Shooting Techniques – Frontline Club

Cinematography Saturday course

Charlotte Cook — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 10:00:00 +0000

This one day course will look at the methods to create the best cinematography for factual filming. You will learn a diverse range of considerations and techniques to improve the visual quality of your work. The course is divided into theory and practical learning to understand the concepts behind creating stunning footage through the understanding of cinematography theory and practice.

Morning:

Cinematography theory
Composition and framing
Focus, field of view and depth of field
Rule of thirds and the Golden Rule
Shooting techniques in controlled and uncontrolled environments

Afternoon:

Practical demonstration
Film grammar
Creating cutaways, sequences and narrative framing
Setting up a variety of shots
Moving with the camera
Utlising natural and available lighting.

Saturday 13th August, 10am-5pm

Course Leader:

Mike Dodds has shot over 200 documentaries for the late current affairs series ‘World in Action’, ITN’s ‘This Week’, and documentaries for CBS, ABC and NBC. His media awards include: Royal Television Society (twice) and an Emmy in the US

Interview techniques for Documentary Saturday course

Charlotte Cook — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Politicians and Industry leaders are these days usually well briefed by their PR teams and by specialised behavioural courses in how to conduct an interview with the media. Most audio media journalists working in this area also have learned how prepare and conduct an interview to illicit clear and specific answers to questions of public interest. It can be a cat and mouse game – a testing of egos and reputations which can sometimes betray the primary role of the interviewer/interviewee relationship.

This course will look at the ways that on-camera interviews can be conducted not only in high profile situations as mentioned above but in cases where both interviewer and interviewee have little experience.

Course Leader:

Mike Dodds has worked behind the camera with a great number of interviewers in documentary and current affairs programmes: John Pilger, David Frost and Mike Wallace to name a few.

Saturday 30th July 10am-6pm

Storytelling & Scriptwriting Saturday Course

Charlotte Cook — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +0000

A one-day workshop on understanding the craft skills needed for clear and fluent scriptwriting. The workshop will concentrate on storytelling for news and feature writing in television and radio. Featuring many TV & radio examples and practical exercises. Bring your laptops and be ready to do some writing!

The workshop will be taught by Tira Shubart, news and documentary producer for British, American and Canadian broadcasters for over 25 years. Tira also wrote a comedy on television news, the seven part BBC series “Taking the Flak” as well as extensive print journalism over the years.

Geoffrey Smith Saturday Masterclass

Charlotte Cook — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Geoffrey Smith is the internationally acclaimed director of multi-award winning documentaries The English Surgeon and Presumed Guilty.

This one day course is built largely around participant’s questions, and by screening and analysing his films in detail, Geoffrey will work through the following key areas:

* development of an idea to pitching at forums
* trailers
* financing the project
* packaging the project
* key production decisions and budgeting
* directing choices
* editing and soundtrack
* festivals
* marketing, rights and distribution

Geoffrey’s successful masterclass is guaranteed to save you money by teaching you the most effective ways to handle getting your film to the right people and the right places.

Shooting (Intermediate)

Frontline Club — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:14:05 +0000

The Trainer says…“The Frontline camera and directing courses are an excellent way for people already in media jobs to get the new skills and confidence that are now essential in an evolving and demanding workplace.”

This is a more intensive course teaching new skills and enabling the course member to solidify any previous experience and learn new skills. Participants on the intermediate course cover all the elements of the foundation course at a more advanced, technically detailed level.

In addition the intermediate course includes:
* Creative manipulation of aperture, gain, shutter, and white balance for special shooting situations
* The camera’s extended menus and creative manipulation of colour, saturation, “film look”
Plus:
* Additional practice in shooting for the edit
* Practice with camera movement and shooting sequences

Duration: 1 week
Who it’s for: Those with prior training in camera work and/or experience shooting a finished programme.
Aims: offers all the elements of the foundation course at a more advanced, technically detailed level and will enable course members to develop additional advanced skills
Trainer: Anthony Wood

A previous participants says……“Just to let you know, Daniel’s course was brilliant and I used the training to direct/film a making of patient 17, thriller film. Whilst my interest is documentaries and news reels, directing the special feature and interviewing the actors was brilliant experience.” -Bill Shepherd | Production editor | ESD

Shooting for the Web

Charlotte Cook — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Participants will learn how to confidently shoot interviews and sequences with lightweight digital cameras and gain an understanding of the technology and terminology of web video. This will enable attendees to communicate effectively with an audience as well as other multi media professionals.

Participants on this course may be eligible to receive funding (of 80% of the costs up to £800) through Skillset’s Multiplatform Bursary Scheme. Please visit www.skillset.org/multiplatformbursaries to check availability and see if you are eligible.

Price: £750

Shooting (Foundation)

Frontline Club — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:16:59 +0000

The Trainer says… “Whatever your level of experience, be it a complete beginner, or an experienced journalist wishing to broaden your range of skills, this course will give you the fundamental technical knowledge in camera use, sound and composition to confidently shoot your own film.”

The Foundation course offers a thorough introduction designed for people with little or no previous hands-on experience with professional video cameras. Through daily practical exercises and regular feedback, course members learn:

* Camera setup and skills overview – aperture, gain, shutter and white balance
* Understanding the lens
* Composition and aesthetics
* Introduction to sound basics
* Introduction to lighting principles
* Understanding editing concepts
* Shooting for the edit
* Daily practical exercises
* Regular feedback and critique of exercises

Duration: One week
Who it’s for: People with little or no previous hands-on experience with pro video cameras.
Trainer: Richard Parry
Aims: This course will equip you with all the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to film and direct a story.

A previous participant says… “The trainer’s passion, knowledge and teaching methods have really inspired me to develop my camera skills a lot further than i had originally thought I would do.”

Solo Video Journalism (Foundation)

Frontline Club — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:30:00 +0000

The Trainer says…….“The approach to all classes are “hands-on”, and through classroom presentations, daily practical exercises and regular feedback, students are continually reinforcing and building upon their skills. The atmosphere is constructive, non-competitive with learning to work as a team an essential part of the learning process, though the small class size assures individual attention, tailored to each students needs.”

With increasing demands on journalists to be multi-skilled and be able to shoot video themselves, these courses gives instruction on working as an independent, solo broadcaster. These courses havebeen developed in response to the increasing demands on journalists to become multi-skilled and embrace the rise of video journalism. Taught using a mixture of theory, hands-on practical training and constructive feedback, the course runs in two different formats. Solo Video Journalism is taught intensively over two straight weeks whereas the Condensed Solo Video Journalism is split into four weekends so that it is accessible to those working journalists and budding broadcasters who are keen to upgrade their skills, but can’t give up the day job while they do it!

The Solo Video Journalism and the condensed solo video journalism are both taught at Foundation level, which requires no prior camera experience or specific knowledge to attend. Intermediate level; aimed at those with some previous training in camera work and/or experience shooting a finished programme.

The course contains two main elements:
* Camera craft and shooting sequences for the edit – combines theory and practical daily shooting exercises with regular feedback and critique
* Editing with Final Cut Pro – taking the rushes generated while shooting participants learn how to create final rough cuts

Duration Full Course: Two weeks 9.30am – 5.30pm every day
Duration Condensed: over 5 days
Who it’s for: Condensed solo video journalism is for those unable to attend the two week course The two week Solo Video Journalism course takes the extra time to explore how to write for broadcast and publish the finished videos online.
Aims: To equip journalists at all levels with the skills to they need to embrace the rise of video journalism
Trainers: Anthony Wood and Simon Ruben

A previous participant says….“The trainer’s war-reporting experience transferred seamlessly to suit my tennis PR needs. The learning curve really ramped up in the second week when we all had our own edit suite. The course is brilliant for forward-thinking photographers and even non-journalists who want to learn how to work on their feet while filming in conflict zones.”