Summer Film School

Course Details
Content:
The Syllabus lists all the technical and creative aspects covered, so you will learn all about how to make a film, from idea through acquisition to editing, including S35mm, S16mm and digital, but as we are limited in budget and time (many students have to return home immediately after the course ends), the practical is shot and edited on digital. All former students may, and often do, return to shoot on 16mm or 35mm.
Duration: 3 Weeks Full-time plus weekends for your practicals.
Days held: Monday to Friday plus some weekends. Your first weekend may be free, but as you get going on your project, you and your group will need to get together to discuss, plan, script and storyboard your idea, and then shoot and edit, so you'll be kept very busy!!
Times: Daily 10am until very late! We ask you to turn up at around 9.30am on the first day for registration, otherwise we like to make a prompt start at 10am. A typical day is as follows:
10am to 1pm: Technical Session - All the technical things you must understand: Light, Cinematography (How the cameras work and how to load them, Exposure control etc), Digital, Sound etc - see Syllabus for full details.
11.30am to 12noon: Coffee break and choccie biscuits: and opportunity to chat with your new friends.
1pm to 2pm: Lunch. Lots of places to go!
2pm to 4pm: "Creative" Session: After hurting your brain with all the techie things you need to know about making a film, we now move onto the more creative aspects, starting with Film Grammar and then moving onto Screenwriting and Editing etc.
4.15pm to 5.15pm: Drama Session: If you want to direct, then you must learn about acting and how to handle actors.
5.15pm to 6.15pm: Group Session: This is where the class will divide into groups for the practicals. You will then be buzzing with ideas, so need to go away to discuss them. Usually down at the local - "The Druids", which becomes your production office!!
6.30pm to 7.30pm: Dinner break and production planning. Usually at the pub...
7.30 to 9.30/10pm: Back at the Studio for a film, which may be either instructional for just for fun. Not to be missed.
The Film Industry Lunch
On Thursday 21st August you will attend a Film Industry Lunch, which is being held especially for you in Brighton at the Royal Albion Hotel. These are usually held in London, but the August one is now traditionally in Brighton.
A previous guest was actress Madeleine Smith -.We start the day with our usual 10am-11.30am session, and then walk down to the hotel for 12noon, returning in time for the 4pm session. Dress code is smart casual for this event, which is usually attended by many top industry people.
Our special guest for 2007 was actress Judy Cornwall who is so well-known for playing that long-suffering wife of fat slob Onslow in "Keeping up Appearances", although her entry at lists many more impressive films and TV dramas.
A great opportunity for networking, and if you like it, you can attend future industry lunches too, usually held on the third Friday each month.
Course Dates
This year's course starts on Monday 4th August 2008
Fees
The Summer School fee for 2008 is held at £795 and includes your first year's Student Membership subscription to the The Moving Image Society (BKSTS) and the Directors' Guild of Great Britain, a text book, plus the Industry Lunch. So that's less than £250 per week for full-time tuition!
And remember, as with all other courses, time should be allowed for evenings and weekends, when you will be busy with practicals and go home with a very good showreel.