This two-day course gives an overview of the Canon EOS C100 Mark II camera and is particularly focused on anyone wanting to self-shoot magazine-style films, web docs or corporate videos.

Through a series of modules, you will learn how to shoot video with the EOS C100 Mark II, how to deal with sound, lighting and movement. You will look at different styles of shooting, comparing treatment types and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of directed filmmaking against more ‘organic’, ‘run and gun’-style filmmaking.

We will explore structuring a magazine-style shoot and a corporate shoot, finding the message and discussing how to deal with corporate clients and what contracts or arrangements we should draw up.

You will also look at story structure, how the ultimate narrative of the film is achieved through editing techniques, and how that narrative should inform how we shoot. You will look at what qualities make a film compulsive and go viral and how you can incorporate those techniques in your shooting.

More than anything else this is a two-day shot-in-the-arm for independent videographers, useful to both beginners and those already shooting with an EOS C100 Mark II, or similar type cameras, who want to improve their skills or make better films. It is also ideal for anyone wanting to take the next step on from DSLR filmmaking.

Places on this workshop are strictly limited. If you already own a Canon EOS C100 Mark II please do bring it with you, but Canon are kindly supplying a number of cameras which participants can use on the course.

About the trainer
Dean Arnett is an award-winning, self-shooting producer, with 23 years’ experience. After many years working for the BBC, he is now freelance, shooting documentaries, corporates and TV features with a variety of cameras, all around the world. He also provides training for the BBC, PA, Archant and other media groups.

Supported by

The panel consisted of award-winning filmmakers Liam Saint-Pierre, Chloe White, Marc Silver, and Gemma Atkinson, with documentary programmer and DocHouse producer Jenny Horwell moderating the discussion. 

The discussion began with an overview of techniques and inspirations from each filmmaker – and it was soon evident that the speakers did not stick to any unchangeable formula in their work.

“There is no process for when I’m making films,” Silver said, with White adding that he views himself as “more of a spontaneous filmmaker.”

Atkinson said: “I let the character dictate what direction the film goes in, rather than going into it with a big plan, which means it can go in any direction.”

“It has been quite nice to hear the others tonight, often I thought it was just me who was so haphazard!,”commented Saint-Pierre.

Great to see such a talented, eloquent bunch of documentary makers at @frontlineclub. Time I dusted off the camera. pic.twitter.com/JXSRVQbox4

— Peter Yeung (@ptr_yeung) February 15, 2016

Although there was a general consensus that the creative process should not be formulaic, three elements were highlighted for their significance at the start of a project: inspiration by way of specific characters, places, and issues.

“I like characters who are really passionate about something, and they are kind of on the edge of society,” said Saint-Pierre, as he explained how he found the shopkeeper around whom his first film centred.

Silver added: “for me, the place is a character. It’s not just the people, but also the essence of a place.”

Each of the panellists agreed that they aimed to spend as much time as possible with their subjects. Silver explained that on a five-day shoot, he would try and spend the first two days with his subjects without his camera. “I might take a stills camera, just for fun. But I’ve learnt from the past that I don’t need to over-shoot – and also I need to get past the first layer with that person and gain trust.”

However, the panel also reflected on how working with tight budgets and shorter timelines meant that the aim of spending significant time with their subjects was often unrealistic.

Horwell then moved the discussion onto one of the final stages of short documentary production: the editing process.

She asked the filmmakers to comment on their top tips for this stage, and how they avoid common mistakes.

“Hold the shot for longer than you plan. Whatever time you are holding it for, add an extra 5-10 seconds” Atkinson advised.

White agreed, and cemented the point with an extended clip from her film The Long Haul: “At the time I didn’t know that shot would be so useful, but trusting your shots and holding them for a long time, you’ll be thankful when it comes to the edit.”

Saint-Pierre added that for him “it was a matter of the character; you don’t want to turn the camera off. Often I’ve done it and then missed an amazing moment.”

The conversation did not run chronologically through the filmmaking process due to the non-linear nature of short documentary production – as Horwell had predicted – and the discussion touched on subjects including the use of ‘playful’ introductions, to how to best distribute your content online.

This two-day course gives an overview of the Canon EOS C100 Mark II camera and is particularly focused on anyone wanting to shoot money-making, magazine-style films or corporate videos.

Through a series of modules, you will learn how to shoot video with the EOS C100 Mark II, how to deal with sound, lighting and movement. You will look at different styles of shooting, comparing treatment types and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of directed filmmaking against more ‘organic’, ‘run and gun’-style filmmaking.

We will explore structuring a magazine-style shoot and a corporate shoot, finding the message and discussing how to deal with corporate clients and what contracts or arrangements we should draw up.

You will also look at story structure, how the ultimate narrative of the film is achieved through editing techniques, and how that narrative should inform how we shoot. You will look at what qualities make a film compulsive and go viral and how you can incorporate those techniques in your shooting.

More than anything else this is a two-day shot-in-the-arm for independent videographers, useful to both beginners and those already shooting with an EOS C100 Mark II, or similar type cameras, who want to improve their skills or make better films. It is also ideal for anyone wanting to take the next step on from DSLR filmmaking.

Places on this workshop are strictly limited. If you already own a Canon EOS C100 Mark II please do bring it with you, but Canon are kindly supplying a number of cameras which participants can use on the course.

About the trainer
Dean Arnett is an award-winning, self-shooting producer, with 23 years’ experience. After many years working for the BBC, he is now freelance, shooting documentaries, corporates and TV features with a variety of cameras, all around the world. He also provides training for the BBC, PA, Archant and other media groups.

Supported by

This two-day course gives an overview of DSLR and larger sensor Canon cameras for video and filmmaking, detailing in particular the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR camera.

Through a series of modules, you will learn how to shoot video with the EOS 7D Mark II, how to deal with sound, lighting and movement. You will look at different styles of shooting, comparing treatment types and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of directed filmmaking against more ‘organic’, ‘run-and-gun’ style filmmaking.

You will also look at story structure, how the ultimate narrative of the film is achieved through editing techniques, and how that itself should inform how we shoot. You will look at what qualities make a film compulsive and go viral and how you can incorporate those techniques in your shooting.

More than anything else this is a two-day shot-in-the-arm for DSLR moviemakers, useful to both beginners and those already shooting with a 7D, who want to improve their skills or make better films.

Places on this workshop are strictly limited. If you already own a Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR please do bring it with you, but Canon are kindly supplying a number of cameras which participants can use on the course.

About the trainer
Dean Arnett is an award-winning, self-shooting producer, with 23 years’ experience. After many years working for the BBC, he is now freelance, shooting documentaries, corporates and TV features with a variety of cameras, all around the world. He also provides training for the BBC, PA, Archant and other media groups.

Supported by

This two-day course gives an overview of the Canon EOS C100 Mark II camera and is particularly focused on anyone wanting to shoot money-making, magazine-style films or corporate videos.

Through a series of modules, you will learn how to shoot video with the EOS C100 Mark II, how to deal with sound, lighting and movement. You will look at different styles of shooting, comparing treatment types and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of directed filmmaking against more ‘organic’, ‘run and gun’-style filmmaking.

We will explore structuring a magazine-style shoot and a corporate shoot, finding the message and discussing how to deal with corporate clients and what contracts or arrangements we should draw up.

You will also look at story structure, how the ultimate narrative of the film is achieved through editing techniques, and how that narrative should inform how we shoot. You will look at what qualities make a film compulsive and go viral and how you can incorporate those techniques in your shooting.

More than anything else this is a two-day shot-in-the-arm for independent videographers, useful to both beginners and those already shooting with an EOS C100 Mark II, or similar type cameras, who want to improve their skills or make better films. It is also ideal for anyone wanting to take the next step on from DSLR filmmaking.

Places on this workshop are strictly limited. If you already own a Canon EOS C100 Mark II please do bring it with you, but Canon are kindly supplying a number of cameras which participants can use on the course.

About the trainer
Dean Arnett is an award-winning, self-shooting producer, with 23 years’ experience. After many years working for the BBC, he is now freelance, shooting documentaries, corporates and TV features with a variety of cameras, all around the world. He also provides training for the BBC, PA, Archant and other media groups.

Supported by

This two-day course gives an overview of DSLR and larger sensor Canon cameras for video and filmmaking, detailing in particular the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR camera.

Through a series of modules, you will learn how to shoot video with the EOS 7D Mark II, how to deal with sound, lighting and movement. You will look at different styles of shooting, comparing treatment types and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of directed filmmaking against more ‘organic’, ‘run-and-gun’ style filmmaking.

You will also look at story structure, how the ultimate narrative of the film is achieved through editing techniques, and how that itself should inform how we shoot. You will look at what qualities make a film compulsive and go viral and how you can incorporate those techniques in your shooting.

More than anything else this is a two-day shot-in-the-arm for DSLR moviemakers, useful to both beginners and those already shooting with a 7D, who want to improve their skills or make better films.

Places on this workshop are strictly limited. If you already own a Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR please do bring it with you, but Canon are kindly supplying a number of cameras which participants can use on the course. 

About the trainer:

Dean Arnett is an award-winning, self-shooting producer, with 23 years’ experience. After many years working for the BBC, he is now freelance, shooting documentaries, corporates and TV features with a variety of cameras, all around the world. He also provides training for the BBC, PA, Archant and other media groups. Dean is currently in production on three documentaries, which he is shooting on a Canon C300.

Supported by

This two-day course gives an overview of DSLR and larger sensor Canon cameras for video and filmmaking, detailing in particular the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR camera.

Through a series of modules, you will learn how to shoot video with the EOS 7D Mark II, how to deal with sound, lighting and movement. You will look at different styles of shooting, comparing treatment types and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of directed filmmaking against more ‘organic’, ‘run-and-gun’ style filmmaking.

You will also look at story structure, how the ultimate narrative of the film is achieved through editing techniques, and how that itself should inform how we shoot. You will look at what qualities make a film compulsive and go viral and how you can incorporate those techniques in your shooting.

More than anything else this is a two-day shot-in-the-arm for DSLR moviemakers, useful to both beginners and those already shooting with a 7D, who want to improve their skills or make better films.

Places on this workshop are strictly limited. If you already own a Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR please do bring it with you, but Canon are kindly supplying a number of cameras which participants can use on the course. 

About the trainer:

Dean Arnett is an award-winning, self-shooting producer, with 23 years’ experience. After many years working for the BBC, he is now freelance, shooting documentaries, corporates and TV features with a variety of cameras, all around the world. He also provides training for the BBC, PA, Archant and other media groups. Dean is currently in production on three documentaries, which he is shooting on a Canon C300.

Supported by

Join us for an intensive two-day introduction to video journalism. You will learn the essential skills needed to film and edit your own material to a broadcast standard.

Using your own camera and editing equipment, we will guide you through the very best techniques for storytelling for television and video.

The course is a combination of classroom-based teaching and practical exercises. You will be given instruction on how to use cameras effectively, shooting sequences, framing and location filming. Throughout the course you will receive detailed feedback on your work and tips and pointers on how to improve, by trainers who are experts in their field.

The course will be delivered by journalists Dean Arnett, Paul Phillips and David Hayward.

Everyone attending the course will need to provide their own camera and editing equipment. However this could be as simple as a smart phone or tablet with video editing apps or a professional camera and laptop editing programme.

The idea of the course is to provide you with the storytelling and film-making knowledge and expertise to produce video journalism. 

About the trainers
Dean is a self-shooting, self-editing producer and video journalist. He has worked all over the world for the BBC and the Discovery Channel. He designs and delivers multi-media training courses for video journalists, self-shooters and multi-media producers.

Paul has 35 years of experience in TV news, much of it at a senior level. He was executive producer of Sky News and editor on the BBC’s News Channel. Until March 2013, he was the TV News Skills editor with the BBC’s College of Journalism.

David is a journalist, writer and media consultant. He worked at the BBC for 18 years as a reporter, producer, senior editor and head of the Journalism Programme at the BBC College of Journalism. He has a strong track record of leading teams at the forefront of the BBC’s move into multi-skilled, multi-media working. He ran the BBC’s local TV pilot in the West Midlands and was TV editor at the first BBC newsroom staffed fully by video journalists.

Images: Haider Y. Abdulla / Shutterstock.com; Arch Media Partners

This one-day workshop will teach you how to make the most of lighting interviews, pieces to camera and talking heads. It is aimed at journalists, self-shooting producers and other filmmakers using DSLRs or small cameras.

This workshop will be equip you with an understanding of the role of lighting in creating good television pictures. You will be taught how to use Dedo lamps and the differences between hard and soft light sources. You will gain an appreciation of how light can ‘sculpt’ a presenter’s face on camera.

You will also learn how to set up simple three-point lighting suitable for shooting an interview or a piece to camera, and be given a simple understanding of colour temperature, camera exposure and of using colour to introduce drama, mood and style.

Participants will be expected to have used a DSLR, broadcast or other DV camera. This workshop is aimed at those with experience of shooting but no previous experience of using lights.

No equipment necessary except a notebook. Please bring with you any examples of good or bad interview lighting that you have spotted on television (bring these along as screenshots on your phone, files on a laptop or email them to peter.price@ppmtelevision.com so that we can share them with the group).

About the trainer
Peter Price specialises in high-end TV production for global audiences on BBC World News. He has recently travelled the world to direct the AIB award-winning My City travel series for BBC World News and BBC.com. In 2012 he directed and produced the Africa Beats and LatAam Beats music performance series for the BBC HD channel. Currently a technology reporter for BBC Click (BBC World News/ BBC 2), he previously produced Digital Planet for World Service radio. Before joining the BBC, Price worked as the lighting designer on two youth musicals at the Edinburgh Fringe and lit countless stage plays, comedies and rock concerts at his school’s 250-seat theatre.

Image via Shutterstock

For the birth of his fourth son, Palestinian villager Emad Burnat bought his first camera. This is also the moment a separation barrier is being built in his village Bil’in. The self-taught cameraman begins filming the events around him – and ends up with five broken video cameras. The footage of each of them tells a different part of the story of his village’s non-violent resistance to the Israeli army.

Despite the pleas from his wife who fears reprisals, Emad keeps on filming. The result is an intensely powerful, first-hand and deeply personal document about one village’s struggle against violence and oppression.

This screening is in partnership with London Open City Docs Fest (21-24 June)

Awards:
World Cinema Direction Award, Sundance 2012
Prix Louis-Marcorelles,, Cinema du Reel 2012
The Stephan Jarl Documentary award, Tempo Film Festival 2012
The Best Director Award, One World Human Rights Film Festival 2012
The Golden Butterfly Award: A Matter of Act Competition, Movies That Matter 2012
Special Jury Award and Audience Award, IDFA 2011

Directed by: Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Year: 2011
Running Time: 90′

In partnership with: