Are you one of those people who lives and breathes movies? Do you check for new releases, discuss the plot and direction with your friends and bemoan the lack of good Indian cinema? Do you hound your local foreign cinema library to look for movies that you have not come across before? Then you may well be thinking of exploring a career in this field.
There are some great short courses across the world that nurture budding filmmakers, teaching aspects of direction, editing, sound, scriptwriting and production. Most of these courses last around a month or longer and are meant for beginners in the industry. The experience of working in an international location with world-class faculty, editing facilities and filmmaking equipment will be invaluable to your future career in this field. Moreover, a summer course in filmmaking will give you a good introduction to the field and you will be able to make your own movie or documentary in a fantastic location to add to your portfolio.
So what are you waiting for? Take off for these select institutes on foreign shores to get started on your own career in film.
New York Film Academy
www.nyfa.edu
In the New York Film Academy’s eight-week summer film school, each student works on four of his/her own films, writing, shooting, directing and editing, as well as working as crew on twelve others. The intense schedule challenges students to produce great quality work that adds substantial value to their resumes. The intensive course is meant for those with little or no filming experience who wish to gain experience with hands-on film shoots. Students also get the opportunity to develop a final project film at the end of the course. Each of the first three course films is of increasing difficulty and all are due in the first month of the programme. Once these are made, students critique each other’s films in preparation for the final class project. Each student has a production crew of three to four fellow students and must rotate as a crew member when fellow students are directing.
Prague Film School
www.filmstudies.cz
At the Prague Film School in the Czech Republic, you can enjoy a fantastic filmmaking workshop that runs for four weeks in the months of June, July and August. The Prague Film School is a great place to learn the art of filmmaking in Europe and is well-known internationally, drawing students from across the world. It has a reputed international faculty and world-class facilities, all situated in the heart of the beautiful city of Prague. All instruction takes place in English, and the training imparted encourages students to become serious film professions.
Students write a script, then direct, shoot and edit their film in the workshop. The tuition and equipment rental costs add up to a hefty 2,660 Euros, but the atmosphere of European art-house and independent cinema is hard to beat. The small size of each class ensures that each student gets adequate time with the faculty. The best part about taking a course at the Prague Film School is, of course, the chance to study in Prague, which charms all with its beauty and cosmopolitan air. A dreamy city that provides an excellent backdrop to all kinds of films, it is also one of Europe’s oldest cinematic centres. The very place to nurture your filmmaking ambitions!
New York University
specialprograms.tisch.nyu.edu/object/sumcert.html
The Tisch School of the Arts at New York University is one of the most renowned filmmaking schools in the world. The summer school in filmmaking offers students a certificate upon completion at least three courses over one or two consecutive summers. The summer school is open to international students, though one has to apply well in advance to be considered. There are two summer sessions that run for five weeks each from May until August. The filmmaking certificate is comprised of non-credit courses that teach you all aspects of filmmaking, from shooting, directing and writing to editing and producing. The courses, given at a discounted rate, are meant primarily for those who want to gain experience in the field. The course on Sight and Sound Filmmaking costs approximately $6,000 for tuition fees and lab usage charges. Each student has to think of, produce, direct and edit five short digital filmmaking projects, of which three are silent and two are with sound, using prerecorded soundtracks. Each student also has to assist in production of the movies of their fellow classmates. Students learn the fundamentals of 16mm film production with intensive practice, grounding in theory and discussion. The assignments for these films are meant to include
a range of technical challenges. All work produced by students will be screened and discussed in class. Ah, New York, New York!
London Film Academy
www.londonfilmacademy.com
London in the summer is one of the best places on Earth, besides being one of the leading capitals for film. Cosmopolitan and creative, the city nurtures budding filmmakers with an excess of material and subjects. However, if city life is not for you, the London Film Academy also offers some short foundation courses on location in Algarve, Portugal. In London, the institute offers a six-week documentary certificate course that runs in different sessions from March through November, and costs a hefty £2,295. The four-week filmmaking certificate runs from mid-April to the end of November, and costs £1,900. In both courses, students will get the opportunity to make their own film, from writing the script to producing and editing the final product. All student work is screened and discussed critically in the class.
The London Film Academy also offers a range of specialised short courses, or ‘short takes’, lasting from a couple of days to a week in subjects like acting for directors, cinematography, composing music for films, editing in AVID and in Final Cut Pro, makeup, production and budgeting, and writing screenplays.
These short courses are meant for professionals who have some experience working in film already and do not require foundation courses. The location of the London Film Academy and its world-renowned faculty make it a great place to learn the art of filmmaking. So what are you waiting for?
University of Melbourne, Australia
www.summerfilmschool.com
The Summer School in Film making is held on campus at Trinity College, The University of Melbourne, and is part of the Public Engagement Program of the Screen Studies department. The Summer School is now in its eighteenth year. Certificate courses are taught by leading filmmakers to aspiring film students of all ages from around the world. The courses teach students the basic skills, technical experise and industry knowledge that would otherwise take years for them to acquire. Students get an idea of the diverse skills and tremendous energy it takes to get the finished product on screen.
The range of courses offered caters to all aspects of filmmaking. Courses range from Documentary Film to Writing for Film and TV, an intensive cinematography course, and even a Steadicam workshop that is open to proficient camera operators only. The Script to Screen course is a comprehensive course for beginners, covering aspects from scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, sound engineering, digital augmentation and music.
The course goes on for three weeks, and students can select if they want to complete only 13 days of the course for $1,940 or the full 19 days for $2,725. Moreover, participants can also choose to take individual days of the course that appeal to their personal interests and thus create their own course. The average rate of the daily sessions is $135.
Volume 1 Issue 11
