Workshops

Alexander Mackendrick on Filmmaking: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director with Paul Cronin

Paul Cronin is editor of the book: ON FILM-MAKING: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CRAFT OF THE DIRECTOR by Alexander Mackendrick

News dates to be confirmed
Please register your interest by email: workshops@lfs.org.uk.

"Paul's material is fabulous. There were some gems here that I hadn't heard expressed so succinctly before. He's amassed an extremely valuable tool for film-makers in general and I thank him for the work he's undertaken to share this valuable archive and insight with us."
Lee Thomas, Head of Production & Development, Screen West Midlands

Introduction

Paul Cronin, editor of the book On Filmmaking: an Introduction to the Craft of the Director by Alexander Mackendrick, presents a workshop based on Mackendrick's influential teachings.

Alexander Mackendrick teaching at the
California Institute of the Arts in the early 1980s

 

This two-day workshop is an excellent opportunity for any filmmaker who wishes to learn more about film-making from one of the masters of the medium. Alexander Mackendrick's practical approach serves as one of the best introductions to the craft of film-making available to filmmakers today. The workshop is structured around the illustrated lecture MACKENDRICK ON FILM which features footage of Mackendrick discussing his approach to film-making, and interviews with some of his former students and colleagues who discuss his ideas in detail.

Please note that this is a seminar-based workshop, not a practical hands-on weekend.

As well as dealing with Mackendrick's ideas on how film should be taught, the workshop topics covered include:

  • Crafting a narrative screenplay
  • Turning your script into a film
  • How the director works with actors
  • 'When not to write a shooting script'
  • Why you should always try to cut dialogue from your script
  • How 'Movies show and then tell'
  • Why a 'clever plot' might not be a good starting point for your story
  • Why props and 'incidental business' are crucial to the job of the director
  • 'The Pre-verbal Language of Cinema'
  • Why you should be beware of flashbacks
  • 'Exposition is boring unless it is in the context of some present dramatic tension or crisis'
  • 'Passivity is a capital crime in drama'
  • 'The role of the antagonist may have more to do with the structure of the plot than the character of the protagonist'
  • Setting the fuse and the obligatory scene
  • How different camera angles and movement help create different emotions in the audience
  • 'What is happening now is apt to be less dramatically interesting than what may or may not happen next'
  • 'If you've got a beginning but don't yet have an end, then you're mistaken: you don't have the right beginning'
  • 'Drama is expectation mingled with uncertainty'
  • Use of the foil character
  • Why a good story can be told from the point of view of any character
  • Why you should always look for the longest axis on your set
  • 'What you leave out is as important as what you leave in'
  • Postcarding as a method of structuring your story

Go here for an in-depth breakdown of the two-day workshop:
http://www.thestickingplace.com/pdf/film/study_sheets.pdf

Novice filmmakers will leave the workshop equipped with valuable craft-based ideas that will help at all times when writing and directing. Those who are more experienced will have their understanding of the craft greatly enriched

Fee: £120.00

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How to apply

Please submit the following items:

Email us:
Carolyn Atherton:
workshops@lfs.org.uk

Postal Address:
Workshops Admissions,
The London Film School,
24 Shelton Street,
London, WC2H 9UB, UK

Telephone us:
+44 (0)20 7836 9642

Fax us:
+44 (0)20 7497 3718

 

Skillset Funding

Successful applicants for this workshop may be eligible to apply for a Skillset Screen Bursary to cover up to 80% of their workshops fees.

For full details visit www.skillset.org/screenbursaries or contact Hal Sinden at Skillset: 020 7713 9888 / hals@skillset.org.