Colm O'Murchu

1   The Filmmaking Process Overview – How to  Format your Screenplay

 Thursday 10th July 6.pm – 9pm 

• Introductions of the People on the Course and Teachers
• The Film Production and the excitement of producing and making the film.
• Course Overview and Course Objective: Make a 12 – 15 Minute Film and learn filmmaking via making a film.
• The Deadline and how important the deadline is to the filmmaking process
• How to format a script – this is an essential so as to present a professional script, when you make your own films
• Which Software to use and how to get it for Free saving you $200

At the end of 4 Months, you will have worked on and created a 10 – 12 minute movie

2   Creating the story:  Writing the Screenplay 

Thursday 24th July  2025    6pm – 9pm  

Story Invention Workshop. In this session we create the Story for the Film Production. The teacher will show you exactly how to create a story that grabs your audience.

• Story Ideas Brainstorm
• Three Dimensional Character Creation
• Pitching your ideas
• Narrative arcs for short films
• Plot the story-the key plot points

Homework (voluntary): Write the first draft  for a 10 Page Screenplay 

Over the years we have found the results of the above techniques have produced a strong short film story for emerging or beginner filmmakers.

3   How a Film Director Shoots a Scene 

Tuesday  29th July  2025    6pm – 9pm   

• Director on the Film Set  and Actor Blocking 
• The Film Shots and what they are called –
  This is essential for the Film Director to understand.
• How does a Scene work
• The process of planning blocking rehearsing 
• Working with Actors 
• Working with the Crew 
• Camera angles and Coverage of a scene.

  Homework Assignment: (Voluntary) Shoot a basic scene at home with your Smart Phone Camera ( Mobile) Use at least 3 Camera Angles 

4  Camera Operations & Cinematography

Tuesday 5th August  2025    6pm – 9pm    

• Camera basics (RED 8K Helium & Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K Pro)
• How to balance a Fluid Head Tripod
• AFEW (Aperture, Focus, Exposure, White balance) Camera angles
• When to use Prime Lenses and when to use Zoom Lens
• Camera movement Pulling focus
• How to compose/frame your shots
• Camera department roles and responsibilities
• Cinematography  5 C’s (Camera angles, composition, cutting, continuity and close ups)

5 How to Light a Scene 

 Thursday 7th August    6pm – 9pm   

The Lighting Session: Learning how to use professional lighting equipment to light your scenes.
We will experiment with lighting  creating different looks and moods just by changing the lighting setup.

• Cinema lighting overview
• 3 point lighting – Basics of film lighting (3,2,1 point lighting and effects)
• Setting up light stands, heads and power
• Lighting for mood and atmosphere 
• Lighting for exposure vs lighting for mood & effect – Using light modifiers
• Using natural light
• Lighting with set lights: Dedolights, Fresnels, LEDs and Redheads
•  Using Gels& Diffusion with lights

Scripts are due to be submitted.

Homework: Cinematography assignment using available light and then creating lighting (household sources)

6   Casting Setup & Sound Department Basics 1

Tuesday 12th August 6pm – 9pm

6.pm – 7pm Script selection & Casting setup

• At the start of class the successful script will be announced. From here we will discuss the characters in the script and set up a casting call.
• How to set up a casting call:
• We show you how we get the best Actors into the Casting session

7pm – 9pm Sound Department

The Sound Session: Learning how to use Professional Sound Equipment on location, including: ⇀ Sound basics⇀ Shotgun Microphone & Boompole

• Wind Sock
• Wireless Transmitters and Receivers with Lapel Microphones
• XLR Inputs on the Camera
• Setting the right sound levels and monitor in sound on set
• Sound in film overview  – Reference videos

The session ends with shooting a scene focusing on correctly recording sound, including static subject dialogue and moving subjects.

8 Casting Saturday How to Cast your Film

Saturday  23rd August   2025  10am – 2pm  

Today we have a real live Casting with real actors. You will get to:

• Learn the process of casting actors professionally
• Set up the Lights and Camera for casting.
• Camera operators will be rotated throughout the night
• Actors should be scheduled for 10 minutes slots
• 5-15 minute in person audition sessions with actors who have applied to our casting call
• You will direct the actors during their audition, assisting them to provide their best performance.
• How to get the best out of actors during auditions
• How to choose the best actors

Result: You will learn how to cast a film effectively by doing it for real for your short film

9 Preproduction How to Prepare your Film Shoot

Tuesday   26th August  2025    6pm – 9pm  

• Director preparation: Learning your scenes, understanding the motivation of your character sand preparing to direct your actors performance  
• Working with actors and how to provide effective direction            

Tonight you will learn all about preproduction for a film shoot and locking in the final logistical and production elements to ensure a successful shoot.   

• Documentation –  schedule, call sheets, talent release docs
• Production design props and set dressing, props
• Wardrobe, 
• How to prepare a schedule and a Call Sheet
• Confirm actors are booked for rehearsal session

10   Practical Saturday  Ready Steady Go:  Film Equipment  Final Training Bootcamp 

Saturday 30th  August   2025   10am – 3pm     

• This is a Saturday session designed to give you further practice with the camera, lighting and sound equipment. An intensive recap session
• To ensure you are “set-ready” and the crew works as a well oiled machine.
•  All the elements of being on set without the actors. 
• Focus on getting hands on with the technical side of filmmaking in preparation for the shoot

Rehearsals

In addition to preparing the shoot, we will invite the core cast (actors) to attend a rehearsal session.This session will focus on assisting the actors in their preparation for the shoot and expose you to working with actors.

12 Shoot Day One on Location on the film Set 

Saturday 6th September   2025     8am – 5pm 

 The Shoot: Day One: 9 Hour Shooting Day: 

Film Shoots are on Location: Locations can be a shop or hotel or park or any variable of a film location. This is a very exciting day where one is on a real shoot and real film

The Film Shoot Day 1–On Location.

Today you will work as a crew member. Every person revolves through the crew roles over the 3 shooting days.

Revolving Crew roles you will take on:

1. Director
2. DOP
3. Focus Puller
4. Clapper
5. Sound Recordist
6. Boom
7. Gaffer
8. Grip
9. Continuity
10. Production Runner

13  Watching Rushes – Prepare to Edit 

Tuesday 9th September   6pm – 9pm 

• Review of shooting Day One – Preview Shoot Days 2 & 3 
• Watch the rushes from day one shooting – How to watch your footage
• Preparing for post production
• Which software to use – Revealed on the course. 
• The amazing free software that will edit and colour your film and do the sound post. ( Revealed on the course )
• How to sync sound and get your footage ready to edit. 

14   Shoot Day Two  : On Location: Shooting with Actors

Saturday 13th September2025   8am – 6pm    

• This is the real deal where you are on set shooting a movie. 
• Your second day working as a crew member on a real film.
• Crew roles continue to rotate over the 3 shooting days

15   Shoot Day  3 on Location – Working as Film Director and a crew member on the film set.

Sunday 14th September   2025  8am – 6pm   

Crew roles continue to rotate for the final shoot day, but the crew will be running this shoot almost completely solo. This is 100% hands-on practical.  This is the real deal where you are on set shooting a movie. 

• Your third day working as a crew member on a real film.
• Crew roles continue to rotate over the 3 shooting days.

16 Post Production Day  Editing the Film Saturday 20th September  2025  

9am – 6pm Post Production Day 

You will learn to edit and make your film into a film by actually editing in class the film. You learn to edit the movie, on Adobe Premiere Pro.

We currently have a video tutorial series of 11 tutorials, only available to people on the 4 Month Filmmaking School. One must use these tutorials with the editing course lessons  and the footage from the film. This way you will edit the entire short film. Editing a short film takes time and enthusiasm to complete outside of class time.   

Therefore it is voluntary section of the course and also the edit itself is a voluntary to complete. 

Allow 20 – 30 voluntary hours over a month, to complete an edit outside of course time.

Please note that editing is a great skill to learn and there is so much work in the film and video business for talented editors. It also pays well.

You will need a Laptop or Desktop computer with a minimum of 8GB of Ram and the Adobe Premiere Pro Software available from Adobe.

Course content for the night

• How to edit a scene.
• Learn today how to cut scenes for your film
• Learn how to effectively tell your story