***ONLY A COUPLE OF PLACES LEFT!***

WHERE: SHAWLANDS, GLASGOW

WHEN: Sat 15 & Sun 16 APRIL 2023 (1000 to 1800)

COST: £339 + VAT

**£300+VAT if pay by the 1st of April

**£300+VAT if two participants book/pay together

(booking & payment closes Friday the 7th of April)

This is an intensive weekend course for APs, DV Directors and PDs with some shooting experience, who want to get much better at shooting actuality, obs doc, and factual sequences.

Do you want to…

Learn how to shoot on the fly, without doing more than one take?

Learn how to capture numerous, creative shots from any location to make the very best sequences, (so editors never ever complain about not having enough material)?

Create stunning images by getting the best out of lenses, and understanding how things like IRIS/APERTURE, ISO, AND FILTERS can make the world of difference to the look and feel of a shot?

Start 2023 as a confident, tech savvy self-shooter who knows the secrets to shooting great fly-on-the-wall actuality & beautiful scenes and sequences.

You might have shot sequences, short films, or have operated B-cam, and want to learn how to shoot more to confidently on your own, or step up to shooting a whole hour.  The main point is to learn how to shoot well, especially actuality, observational documentary, and proper sequences, (scripted or otherwise) no matter what variables are thrown at you.

WHAT YOU WILL GET OUT OF THIS COURSE …

·        The course is personalised – from one filmmaker to another – with knowledge of exactly what is required for self-shoots, what is often asked of us, and what’s realistic/what’s not

·        It will help you manage a self-shoot confidently on your own, with multiple things going on

·        There’s a knack to shooting without doing more than one take - I you will teach you how to shoot ‘actuality’ well, rather than re-taking

·        You will learn the language of lenses, and the marriage of ISO, APERTURE/IRIS & FILTERS, to achieve beautiful material and narrow depth of field; and when ‘not’ to shoot like this

·        You’ll learn how to create really smashing interviews, using backdrop, lighting and eyeline

·        You’ll learn exactly what’s needed to construct a great sequence – scripted or obs-doc - and why it’s always important to plot out a shot-list for any film, even obs-doc!

·        No longer worry about an editor complaining about lack of shots, bad shots, or asking ‘who the hell shot this?!’

·        You’ll learn it’s all about planning – and why you should NEVER wing it!

·        Learn the pitfalls and mistakes before they happen (things like: dark shots, bad focus, distorted sound, incorrect timecode) and how to avoid them (e.g., checking your kit, setting things up correctly)

·        Learn how to ‘get to know your kit’ and not be scared of all the settings, even if you’re using a camera you’re not familiar with - essential to stress management, avoiding faff on location, and being able to put your energy into the creative side of shooting. (Please note however, that this is NOT a ‘how to’ for using specific cameras. It is more about how to get the best out of any camera to achieve great footage)

·        Learn how to shoot and manage multiple cameras if you’re on your own

·        Learn how to get the best out of contributors, alongside multiple technical & editorial complexities

·        Learn what to do if you’re a short person (like me!) and how to get around heavy set ups etc

·        You’ll learn many camera tips and tricks (whilst I’m not a camera ‘technician’, I have a really good knowledge of cameras, which started for me at the NZ Broadcasting School in 1994 where I got a really thorough grounding in how cameras work, lighting, and composing shots! Having navigated so many iterations of cameras over the years, I have had to work out a lot of things out as I’ve gone along).

·        Finally, I don’t know everything, especially in the radically changing world of camera technology, but if I don’t know, I’ll do my very best to find out

OTHER BENEFITS OF THIS COURSE…

·        This is course is being held in a private apartment, by commercial hire, so there are plenty of ‘real world’ scenarios to practice your shooting

·        Course numbers are limited to 7, so I can personalise the course – it’s small and contained, and can be tailored to your needs

·        There will be a number of cameras to try out we are typically expected to use on shoots (no mobile phone shooting, or old cameras that are now redundant) For example, the likes of…C300, FS7, 5D (pending availability). (Please note however, that this is NOT a ‘how to’ for using specific cameras. It is more about how to get the best out of any camera to achieve great footage)

·        The course never ends - you will have access to me forever (within reason) if you ever have questions while shooting (I am often giving advice to peers and industry professionals and enjoy doing this)

·        The course fee is in line with other similar courses, even though it is not yet subsidised by the likes of Screen Skills. I don’t know how long it will stay like this, so get in this time!

FURTHER ORGANISATIONAL DETAILS ABOUT THIS COURSE (& TERMS) …

·        This course is not open to the public, and is by application and invite for industry professionals only – please apply using the button at the top of the screen, so I can quickly check your suitability and I will then send you an invite with payment details

·        Course booking closes on Thursday the 6th of April

·        Please note, this course can only run with a minimum of 4 people (due to overheads). If by chance the course does not meet numbers and you have paid, you will be notified before the event with as much notice as possible and given a full refund.

·        Course fees are refundable within 14 days of the event (minus administration / booking fees). After 14 days, no refunds can be made due to your own cancellation, but other arrangements could be made such as fee transfer to another course or 1:1 training.

·        Details of course are subject to change at the course providers discretion, based on the needs of the group and other factors

·        Note: this is not a beginner course. I have another course for beginners.

·        If you can’t make the weekend, I am offering 1 day 1:1 training at the gorgeous Lochside hall where I live in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The fee is around £450 for the day (subject to type of camera request).

A BIT ABOUT JANINE WHO WILL BE RUNNING THE COURSE…

I picked up a camera when I was 16 to make a youth series called SALAD for a regional TV station in New Zealand, and I’ve never looked back!  I learned the literacy of composition way back then, and this improved when I went to NZ Broadcasting School in 1994 where I learnt the mechanics of cameras and lighting. (I have been using cameras for a very very long time)!  I never thought I’d be able to be a camera person back then, as the cameras were massive and too heavy for little me, however things (and cameras) have changed massively.  Over the years I’ve had to navigate changing technology, which is something you have to get your head around as a self-shooting PD. I have a real passion for camera work, and some people have said this is my calling card!  How did I make the jump from shooting ‘wee’ bits for TV, into shooting whole 1 hours? I went and made my own film!  I travelled to Mexico and shot a short film about Mexicans living on garbage dumps, which I was able to broadcast on BBC World. From here I moved straight on to shooting 3 x 1 hours about Green Travel. My my most recent shoots have been a 1-hour observational documentary for the BBC called MND AND 22-YEAR-OLD ME, and BBC4s INSIDE THE BAT CAVE (scripted specialist factual / science).  I now know my way around infrared filming for wildlife and my SP commented at the time that I was probably now the most experienced bat photographer in Scotland! I also wrote a camera bible for the Canon5D MK4 when it came out, and ran a 1-day course on it for the APs who would be shooting behind the scenes on BBC’s Earth’s Sacred Wonders. I’ve also trained complete novices to use cameras for campaign films when I was running the film unit at the World Wildlife Fund. I’m often getting phone calls from colleagues asking me questions about shooting, and I love helping people understand what they’ve never been told or learned inside the industry! I have all these successes and experiences, but of course, I’ve made plenty of little mistakes along the way, which would have been really good to know about before they happened!  So, what you’ll get from me is an honest and authentic expression of what ‘I’ do to shoot well, to help you get the very very best out of your shoot days!  This will hopefully be fun / from one PD to another, kind of training! 

ENDORSEMENTS …

“I did some self-shooting as an AP when Janine was PD/ing a project. She made me feel confident to pick up the camera, with clear direction on the shots you need to build a piece. I’ve also read manuals she’s put together for crew on other projects that really helped focus the look. I’ve asked advice from Janine when directing myself on lenses and actuality, and as always felt informed and more relaxed and confident before the shoot. Whether it’s specialist factual or ob doc, Janine’s advice is invaluable.”

Christine Johnston, Shooting PD

“A big recommendation from me!!! I interviewed Janine for my Creative Industries Study and she gave me amazing advice that I hadn't heard before. Years of experience and one of the most patient, imaginative and practical people I know.”

Carrie Day, Visionary Artist and Filmmaker

“Janine recently undertook a very complicated shoot for our organisation. Because she was working with a room of vulnerable people, she was asked not to interrupt the event or the contributors at any point, but to capture everything for an observational type of film. She demonstrated a high level of technical proficiency,  operating three cameras, a gimbal and a complicated sound set up. From an editorial perspective Janine was tasked with telling the story of our entire project, whilst coming in at the end.  She managed to create a very dynamic and interesting film on the fly, with clever scripting, which we are extremely happy with".

Co-director, A Place in Childhood

"Janine was a wonderful teacher and shared exactly the right skills I needed for the Arctic trip I was about to go on!"

Casper ter Kuile, WWF Ambassador