Advanced Filmmaking Certificate
Our intensive 4-month Advanced Filmmaking Certificate is the perfect course for time conscious students looking for a comprehensive burst of filmmaking training, embedded in an industry setting, delivered in a practical way.
Under the guidance of industry professionals, working in film and television, you will receive hands-on training across key filmmaking disciplines, providing you with a versatile range of filmmaking skills that will strengthen your collaborative artistry on-set.
Our ethos is to learn by doing. By the end of the course, you will have performed the following roles: Screenwriter, Director, Director of Photography, Camera Operator, 1st Assistant Camera, 2nd Assistant Camera, Sound Mixer, Boom Operator, 1st Assistant Director. You will have worked on at least seven productions, all shot on Super 16mm film, and have the opportunity to edit a showreel and build a better understanding of how to enter the film industry.
Advanced Filmmaking Certificate Key Features:
- Intensive and in-depth practical training in key disciplines of filmmaking, directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing and sound
- Shoot multiple films on Super 16mm film
- Learn from practising film & TV industry tutors and guest speakers
- Develop collaborative techniques and other important soft skills
- Excellent student-to-tutor ratios
- Direct access to industry through filmmaking professionals
- Option to progress on to 1-year Filmmaking Diploma
Duration: 4 months (14 weeks)
Intakes: September each year
Hours: Average 30 per week (plus additional hours, incl. evenings and weekends)
Drawing on the knowledge, skills and experience gained through the teachings of industry professionals, you will write and develop your own film project, and support and contribute to film projects developed by other students on the course.
During this all-encompassing course you will progress through practical workshops, applying and developing techniques of visual and audio storytelling in increasingly complex ways. Additionally, this course will run hand in hand with other LFA courses giving students the opportunity to collaborate and build a lasting network of creative peers.
You will focus on the essential filmmaking disciplines:
Screenwriting
You will independently initiate an original creative script and develop your skills in visual storytelling, character and dialogue through 1-2-1 feedback. You will also cover story structure and plot, dramatic conflict and turn story into script (outlines, treatment and script format).
Directing
Through practical workshops, you will learn how to prepare and apply essential directing skills for film shoots including, translating script to the screen, directing the frame and working with actors. You will also cover the use of light, archetypes of story and genre, dramatic space, and prepare shot lists, storyboards and floor plans.
Cinematography
You will be introduced to the roles & responsibilities of cinematography and the tools to convey artistic visions on to the screen through hands-on workshops and film shoots. You will also cover the composition, lighting, exposure, framing and camera operating.
Sound
Gain a theoretical and practical grounding in the principles of on-set sound recording, covering genres, shooting conventions, on-set requirements and equipment. You will also cover, definition of sound and propagation of sound waves, boom operation and microphones, digital audio and timecodes.
Editing
You will develop a grounding in the principles of editing and post-production sound through practical application. As well as learning the history of editing and genres, you will discover the power of rhythm, pace and sound design. You will also cover mis-en-scene and visual storytelling, editing software (Adobe Premiere) and workflow, basic principles and application of sound design, music in film and sound effects.
Want to devote more time to filmmaking?
Students who successfully complete our 4-month Advanced Filmmaking Certificate can progress onto our 1-year Filmmaking Diploma, gaining further practical filmmaking experience within an industry setting.
To book your place on this course please apply via the APPLY + COURSE DATES & FEES section. As soon as we've received your application we’ll send you a confirmation email containing information on the next steps. Please check your ‘Junk Mail’ folder if you appear to have not received this email.
- Minimum age 18
- All applicants must be fluent in English: English Language Level: Upper Intermediate
- Some practical experience in film production is desirable, except in cases where student can demonstrate transferable skills in other relevant areas.
What kind of students are we looking for?
- Committed and dedicated people with a proven passion for filmmaking, and want a professional career in film or television
- Collaborative, articulate and creative people who can demonstrate a strong instinct for the grammar of visual storytelling
- Those who want a practical education across several key disciplines behind the camera either because you know you want thorough grounding in all areas of the filmmaking process, or you are undecided about exactly which area of the film and television industry appeals to your strengths.
For General Admission
- Complete application form online
- CV (please include previous education history)
- 2 x References
- One example written piece of work: A critique of a film you have seen or a film script you have written
- One example visual piece of work: A presentation of storytelling series of photos or a web link to a film you have made or a project you have done that reflects your interest in filmmaking.
If your application is successful you will be invited to interview.
Students who successfully complete our 4-month Advanced Filmmaking Certificate can progress onto our 1-year Filmmaking Diploma, gaining further practical filmmaking experience within an industry setting.