young women by a religious elite. Muslim clerics are grooming vulnerable girls and pimping them out, using a controversial religious practice, illegal under Iraq law, called ‘pleasure marriage’.  This allows a man to pay for a temporary wife, but is being used by some clerics to exploit women and children for money. A young mother widowed by an ISIS bomb alleges she became the victim of a prostitution ring run by a senior cleric.  Some clerics are captured on camera offering girls for sale in pleasure marriages and giving religious advice on sexual acts with children that are supposedly permitted during pleasure marriages.

The 60 minute film screening will be followed by a discussion/Q&A with reporter Nawal Al-Maghafi and the film’s production team.

Speakers/Production Team:

Reporter, Producer Nawal Al-Maghafi is an Award-Winning BBC Special Correspondent who specialises on the Middle East.

Producer, Director Patrick Wells is a BAFTA-winning documentary producer/director specialising in foreign affairs.

Producer Mais Albayaa is an investigative journalist with more than 16 years of experience. She started working in Iraq after the invasion in 2003 and has covered Iraq, Syria and other countries in the Middle East for the Guardian, C4 and the BBC.

The perfect course for those looking for a fast-paced but thorough crash-course in editing with Final Cut Pro X (FCPX).    This two-day workshop will teach you everything you need to know to master what has become the most affordable and popular editing software for journalists and filmmakers. We will show you how to import and organise your media, create a rough cut, trim and cut, add music/effects/titles and voice over, colour correct and export for multiple platforms. This practical, two day course will cover:

• Importing/transcoding files, creating events, keywords, grouping clips reviewing media and marking
• Sequencing clips: Magnetic timeline, adding clips to the timeline, clip timing, auditioning, story lines and compound clips
• Adjusting video: Speed, scaling, cropping, distorting, keyframing and text
• Music and audio: Editing/enhancement and recording voiceover
• Effects: Template effects, adjusting effects, colour correction, auto balancing/matching colour and manual correction
• Sharing: Quicktime/Apple devices/Vimeo/Youtube and Compressor

This course assumes no prior knowledge or experience in editing.   Praise for previous workshops:

• “As a teacher, I can sincerely say that Simon is a way above par educator. Aside from his comprehensive expertise on the subject, the clarity and structure with which he presented the course, ensured that I took in as much as was possible. . . . It was worth every penny – thank you!”
• “Simon is the best teacher that I ever, ever had. He gave absolutely clear, understandable explanations and answered all my silly questions!”
• “Simon is an outstanding trainer! I have been on several technical courses and this is definitely the best! Great if you like fast-paced learning.”

About the trainer: Simon Ruben is an award winning editor and video trainer with over 15 years experience. He has designed and delivered popular courses for the Frontline Club since 2007. Simon has also tailored courses for FT.com, Save The Children, The Telegraph, KPMG, Accenture, Medecins Sans Frontiers, LV, Soho Editors and the NUJ. Please note:  The Frontline Club will provide media with which to practice editing. However, we strong recommend that you bring your own Mac laptop with the following installed software in order to get the most out of the workshop.

• Final Cut Pro X version 10.4 can be purchased here.
• A fully functioning 30-day trail version can also be downloaded for free here.
• Please note, Final Cut Pro X is not compatible with Windows/PCs.
• You will need to have OS X v10.11.4 or later installed on your Mac. You can download the latest OS, High Mojave here.
• In order to maximise training time, it is essential that the software is installed and operational before the course starts.
• Please ensure that your iCloud settings are switched off the default in order that you can work off your computer’s desktop without files being automatically copied to iCloud. See this page for help in doing this.

From finding yourself in the midst of a civil war to working undercover in a Chinese criminal gang, this one-day workshop will introduce you to life as an investigative human rights reporter or researcher.

Whether you are looking to start out in human rights investigating, want to shift your journalism focus to a more investigative bent, or simply have a critical mind, this session will give you the tools to help set up and pitch investigations; from filing a Freedom of Information request to being aware of the ethical implications of using subterfuge.

Importantly, it will also teach you how to have one of the most rewarding jobs in the world and how to survive doing it.

What the workshop will cover:

• The Life of a Human Rights Investigator – the current state of journalism and NGOs.
• How to survive as an Investigative researcher / reporter – how to pitch ideas and make a mark.
• Tools of the Trade: Freedom of Information requests
• Tools of the Trade: Computer Assisted Reporting
• Cultivating sources : interviewing & handling whistleblowers
• Undercover: Practicalities, Ethics & Experiences

The workshop will be led by award-winning investigative journalist Iain Overton.  Overton has conducted investigations into areas that include counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry, UK deaths in custody, corporate killings in Iraq, and Glasgow gang-land murders linked to security contracts. His work has been recognized with a Peabody Award,  two Amnesty International Awards, a OneWorld Award, a Prix Circom, a BAFTA Scotland and 3 RTS nominations, amongst others. He is the author of ‘Gun Baby Gun: a bloody journey into the world of the gun’ (shortlisted for a Dagger award) and ‘The Price of Paradise: how the suicide bomber shaped the modern age’, and is the Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence – a research charity that investigates the arms trade.

Here’s what participants had to say about Iain’s previous workshops at the club:

“Really well done – the workshop was rich with practical knowledge.”

“I enjoyed Iain’s wealth of direct experience of what he talked about and of course his passion.”

“This workshop has stretched me to think and pause in amongst the creative process. It was a good combination of practical advice and encouragement to do great human rights investigations.”

“It was inspiring and honest.”

This essential, one-day workshop will equip journalists, filmmakers, producers and editors with the digital tools and knowledge needed to protect themselves, their stories and their sources in a hostile digital environment. No prior experience is necessary.

More and more people are now using their smartphones to shoot and create stories whether they are for a short film, multimedia/journalism or corporate content.

This workshop is a hands-on experience which you take you through how to record video and audio, edit your footage and export the content online or social media. During the course you will also get a chance to use a variety of microphones, grips and tripods.

The workshop will cover the following:

• Learn how to record audio and use a microphone to get the best sound
• Shoot video interviews and learn how to frame the subject correctly using well established cinematography techniques
• Shoot voxpops, point-of-view shots, action shots
• Use your smartphone to film establishing shots and cutaway shots
• Learn how to use natural lighting as a key light to model and illuminate the subject
• Use good interview technique and learn how to edit for the sound
• Take photographs and learn how to use picture composition and rule of thirds
• Learn how to edit your clips on the smartphone and create a video news story
• Launch video news stories online and blogs using social media sites.

Before the course, we will contact participants to find out what type of smartphone they’ll bring to the course and to provide a list of apps to download before the workshop. The majority of these are free, but the list may include a couple of paid-for apps. These should not come to more that £20 in total.

About the trainer:
The course tutor, Bill Shepherd teaches mobile and video journalism using smartphones and mirrorless cameras at billshepherdmedia.com. He is a member of the National Union of Journalists, the Guild of Television Camera Professionals and he is also a production editor at The Guardian and The Observer.

Image: via Shutterstock / drpnncpptak

masterclass 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

drinks and Q&A with Sean 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Ticket: £40 (incl. a drink)

BAFTA Nominee documentary filmmaker Sean Langan is joining us for an evening’s masterclass. He will be discussing his documentary filmmaking process while sharing invaluable insights on how to best navigate between getting access, storytelling and getting your film out there. The masterclass is followed by a practical and informal Q&A and drinks (one drink is on the house) – Sean likes to call this session: ‘No compromise till Brooklyn’!

Langan made his name by travelling to many of the world’s trouble-spots – dangerous and volatile environments noted for war, conflict and civil unrest armed with nothing more than a camera.His personal style of filmmaking has been hugely successful with films such as Langan Behind The lines, Fighting The Taliban, Meeting The Taliban and Afghan Ladies’ Driving School being fine examples of his work. Born in 1964 Sean has been making documentaries since 1997; His first film Video Diaries: Nightmare In Paradise saw him investigate the kidnapping of two British tourists in Kashmir. He joined the relatives of these missing men, who didn’t know if their sons were alive or dead, following them as they took to the streets looking for information and recording their every move with his camera. He recorded his own thoughts and investigation into the pair’s disappearance in a diary format.

*All tickets include a light lunch

More and more people are now using their smartphones to shoot and create stories whether they are for a short film, multimedia/journalism or corporate content. This workshops is a hands-on experience which you take you through how to record video&audio, edit your footage and immediately export the content online or social media. During the course you will also get a chance to test different add-ons for your smartphone: recording mic, image stabilisers etc.

The workshop will cover the following:

• Learn how to record audio interviews and use a microphone to get the best sound
• Shoot video interviews and learn how to frame the subject correctly using well established cinematography techniques
• Film voxpops, point-of-view shots, action shots and film multiple interviewees
• Use your smartphone to film establishing shots and cutaway shots
• Learn how to use natural lighting as a key light to model and illuminate the subject
• Use good interview technique and learn how to edit for the sound
• Take photographs and learn how to use picture composition and rule of thirds
• Learn how to edit your clips on the smartphone and create a video news story
• Launch video news stories online and blogs using social media sites.

Before the course, we will contact participants to find out what type of smartphone they’ll bring to the course and with a list of apps to download before the workshop. The majority of these are free, but the list will include a couple of paid-for apps. These should not come to more that £20 in total. Also, on the day

About the trainer
Bill Shepherd is a production editor at The Guardian and The Observer newspapers. He is a member of the National Union of Journalists and a member of the Guild of Television Professionals.

Image: via Shutterstock / drpnncpptak

*Tickets include lunch

A day long workshop that covers some of the basic production skills that can help you create high quality original content for your podcast that will make you stand out in the crowd. Deborah Dudgeon and David Prest, of award winning audio producers, Whistledown, will dissect what makes a successful podcast, how to plan it and put it together, and explain some of the simple marketing tools that can ensure your podcast reaches its audience.

Over the course of the day you will:

– listen to some great podcasts and work out what makes them successful, as well as what doesn’t work so well
– script an introduction to your own podcast
– learn how to plan your podcast, work out a format and running order
– get advice on selecting the right presenter(s) and guests
– experiment with microphone use and how to capture good quality sound
– understand rights issues and financing
– learn how to reach your audience
– and ultimately make your own 5-minute podcast to take home.

About the trainers:

David Prest and Deborah Dudgeon of Whistledown Productions will teach the course. Whistledown is the largest provider of speech programmes to BBC Radio, providing landmark series such as Radio 4’s The Reunion, and Feedback, as well as a wide range of features and documentaries. Whistledown also works with universities and commercial clients to make podcasts and audio guides.

Image: via Shutterstock / MAFord

“Most of us find our own voices only after we’ve sounded like a lot of other people.”  Neil Gaiman

Many aspiring writers experience the frustration of not being able to bring a good idea to successful completion. Often, the problem is not the idea itself but the writer’s lack of confidence in their ability to find the right “voice”. Would that noirish thriller actually work better as a witty romcom? Might a writer’s memoir work better if they removed those lyrical passages in favour of a spare, simple style that comes more naturally?

“Don’t go into great detail describing places and things, unless you’re Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don’t want descriptions that bring the flow of the story to a standstill.”  Elmore Leonard

This practical one-day workshop, led by Emmy-nominated screenwriter and journalist Hugh Costello, is aimed at writers who have a project they are passionate about but who feel stuck, stymied or becalmed – and are determined to do something about it. The workshop sets out to unlock each writers’ natural writing style, and helps them to choose a genre and tone that works with their voice.

In the course of the day, participants will experiment with a variety of styles. They will be given a series of fun and motivational exercises to identify their strengths and weaknesses as writers, then encouraged to apply what they have learned to an idea of their own. The group will work together to brainstorm the options and act as advisors on each other’s projects. Hugh will provide expert tips on how to improve and sharpen a text, such as following the golden rule that ‘less is more’, putting extra effort into planning the structure of your work, and writing dialogue that feels real and messy rather than neat and grammatical.

The workshop will also provide inspiring, enlightening and sometimes surprising examples of how successful writers grappled with the problem of voice and reinvented themselves. The aim is to send each writer home with a new clarity and sense of purpose that will kickstart their work in progress.

“I find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am.”  Kurt Vonnegut

About the trainer:

Hugh Costello’s work spans several genres. He’s an Emmy nominated writer for film and TV, an acclaimed audio dramatist, a journalist for print and broadcast, a biographer and a short story writer. He has run many workshops, at the Frontline Club and elsewhere, aimed at giving participants the tools with which to write to a professional standard.

*The tickets include lunch

About the trainer

Image via Shutterstock