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

Thursday 28TH January 2021
6.30pm – 9.30pm  Colm O’Murchu

Course Introduction Meet your fellow course participants . This is one of the most important factors of any course

• 4 Month Film Objective. – The Film Production Plan – You will make a film.
• Setting the Goal for your Film Group – 4 Months to a completed 10 minute Short Film.
• The Shots – Coverage – Shot Lists – Actor Blocking – Study Film
• Production Design –  Study Film
• How to shoot a scene (Actual demonstration of How to Shoot a Scene)

Tuesday Night –9th February 2021 – 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Screenplay Specialist – Greg Woodland

Story Invention Workshop: In this session we create the Story for the Film Production. We show you exactly how to create a story that grabs the audience.
Learn How to write a great story & screenplay:

• Formatting the Screenplay.
• Story Ideas Brainstorm and Generation
• Adding Conflict to your story
• Scene by Scene Breakdown to create the Story Outline
• Working in pairs come up with a short film concept

 

Thursday Night 11th February September 6.30pm – 9.30pm

• Scene by Scene Creation of the Story Treatment   ( Continues )
• The Improvisation Technique

Homework Voluntary
Write a scene-by-scene outline treatment of your own version of the chosen story

 

Tuesday Night – 16th February  2021– 6.30pm – 9.30pm  – Camera Training 

How to use professional Cameras –   with Cinematographer Jack Kelly .
You will learn how to operate a Professional Camera and shoot a scene
All Equipment will be on site  

• Tour of Camera Equipment and Lenses and Tripod
• Black Magic Camera and Lenses and Tripod
• Prime lenses – 13mm – 28 mm 36 mm 70 mm
• How to balance a Fluid Head Tripod
• How to focus effectively using a Focus Chart
• How to get the best F Stop
• How to frame a shot beautifully
• How to pan and tilt

The Session will end with shooting a 30 second scene with 3 different Camera Shots.

Tuesday Night – 23rd February – 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Screenplay  Specialist Greg Woodland 

• Feedback on Homework Story Outlines
• Formatting scripts – How to professionally format your screenplay
• The Free Software you will use to format your script
• How to set up a Casting
• The importance of casting for the success of your film.
• Voluntary Homework – Write a 10 page screenplay – Deadline 2nd March 
• Script chosen – Wednesday 3rd March

 

Tuesday Night 2nd March 2021     Sound & Lighting   All Equipment will be on site 

Using Professional Location Sound Equipment and Lighting  –   Jack Kelly 

 Location Sound  

• Using the Professional Sound Recorder.
• The Shotgun Microphone – The Wind Sock – The Foam Sock
• The Pistol Grip – The Boom Pole
• Wireless Transmitters and Receivers – Lapel Microphones
• Setting the right sound levels –   How to record top class Professional Sound

LIGHTING  You learn to use all of the Lighting and Gaffer Equipment

• The Film Lights: Dedos
• Redheads x 6
• Gels –  Spun –  Reflectors
• How to do three point lighting on a film set.
• The last 45 minutes –   Shoot a demo 30 second scene.

Friday Night 12th March  6.30pm – 10pm – Screenplay Final

SCREENPLAY 3  –  Screenplay Specialist – Greg Woodland

• At this point there will be a completed advanced screenplay to shoot as film.
• Greg Woodland will now do a final review of the screenplay to finalise.
• Editing dialogue: exercise in pairs
• Writing big print (action description). Reading examples from famous scripts
• Exercise: writing big print from live action (get a student to act out a scene which everyone will write as action).
• The elements of good script Dialogue: Text and Subtext (PPT lecture)
• Writing dialogue with subtext.
• Editing dialogue: exercise in pairs
• workshop a scene from the winning script in class.
• Perfected Screenplay..

Tuesday Night 16th March – 6.pm – 9.30pm Casting Night with  Film Director – Colm O’Murchu 

Casting Night – Real Live Auditions with Real Actors – Fun

• Work on the Casting of Actors
• Set up the Lights and Camera and operate them
• Use the Lapel Microphone on the actors auditioning
• Every 10 minutes an actor is scheduled for the casting
• Course participants get to direct the actors in the casting
• Aprox 25 actors will attend

You will learn an invaluable skill.  You will  know how to cast a film effectively by doing it for real. This is a favourite session, as one learns how to pick the best actors from the audition.

Tuesday Night 23rd March 6.30pm – 9.30pm   

Production Management One – Part One – Prepare the Movie Shoot – Colm O’Murchu

As we are only 2.5 weeks from Shoot, Day One of your movie, the focus is now on how to produce the 10-minute film by actually producing it.

Producer Preparation –

• Casting Finalisation – Final cast chosen: 30 minutes
• The Shoot Schedule – The Script shall be broken down and set into 3 Shooting Days.
• Locations – How to lock down final locations
• Location Scouting & Negotiation.

The Trial Shoot 7.40pm – 9.30pm   To go through the shoot organisation , we will shoot a one page scene from a Hollywood Movie with two actors on site. This will be a fun exercise that will prepare you for the 3 days of shooting.

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Tuesday Night  – 30th March 2020  – 6.30pm – 9.30pm  –  Film Directing 

Directing Actors. –  The Full Breakdown   Colm O’Murchu.

With only 10 Days left to the big 3 Day Shoot, tonight’s focus is firmly placed on working with actors.

• Production Design on a Budget.
• Actor Blocking and how it will determine the shot list.
• Top 10 Tips for working with actors on set.
• How to direct Actors effectively when you are starting out.

Part Two Rehearsals with the  actual actors cast for the film.
Actors for the Short film will arrive at 7.30pm

• Costumes for the actors finalised.
• Rehearsals with the actors How to rehearse
• Learn by rehearsing with the Actors

Wednesday Night 7th April 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Final Shoot Preparations:
Ready Steady Go.  All Final Preparations for the Shoot:  Scott Jacobs

Tonight you will complete all the final preparations and the preproduction for the movie that you will shoot.

• Final Schedule organised.
• Final checklist for the following – Locations – Crew – Production Design
• Equipment Set Up.
• Call Sheets and how they are prepared
• The Essential Crew – Itemised Director, DOP , Focus Puller, Clapper, Sound Recordist, Boom Swinger, Gaffer x 2,  Grips , Continuity Production Co-ordinator.
• Rotations for the Shoot organised

The  Three Day Film Shoot –  On Real Location
Learn how to shoot a Movie by doing it for real.

Saturday 10th April   8am – 6pm    On Location: Shoot Day One 

You will direct a scene and  you will work as a crew member on a real film with real actors on real locations. Every person revolves through the 10 Person Crew roles over the three shooting days. A designated time is allotted for each crew role. This will be from the film script you developed and the actors you cast. 

Director & Crew Roles for the Film Shoot that you will do:

1. Director
2. DOP
3. Focus Puller
4. Clapper
5. Sound Recordist
6. Boom Swinger
7. Gaffer
8. Grips
9. Continuity
10. Make up

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Tuesday Night – 13th April   6.30pm – 9.30pm  Edit Session 1

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 Course. 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.
Focus here for opportunity.

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:

• Review of shooting Day One.
• Prepare Shoot Day 2 & 3
• Watch Rushes
• Adobe Premier Pro Set up

Saturday 17th April  – 8am – 6pm  : Shoot Day Two On Location

Today you will work as a crew member, as a Director and as a DOP  on a real film. Every person revolves through the 10 Person Crew roles over the three shooting days. A designated time is allotted for each crew role. This is 100% hands-on practical.

Director & Crew Roles for the Film Shoot that you will do:

1. Director
2. DOP
3. Focus Puller
4. Clapper
5. Sound Recordist
6. Boom Swinger
7. Gaffer
8. Grips
9. Continuity
10. Make up

Shoot Day Three –  Sunday 18th April – 8am – 6pm

Shoot Day Three: The Film Shoot on location

Today the Crew shoot on their own. You will work as a crew member on a real film. Every person revolves through the 10 Person Crew roles over the three shooting days. A designated time is allotted for each crew role. This is 100% hands-on practical.

Tuesday Night 27th April–  6.30pm – 9.30pm  Edit Day two Session 

You learn to edit the movie, on Adobe Premier Pro.  Editing continues on the film.
You will learn how a film is edited and how to make the film look and sound professional.

• Syncing footage
• We edit the film
• How to edit the material into a complete scene
• You actually edit the film on Adobe Premiere Pro

Please note that editing and colouring is a very valuable skill to learn. There is plenty of work for very good editors in the film business. Postproduction has the most jobs.

The Three Week challenge:   Edit the entire Short Film 10 minutes long Voluntary

Tuesday 4th May 2020  6.30pm – 9.30pm  Colm O’Murchu
Film Career and Opportunity 

After your short Film is complete, how do you find the audience and how do you find work in the film business.

• Film Festivals and your strategy for entering
• What is the best site for Film Festivals
• Earning money on Stock Video Sites
• Where is the work in the film industry
• Your plan for getting work in the film industry
• Film Markets and how feature films are sold and make money.

Tuesday Night 18th May – 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Edit Night Three  Finish the post on the film. 

• Colouring the film to make the film look great.
• Music and how to use Stock Sites to source your music.
• Adding music to your film
• Credits and Titles
• Preparing for Sound Mix
• Exporting your final Film.

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Sound Post Saturday 29th May 6.30pm – 9.30pm John Hresc 

Sound Post and Music mix Session with one of Australia’s great Sound mixers and designers

This session takes place at John’s studio in Redfern This is what makes the difference between a good film and a great film and will make the difference between success and not succeeding.

Thursday Night 4th June   6 pm – 10pm
The Final Night Celebration: 
Screening of the complete finished film and Certificates

• Future Opportunities
• Screening of the Finished Completed Film
• 4 MonthFilm Making Certificate” Presentation.
• Photos of group.
• Social Mixer and Celebration

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

• • • We teach you, step by step, the process of scripting shooting casting and crewing and directing a 10 minute short film.
    • You will also learn to edit and colour, source your music and finish your film professionally.
      
    • You will learn the technical side of filmmaking, how to operate cameras and record professional location sound.
      
    • You will know exactly what to do, to make your own personal film professionally, that will attract film festivals and will make you into a Film Director and Producer
    • You will have ongoing support from Australian Film Base with after film course support, gear supply and shoot help and work opportunities.

AFTER THE FOUR MONTH FILM SCHOOL COMPLETES, SUPPORT STRUCTURES ARE AS FOLLOWS

1. Indie Film Club Meetings  after 4 Month Film Course to network and find new film projects
2. Numerous Film Productions that mushroom from Indie Film Club and Courses
3. Opportunities at Australian Film Base
4. Personal Coaching – one on one to help you achieve your goals.  ( Please inquire)