Film Making Short Course
Course description
Course overview
The Film Making and Editing Short Course is designed to help students develop their filmmaking, photographic, writing, editing and presentation skills. The course teaches students how to convey what they want to say through the medium of film.
Since the onset of social media and the advances in technology, filmmaking has become part of everyday expression to communicate who and what we are. It's now common to make social media content, film portfolios or 'sizzles' for interviews, presentations or as showreels of previous work. This course teaches you the know-how and skills to convey what you mean to say and how to say it - from concept to upload.
If you're an aspiring film or content maker and need to use film to promote your work or that of others, you'll leave the course with more confidence, critical awareness, technical skills and at least one sizzle reel ready to go live. The tutor will demonstrate various editing techniques which students can try out on their own device with the material shot.
Working collaboratively, the course will develop filmmaking, photographic, writing, editing and presentation skills. Students complete an engaging film portfolio of their best sequences and shots. Some course work will be uploaded onto the St Martins website and gain wide exposure. The course will also facilitate discussion around a variety of media and art forms.
Who this course is for
The course is aimed at anyone who's made films at any level and wants to know how to compile and promote their work further. The focus is on presenting yourself through filmmaking. No experience is necessary but if you have anything you have filmed, we will develop it for your film portfolio.
Key information
Topics covered
- Critical thinking
- Devising templates from existing works
- Storytelling
- Editing
- Presentation skills
- Audience engagement
Learning outcomes
- Developed critical thinking skills to reflect on their work and the work of others
- Worked collaboratively to share ideas
- Learnt various editing and filming techniques
- Learnt and tested their presentation skills in a safe environment
- Created and edited at least one show-reel for their film portfolio, ready to be uploaded
- Seen their work in the larger context of other filmmakers / peers
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance.
Materials
- Students should bring a laptop with editing software so they can edit their work effectively (for example Adobe Premiere Pro, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker or other editing software and apps that students are familiar with)
- A mobile phone or tablet with camera and enough hard drive storage for filming
- Any films or footage that students have previously shot (if available but not essential)
Tutor
Mark Aitken
Mark Aitken is an award-winning documentary practitioner of film, photography, radio, written and spoken word, sound, animation and installation. He's currently completing mixed-media works in Lapland about loss, memory and transformative renewal.
Key past works include 'Neighbourhood of Infinity' about confinement and freedom, the multi-award winning 'Dead when I got here' about a Mexican psychiatric hospital run by its own patients; 'Forest of Crocodiles' about a fearful white South African rural community; 'Until when you die' tracing a Vietnamese refugee's journey home and 'This was Forever' about the loss of a community allotment in London. His photo series 'Sanctum Ephemeral' won the UK National Open Art 2017 and Portrait of Britain 2017 and is permanently installed on-site in London.
Mark was a Kone Arts Fellow at the Helsinki Collegium of Advanced Studies and taught film practice at Goldsmiths for 11 years. He ran a non-profit company that produced over 40 films. Mark holds a PhD by Publication entitled 'Emotional truths in documentary making' from Goldsmiths.
For more information about Mark Aitken's education and work, please visit www.markaitken.org and https://polkadotsonraindrops.jimdofree.com
Book a course
Loading