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Previous Courses

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Date: 5 November 2016
Time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
Venue: Turner Sims
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Through the Eye of the Camera:
A workshop with Cesar Paes on documentary filmmaking.
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​Director Cesar Paes and Producer Marie-Clemence Paes (Songs For Madagascar) share the secrets of their award-winning documentary projects and offer advice and guidance to young documentary filmmakers who are invited to present extracts of their work.

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Date: 5 November 2015
Time: 5pm - 7pm
Venue: Harbour Lights Cinema
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Making Webseries That Work

Years ago, filmmakers' traditional career-path was to make several short films and hope they were screened by festivals, before moving on to features or television.  However, the internet has given indie filmmakers a whole new opportunity to showcase their work and be discovered.  But where do you start? What makes a good webseries? How do you build an audience? And with three hundred hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, how on earth do you stand out?

Lisa Gifford wrote and directed the web series 3some, which now has over 3.5m views across multiple online platforms.  She won the 2014 Indie Series Award for Best Drama Writing and is now a working writer and director, with television and feature film projects in development.  In this talk, Lisa will explain the basics of web series creation and give her advice on how to get your series noticed by the people who count.

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Date: 1 November 2015
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: Southampton Solent University
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 From Me to Me: Directing Workshop by Patrick Tucker
After Patrick Tucker's first shoot during his initial training course at the BBC in 1976, he was so annoyed at not being absolutely wonderful that he wrote a rude letter to himself, outlining all his mistakes and faults! Finding this a valuable exercise for self-improvement, Patrick has done this subsequently after every shoot he has completed. These notes form the basis of his popular workshop From Me to Me, a course that he has taught around the world. The workshop is based on very real insights from the practical world of directing - this is far from just theory!

During this workshop Patrick will encourage participants to join him to demonstrate various aspects of the craft of directing, as well as that of screen acting. He will include examples from films and television shows that he has directed.

About Patrick Tucker

Patrick Tucker is an established stage and screen director with over 150 screen drama credits and 100 stage credits. Patrick has taught directing and acting workshops for numerous years, including a 10-year stretch for Raindance. In 1991 Patrick founded the Original Shakespeare Company. He has authored seven books including The Actor's Survival Handbook and Secrets of Screen Acting

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Date: 31 October 2015
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: Southampton Solent University
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Budgeting and Scheduling: Producing Workshop by Alec Christie

We are delighted to welcome Alec to Southampton to deliver this workshop which has been highly acclaimed across the UK, including at Raindance London. 

Although not considered particularly glamorous, the role of a producer is vital to making any film, short or feature. Having the ability to manage both the budget and schedule will ensure that your shoot goes as smoothly as possible. Simply put, a well thought-out budget and schedule is paramount when creating a business plan.

In this workshop Alec Christie will detail how scripts can be analysed and processed to ensure you have an adequate budget and schedule. Alec will focus on:
  • How to breakdown a script
  • Assessing prices / budgets
  • Union vs non-union terms
  • Creating a manageable schedule 

About Alec Christie

Alec is an experienced producer, line producer (Mister John 2013) and production manager (Young Alexander the Great 2010) with over 40 credits to his name covering formats which include feature film, drama, commercials, animation and documentaries.

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Date: 8 November 2014
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: God's House Tower
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Film Production Workshop with director Phil Peel

A practical workshop for filmmakers focusing on the skills & techniques required to make winning shorts.

Using the production of the Southampton based award winning comedy John Lennon’s Turd  & Emily’s Dance as reference, we will guide you through each stage of short film production; including how to chose a script, development, casting, crewing, scheduling, shooting, post-production and the film festival trail.  (Including what to do if you’re attacked whilst filming)

In the afternoon we plan to dissect, recreate and film a scene, including blocking, rehearsing, lighting, sound etc. and demonstrate the difference between conventional cameras and DSLRs.

The course will be run by Phil Peel who is an award winning writer, director, producer and DP. An ex BBC Director, he was previously the Course Leader of the BA Film Production at the Arts University at Bournemouth and the BA Film Course at Salisbury. He also led the Skillset Screen Academy Summer Schools for 5 years and the Intensive Film Directing Summer Schools.

His short films have screened at festivals worldwide. Last year he was one of only five English filmmakers selected by Creative England to attend the prestigious Talent Lab at the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival

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Date: 8 November 2013
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: God's House Tower
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Directing with Phil Peel

Presented as part of SFW13 | www.southamptonfilmweek.com

A practical workshop for directors focusing on the skills & techniques required to be an effective drama film director.

Phil will demonstrate a straightforward approach to choosing where to place your camera in order to work faster, get better coverage and more natural performances.

Attendees will be working live with actors demonstrating audition techniques, rehearsal, blocking, watching actors, giving actors notes.

The course will also cover; composition, sequences, getting coverage, coping with multiple eyelines, scene analysis, shot lists, storyboards, rehersal, shooting commands, maintaining pace, and the film crew - who does what. 

About Phil Peel
Phil is a writer, director, producer and DP.  An ex BBC Director, he was previously the Course Leader of the BA Film Production at the Arts University at Bournemouth and the BA Film Course at Salisbury.  He also led the Skillset Screen Academy Summer Schools for 5 years and the Intensive Film Directing Summer Schools.

His short films have screened at festivals worldwide from Rome, France, Toronto, Dubai, Florida, Boston, Mombai and recently Edinburgh and New York. This year he was one of only five English filmmakers selected by Creative England to attend the prestigious Talent Lab at the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival.

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Date: 25 July 2013
Time: 10am - 4pm
Venue: The Wool House
Introduction to using video cameras with Antony Batchelor

"What am I doing next?  Getting my camera out and making a film!"

Course outline:
Understanding the basic functions of a camera
  • The basic operation of cameras
  • Auto vs Manual controls
  • Understanding the cameras manual settings
  • Framing your picture
  • Recording sound
  • Understanding lighting
  • Accessories
  • Safety

Exercises
Two exercises will follow where students gain hands-on experience of using the cameras. 

Exercise 1 - Shooting for documentary
Exercise 2 - Shooting for drama

Discussing the pros and cons of each exercise
  • What different techniques are needed for each discipline?
  • What were the difficulties with each exercise?
  • What went well and what did not go well?

Wrap up
  • What to take away from the day
  • What these basic skills can offer you
  • Where to get follow up training
  • Hand out printed resource pack
  • Recommended online resources
  • Recommended reading
  • Any Questions...

About Antony Batcherlor
Antony Batchelor has worked as a film educator and workshop leader for 8 years.  Antony has developed a keen  understanding of all aspects of filmmaking and has a wide knowledge of the needs of both novice and experienced filmmakers. Antony has taught people of all ages.  Several of the films made on courses he has delivered have been shortlisted and nominated for prizes at local and national film festivals including the Meniscus Film Festival, the End of the Pier Film Festival and Film Nation: Shorts. 

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Date: 23 July 2013
Time: 10am -4pm
Venue: Sea City Museum


Introduction to editing with Anthony Batchelor

"Good equipment, well organised and a very knowledgeable tutor."

About the Course
Introduction to Editing is a practical, hands on workshop - supported with appropriate levels of theory - designed to build skill level and confidence.  You will cover all the basics and principles of editing in order to build a strong foundation for your work.  Whether a complete beginner or looking for an opportunity to refresh your edit knowledge and skills, this is the course for you.  

Participants are invited to bring their own laptops and edit packages (if they have them) so that they can be guided to get the best from their own set-up and are able to continue editing independently following the course.  We will focus primarily on Adobe Premiere but other software will be looked at.  If your laptop is loaded with something other than Adobe Premiere please get in touch so that we can advise on its suitability for this course.

Course outline:
Introduction 
  • A brief look at the various pieces of PC editing software available 
  • What's free and available on-line
  • About Adobe Premiere software
  • Understanding computer requirements for editing software
Before you start
  • Understanding how different cameras work with editing software
  • Digital tape vs tapeless media
File management 
  • Creating and maintaining  workable filing systems
Setting up your first project
  • Understanding the different set-up settings
  • The murky world of file types
  • Connecting cameras and using your filing system
  • Managing your workflow
Basic editing concepts
  • Understanding the editing workface
  • Importing files into your project
  • Where to cut / basic editing principals
  • The first cut
  • The power of a good sound edit
  • Adding other media types
  • Adding transitions
  • Creating  and using titles
  • Adding music
Advanced editing
  • Using motion
  • Layering
  • Working cross platform with Adobe Creative Suite
Editing exercise
  • There will be time for all members of the course to take part in an editing exercise aimed at reinforcing and furthering an understanding of the editing software. The exercise will offer the opportunity to put into practice what has been learnt so far. 
Exporting movies
  • Understanding the export settings
  • Using Media Encoder
Wrap up
  • What to take away from the day
  • What  these basic skills can offer you
  • Where to get follow up training
  • Hand out printed resource pack
  • Recommended online resources
  • Recommended reading
  • Any Questions...

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Date: 22 July 2013
Time: 10am - 4pm
Venue: Sea City Museum
Screenwriting with Elkie Yates

"Covered loads ... a good balance between tuition and practical exercises."

An intensive day workshop for anyone new to writing for the screen or those feeling in need of a refresher.  

This course will cover:
  • Characteristics of writing a good short screenplay
  • Analysing a varied selection of short films and film scripts
  • The writers routine, followed by how and where to begin your story
  • Creating the stories controlling idea and the essential basics of story elements
  • How to create interesting characters.  The discovery of a characters deeper meaning, character arc and the use of inner and outer conflict
  • The importance of setting, how it creates mood and tone. How to create a whole new world
  • Writing a story with or without dialogue
  • The art of plotting. The importance of conflict and tension, using reverse expectations for the audience, using tone, theme, and strong openings
  • Structure and Format
  • The importance of genre
  • Conducting research
  • Scriptwriting tools


The day’s workshop will include short film viewings, class exercises, an introduction to Celtx (Free scriptwriting software) and class hand-outs for the students to take home.

About Elkie Yates
Elkie Yates is an independent filmmaker and creative writing consultant, who specialises in scriptwriting.  She has written numerous short film scripts and is currently in the midst of writing two feature length scripts. She owns ‘Occult Filmmakers’ which was setup to help other independent filmmakers learn the craft. Elkie also makes her own short films and is currently tackling her first feature film called ‘Deluded’ as a writer/director. Elkie graduated from University of Winchester with a BA (hons) Degree in creative writing.

For details of courses that took place prior to 2013, please contact a member of City Eye staff.

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​City Eye, 142 - 144 Above Bar Street
Southampton, SO14 7DU 

Telephone:  023 8071 1672
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