“What I try to achieve in my documentaries is a familiarity, an intimacy with people, in the hope that audiences will respond to them as human beings rather than dismiss them as stereotypes. I think that by focusing on the human drama and trying to tell a story through character rather than communicate facts through interview and voice-over, you can portray more of life’s inherent complexities and contradictions.” – Molly Dineen (in ‘Imagining reality: the Faber book of the documentary’)

On this three-day course students will learn the camera skills needed to shoot and create documentary films. The course is taught through a series of hands-on exercises that increase in complexity over the three days. Students will have access to professional camera and sound equipment for the duration of the course, as well as access to the edit suite for one month following the course.

Course content

Through a mixture of watching filmic examples, shared discussions and a series of camera exercises you’ll learn the following filmmaking skills:

• hand-held shooting technique using a professional video camera
• how to use a tripod
• intelligent use of automatic controls
• getting good sound for interviews
• filming a sequence
• filming uncontrolled action (observational filmmaking)
• filming for the edit
• an introduction to what makes a good documentary “character” and “story”
• an introduction to documentary form

The course is led by filmmaker Jessica Bishopp, who, by using filmic examples and personal work, will go through the editing process with raw material and explain why certain choices were made in bringing together a scene. Together with her editor Xanna Ward Dixon, she will also explore how these thought processes in the edit can impact your choices in pre-production and production filming. 

Who is this course for

This course is suitable for beginners.

There are no prerequisites required to apply for this course.

Benefits of taking this course

Taking this course you’ll

• be taught by a professional documentary filmmaker
• have access to professional camera equipment
• have unique access to a filmmaker, who’ll guide you through how footage can then be used in the edit.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course you’ll have an understanding of how to:

• use a hand-held professional video camera
• get good sound
• film a sequence
• film uncontrolled action
• a basic understanding of what makes a good documentary “character” and “story”
• a basic understanding of the diverse forms of documentary filmmaking

You’ll also have an understanding of what it means to ‘film/shoot for the edit’.

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