Program Overview

Eight-Week Documentary Filmmaking

Overview

The Eight-Week Documentary Filmmaking (full-time) course is ideal for students who want to bring their passion and ideas for a documentary to life and require training in technical and creative filmmaking skills. The course culminated in the production of your own short documentary film. This course is suitable for beginners, no previous experience is required.

Why Take the Course?

Eight-Week from Documentary Filmmaking is an intensive and practical course that equips students with the fundamental skills and focuses on the challenges of the documentary genre, such as working with people and filming reality. Designed to improve students understanding, knowledge and practice in the following areas:

• an understanding of the current context of documentary filmmaking based on the history of the documentary genre and its different forms
• the ability to research effectively, and to develop, structure and pitch your ideas with the potential market and audience in mind
• knowledge and skills to operate a digital camera, sound recording, light a scene and use editing software
• an appreciation of the importance of narrative and storytelling in documentary filmmaking and developing a voice as a documentary storyteller.

What you will study

The following list is an overview of the topics and themes covered in Eight-Week Documentary Filmmaking.

The Factual Landscape

Students examine what is meant by the term ‘factual programming’ and how to generate and develop factual content such as single documentary, constructed documentary, fixed rig and formats. Students will be analysing and interpreting factual stories to understand how these ideas resonate with an audience.

Camera, Lighting and Sound

Students explore when and how to use elements of image and sound ‘control’ in a variety of factual circumstances including spoken scenarios such as interviews, voice-overs and vox pops.

Visual Storytelling

Students learn how to tell stories through the use of visual mediums. Looking at composition, blocking and camera positions and how to engage and audience.

Production

Students will learn the importance of planning and preparation; Health & Safety, budgeting and designing a shooting schedule.

Post-Production

Through training in Adobe Premiere Pro, students will develop their technical and creative editing skills, which will give them the necessary understanding to take their own project through the editing process.

Final Production

Students will collaborate across their cohort to prep, shoot, and edit their final short factual films.

Entry Requirements

• Minimum Age: 18 at the start of the course.
• This course is open enrolment and there are no entry requirements.
• In order to get the most out of the course, you should be able to both speak and write in English to a reasonable standard.

Duration and Location

• Duration: Eight Weeks Full-Time (Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm).
• Location: London, Berlin

Dates & Prices

• London:
  • 12 May 2025 - 4 July 2025: £4,995 (Fully Booked)
• Berlin:
  • 2 June 2025 - 25 July 2025: €4,250
  • 28 July 2025 - 19 September 2025: €4,250

*Book and pay in full to receive a 20% discount on this short course. This limited-time offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts.