Workshops
This one-week course is for emerging documentary filmmakers & video professionals who want to explore shooting non-fiction stories with today's most accessible, and increasingly capable, digital cinema cameras.
There are no available registration dates at this time.
Note: This class will be held in a live, online format using the Zoom Platform.
Class meets Mon-Fri from 12-4pm ET + 1:1 instructor time.
This one-week course is for emerging documentary filmmakers and video professionals who want to explore the growing possibilities of shooting non-fiction stories with today’s most accessible, and increasingly capable, digital cinema cameras.
The workshop will start with a technical overview of the latest DSLR and Mirrorless cameras (i.e. Canon 5D, Panasonic GH5) their settings, functions, and capabilities. It will then move on to discuss aesthetic considerations of shooting including, composition, shot design, camera operation and movement, and lens selection.
Through exercises and demonstrations, students practice shooting and experience how these tools are best employed in capturing non-fiction. Shooting scenarios we will discuss include talking head interviews, vérité situations, as well as designed, cinematic shots.
While these cameras are extremely accessible and affordable, they have certain limitations. We will address and cover the challenges of external audio capture and camera body ergonomics, and discuss the many ways to rig your DSLR/DSLM as a fully capable documentary camcorder.
We will screen scenes from successful, visually-based, nonfiction pieces, as well as view and critique our own dailies for feedback and discussion on how we might improve our shooting approaches.
In the latter half of the week, students will shoot short projects, with an emphasis placed on the visual aspect, allowing them to put into practice their newfound skill sets.
Upon leaving the course, students will have gained new confidence in shooting, and have experienced the breadth of possibilities and benefits of choosing to tell their story with DSLR and Mirrorless cameras.
Image Credit: Alexis Mpaka
