Homemade: Telling Stories of Home with the Tools You Already Have [Class Now Full]

Oct 22 — Dec 10 UCL East, Stratford,

Price £300

Booking Closed

This class is now full. It will return in 2026.

If you have questions please consult our new FAQs page before contacting us.

We have also updated policies for course costs/concessions and bursaries, please see our Terms and conditions.

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HOMEMADE: Telling Stories of Home with the Tools You Already Have

WHAT: An 8-week practical course, either for those completely new to filmmaking or with a little experience from a related background (journalism/vlogging), to learn how to create meaningful stories with the accessible resources, taught in a combination of in-person and online sessions.

WHERE: Some sessions in-person at UCL East, and part online.

ADDRESS: UCL East, Marshgate Building, 7 Sidings St, London E20 2AE.

COURSE LEADER: Run by UCL mentor and professional filmmaker; Ashton John.

WHEN: Wednesday Evenings, 22nd October – 10th December 2025, 6 – 8 PM. (with one exception falling on a Tuesday evening.)

COMMITMENT: 2 hours contact time per week, with 4-6 hours flexible learning.

WHAT YOU GET: contact time with a professional filmmaker and educator, a safe environment to explore ideas, connections with a small group of aspiring filmmakers.

HOW MUCH: £300 | Concessions: £255.00 | UCL Students: £225.00

DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: 5/10/2025

BURSARIES: Bursaries are now closed.

AGES: 18+

Course Overview:

What defines a home, and what resources can we use to explore it?

This 8-week intensive course is open to those from varying backgrounds (completely new or with some experience) to come together and feel a sense of community telling stories about a place, space or group that connects to a sense of home. Using technology and software already available, (such as your smart phone, or a camera you may already have) you will learn how to create compelling documentary stories, that you can continue to work on after the course.

What you will gain

Insight int how to think of new ideas and capture meaningful stories
Transferable skills to the technologies freely available (phones, social media etc)
A practical grounding in entry level videography and editing
An understanding of ways to distribute your films; skills that can be applied across multiple platforms including social media, vlogging and content creation
Final screening and feedback with your peers
Build a community of filmmakers who you can work with

What you will need

Participants should have access to:

Either a smartphone, digital camera or a DSLR camera for filming
Sufficient free space on their phone or camera to store footage
A laptop or computer that can handle basic video editing (minimum 8GB RAM recommended). This should have enough storage, at least 30–50GB of free storage space for saving video files and project files.
Access to free editing software such as DaVinci Resolve (you will be guided through the setup process)

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about the above or would like UCL to help you with the accessing of shooting or editing equipment.

HOME Project

Ashton John is a documentary filmmaker and founder of the Home film project, which explores our connection to home, place, and community through personal stories.

homefilmproject.com

Image from HOME Project, featuring Alice.

Course Breakdown:

Week 1 – [In Person] Wednesday 22nd October

Introduction & Story Foundations

Meet your course leaders and fellow participants. Bring your ideas and your filming kit (smartphone or DSLR). We’ll explore what makes a compelling story, discuss themes of home and community, and help you shape your initial idea into a synopsis. You’ll leave with your first piece of “narrative homework” to begin developing your documentary.

Week 2 – [Online] Wednesday 29th October

Research & Finding Your Story

Deepen your story idea with research and planning. Learn how to approach contributors, build trust with your subjects, and develop your narrative further. We’ll also explore ethical considerations when working with real people and real stories.

Week 3 – [In Person] Wednesday 5th November

Filming Techniques & Interviewing

A hands-on practical session where you’ll learn to work with your own kit. We’ll cover framing, camera settings, lighting, sound, and interviewing techniques. There’ll be time to practice shooting and conducting interviews, with feedback throughout the session.

Week 4 – Tuesday 11th November

Independent Filming Week

This is your chance to begin filming your project. You’ll be capturing footage independently in your own time, with check-in support available via email or video call. Use what you’ve learned to start building your story through real-world filming.

Week 5 – [In Person] Wednesday 19th November

Intro to Editing in DaVinci Resolve

Bring your laptop and your footage — this session introduces you to DaVinci Resolve (free editing software). You’ll learn how to organise your material, sync sound, and begin cutting your first scenes. No prior editing experience required.

Week 6 – [Online] Wednesday 26th November

Shaping the Edit

Now that you’ve begun editing, we’ll work on shaping your story arc. Learn how to sequence scenes, add b-roll, and create narrative flow. You’ll receive peer and tutor feedback on your rough cut and advice on how to move toward your final version.

Week 7 – [In Person, Drop-In] Wednesday 3rd December

Open Edit & 1:1 Feedback

An open studio session for continued editing. Get personalised feedback on your film, troubleshoot technical issues, and refine your project with support from tutors. You can drop in anytime during the session hours.

Week 8 – [In Person] Wednesday 10th December

Final Screening & Celebration

Present your finished short documentary to the group in a supportive screening session at UCL East in Stratford. Receive final feedback and celebrate the completion of your project — and your creative journey over the past eight weeks.

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Testimonials:

“Ashton was great, he was organised, answered all my questions and truly liked how he made huge concepts small and understandable.”

-SPECTRA student, 2025

“10/10, Ashton is a great teacher and makes everything seem easy, he’s available for questions and helps you a lot.”

-SPECTRA student, 2025

This course offers bursary places. Please check our Terms and conditions to see if you are eligible to apply.

If you still have questions relating to our short course programme at UCL/Open City, please get in touch with us via emailing shortcourses@opencitylondon.com

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Short Courses Office Summer Closure

The UCL Short Courses office will be closing for a summer break from Friday the 15th August to Monday the 15th of September 2025.

During this time, you can still make bookings for short courses, but the short courses inbox will not be monitored, and the phoneline will be closed.

If you have questions about the specifics of this course, please contact the course tutor Ashton, at: ashton@ajfilms.co.uk

Tutors

Ashton John

Course Leader

Ashton John is an award-winning Filmmaker, specialising in documentary and commercial films.

Born in Hackney London, his work focuses on documenting diverse communities, everyday people that pass us by exposing audiences from the streets to the personal intimate portraits behind closed doors.

Ashton’s films are about people for people, to inspire change and social awareness.