In a class which takes you all the way from idea to edit suite, award winning director Col Spector will teach you the basics of Documentary Filmmaking.

Through a combination of discussion and demonstration, you'll discover how to get the best out of your participants, how to edit together a powerful and dramatic story, and even how to get your next film commissioned.

Week 1 – How good is your idea?
This evening explores how you can find out whether what you’ve got will really make a film and how you can work on your idea to ensure that it does.

Week 2 – Interview Style and Technique
How do you know who will be right to interview? This evening will show you how to convince people who’ve never been in front of the camera to bare their soul in front of camera. You'll also learn the five big mistakes of interviewing.

Week 3 – Camera, Lights and Style
The lighting and camera style will affect the story you are telling. Learn how you will be able to realise that vision on an appropriate budget.

Week 4 – Editing and Sound
Story telling is an art. A good edit can, with a little additional filming, salvage a badly thought-through film or turn a good film into a great one.

Week 5 – Sell Your Documentary

So you think your film is ready to send out into the big wide world of documentary exhibition? But is it really? From festivals to commissioners, this evening covers all the options.

About the Tutor

Col Spector is an award-winning director who began his career producing and directing documentaries for the BBC, including “Just Enough Distance”, “The Lost Supper” and “Trouble At The House”.

About Raindance and endorsements

Raindance spans the full spectrum of the art, craft and business of independent movies - from guerilla style low or no budget productions to big budget indie blockbusters.

"The Raindance Festival is  a huge influence and support to independent filmmakers"
Andrew Eaton
Producer - 24 Hour Party People / Wonderland / The Claim

“Raindance has supported our films since it began because to find films which are so genuinely independent is quite rare...Raindance has done a very useful and very good job in promoting independent British cinema.”
Ken Loach
Director - Kes / Sweet Sixteen / The Wind That Shakes the Barley/Route Irish

"The Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards make a unique and very special contribution to independent film in the UK. They should be taken extremely seriously"
Mike Leigh
Director - All or Nothing / Topsy-Turvy / Secrets and Lies / Naked/Another Year

"Raindance does an indispensable job supporting independent film and provides a distinctive voice in world cinema"
Paul Greengrass
Director - Bloody Sunday / United 93 / The Bourne Supremacy/United 93/Greenzone

"Through the Film Festival and the Awards, Raindance continues to inspire and encourage. A natural force in independent filmmaking and long may it 'rain'"
Alan Rickman
Actor - Harry Potter / Truly, Madly, Deeply / Die Hard

Since taking this course I have done three short films and a commercial. These were as an actress but I also met great people, have a greater understanding of the industry and I am writing my first script. I know how to write, market and distribute it. All hail Elliot Grove!”
- Catherine Hall

"The step-by-step explanation of the ins-and-outs was the clearest and most logical of any presentation I have ever attended. And he is highly entertaining."
Mark Rogers, Head of Film, Ryerson

"We covered a lot of ground in a very engaging fashion. Informative and definitely constructive it not only provided me with a useful set of tools with which to approach writing but boasted my confidence."
– Matt Gibbs, whom has since gone on to get a series of short films into pre-production for the SCI-FI Channel

I want to thank you Raindance for making the complicated simple and the impossible, possible"
Sean Egan, Screenwriter

10 Craven Street

, WC2N 5PE

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 6:30 PM - Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 9:30 PM (GMT)