Video Production Weekend Course
This training course is now available online. Please visit our online courses page for more details.
Our Video Production Weekend Training Course is an accessible introduction to digital filmmaking techniques, designed to offer individuals and groups a way to rapidly, affordably acquire comprehensive video production skills.
The course is suitable for complete beginners and people with basic video skills from any personal or professional background, and is led by Mark Saunders, a professional filmmaker with decades of industry and teaching experience.
We aim to provide all participants with a solid foundation of practical knowledge: a working understanding of digital cameras, sound recording, interview techniques, filming on location and industry language. The course is hands-on from the start of day one, with a maximum of three people to each camera set up (camera, sound, interviewer) on practical activities.
We strive to instil participants with the transferrable skills and confidence to use a wide range of equipment, and focus on the 'future-proof' principles of video production, which remain constant despite changes in technology and formats.
As our standard, introductory course, the Video Production Weekend attracts a varied crowd. Previously we've taught emerging documentary filmmakers, aspiring 'self-shooter' journalists, photographers, students, hobbyists, and people who want to brush up old skills or improve self-taught techniques.
We receive exemplary feedback from almost all our participants, and many have come back several times to build on their skills in additional courses, or to seek one-to-one help with the video projects they've embarked upon. Some have arranged for us to teach at their universities or institutions.
What you WILL learn on the course
- How to prepare for a shoot
- How to use a digital camera (focus, white balance, aperture, formats etc.)
- How to use microphones
- Framing, types of shots, camera movements, cutaways and other techniques and tips
- How to conduct and shoot an interview
- Shooting on location
- The principles of lighting, both natural and artificial
- Filming to edit
- Legal issues, permissions and copyrights
What you WON'T learn
- Post-production (editing): to learn the entire digital filmmaking process from start to finish please take our Four Day Filmmaking Course, or you could book an editing session in addition to the weekend course.
The online version of this course is split into modules. Please visit Video Production online course for details.