One year Director's filmmaking school

Create your own film, with our One Year Director's Filmmaking Course that's 50% theory 50% practical

A truly interactive filmmaking course

Straight Curve's filmmaking course is designed to give you an all-round filmmaking experience. This broader perspective gives you the tools you need to excel in both film theory and the practical elements of film making.

Our aim is to teach you not just the practical side of filmmaking, but film language as well. A firm understanding of each element is vital for today's film makers. By the end of the course, not only will you have a firm understanding of and have mastered the practical elements of film making, you will also know how to apply those skills to film theory.

This filmmaking course is interactive, with the theory and practical being taught side by side. Therefore, each step of the way you will be able to apply your practical skills to film theory to test your knowledge and abilities.

By the end of the course you will understand film theory and history, scriptwriting, sound, camera functions and techniques, editing, lighting and SFX makeup. Plus you will be able to effectively convey your story and create your own films realistically within a given budget.

All our teachers work in the film industry and offer all our students teaching based on experience.

Get in touch today by calling 0845 021 4000 for more information or to book your place.

Course Overview

This Director's Course is 50% theory and 50% practical. As filmmakers, it is not enough just to understand the theory behind the industry; you also need knowledge of the technical tool-kit used in the physical construction of your film masterpiece and an understanding of the roles of the technicians who will be working with you.

Explanations and discussions of the practice and theory behind the following aspects of filmmaking (and their associated hardware) will provide you with all the tools you need.

Practical Overview

• Camera
  understanding the functions and techniques of the camera is vital for any filmmaker. To appreciate the aesthetics is to understand how it can be used to convey the essence of your film. You will cover areas including how to use the camera and understanding its functions, aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, focus etc.
• Lighting
  grasping the aesthetics of lighting is vital if you are to successfully convey emotion and tension in your film.
• Sound
  sound is one of the most important aspects of filmmaking. This section of the course will teach you how to use sound and sound equipment.
• SFX Make-up
  SFX make-up isn't something ordinarily found on filmmaking courses. However learning how to create the effect of bruising, cuts, burns and scars will help you create a dimension so often lacking in low budget film production where professional make-up artists are not available.
• Scriptwriting
  only by understanding how films are written and put together, you can really appreciate how they work. During this section of the course, you will learn how the scriptwriting process serves as a tool, both as a practical aid and route-map for creative story development. You will be using Chris Knowles' 'Scriptrite' and 'Scriptspine', a unique script writing tool which helps you understand, construct and develop a story. Straight Curve has exclusive rights to this software therefore it is not available on any other filmmaking course.
  
  You will cover the following elements in Scriptwriting:
  • The Business of scriptwriting
  • Ideas to Outline
  • Laying our an idea for a story
  • The 3 act structure
  • Advanced story structure
  • Characters, who they are and how they work
  • Story structure: Classic and non-classic narratives
  • Dialogue
• Pre-production
  here you will learn to apply the practical aspects of pre-production such as logistics, scheduling, shooting script, call sheets, release forms, location agreements, budgeting, props-list etc.
• Post-production
  you will learn how to edit using Final Cut Pro Studio. Editing is a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It is where your movie comes together. Learning how to use Final Cut Pro, Sound Track Pro, Motion and Colour you will be able to puzzle together your shots to make scenes, scenes to make sequences and sequences to make your story.

Theory and Film History

Combining theory with practical issues, this section of the course will broaden and deepen your knowledge of both film culture and history, and film theory and analysis.

Theory and Film History Overview

Combining theory with practical issues, this section of the course will broaden and deepen your knowledge of both film culture and history, and film theory and analysis.

You will learn about:

• History of film language and narration
• Genre and authorship
• Aesthetics of cinema
• Theoretical framework
• 110 years of cinema history
• Old Hollywood, New Hollywood, New new Hollywood and International cinema

Production

Planning, logistics, administration - these are all vital aspects of film making. This section will allow you to study and experience the different disciplines and requirements of film production from. These are then applied practically to your projects.

The areas covered are:

• Development
• Pre-production
• Principal photography
• Post production
• Distribution and exhibition

 

Book a place now by calling 0845 021 4000