Duration: 2 days
Times: 10.30am-5.30pm
Capacity: Approx. 15 participants
Fee: £300
Fee includes a free copy of the book 'The Film Director Prepares' by Jonas Grimas.
This workshop is for filmmakers intent on making an entry into directing or producing a short film, low-budget feature film or a TV drama. Going through each step of the preparation for a production, it attempts to de-mystify, simplify and clarify the process.
Introduction by Jonas Grimås:
“I have worked as a director for 35 years making films for the cinema, television dramas and documentaries, both in the UK and in Sweden. I realised very early on in my career that a film is made in the preparatory stages of a production.
Naturally, I have come to refine my work during pre-production over the years.
No two projects are the same; the problems and challenges are different, sometimes unique. But as a director, there is a series of steps you go through each time you set out to tell a story through a visual medium, and each step involves a number of other people necessary for the realisation of your film.
The course will take a very practical approach. We’ll conclude by watching the finished film and asking could have been done differently or better."
"The way Jonas Grimås teaches makes it clear that you could not have acquired the information otherwise... Looking back, his course was like a mosaic that brought together every piece that I had understood from previous film work and education - and made it make sense." Katharina List, 'Directors' Prep' participant Jan 2014. Read full testimonial.
DAY ONE
1. The Director - A fresh definition of what they are actually there to do (you’ll be surprised!)
2. The Script - How to read it if you didn’t write it (and how to develop an idea if you have one).
3. The Idea: So… I got the plot - but what is the story really about?
4. Forming your Vision
- “The honeymoon period” – Making the film in your mind.
- How to research.
4. Working with the Writer and/or Script Editor
- The five point rule: Character; Action; Story; Plot; Script.
- How does the re-writing process work?
5. The Project
- Should I pick this project or not?
- How to balance money / career / personal interest.
6. The Producer
- What is the Producer there to do?
- How to create a working relationship with the Producer.
- Is it a marriage made in heaven, or hell – or indifference?
- Working out the money/time equation.
LUNCH BREAK
6. Putting together a crew - Heads of Departments
- The process of putting together a crew.
- Sometimes, rarely, you have free choice of crew members. Sometimes you have none. How to identify your vital allies you need, to make a crew your own.
- Is it a hierarchy?
8. Round-up and question time.
9. Homework for day 2 (simple)
DAY TWO
10. Visual storytelling - what makes a film cinematic?
11. Planning your shots - The Story Beat
12. Practical exercise: The one shot solution
13. Sharing your ideas
- Floorplans, shotlists or storyboard?
- Making use of digital tools.
LUNCH BREAK
14. Locations
- Plotting and picking your locations.
- Studio & Location – the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Working with a Location Manager.
15. Casting
- Preparing with a casting director.
- What to look for in your cast
- How to conduct a casting session (A complete protocol).
16. Rehearsals with the actors
17. The Technical Recce
- Who is this for, and how can you make the most of it?
18. The read-through
- How to prepare.
- Do’s and don’ts for the read-through itself
19. Round-up and question time.
The course will take a very practical approach; no previous experience needed. Participants aspiring to become Cinematographers, Sound Recordists, Script Supervisors - even Actors - have found the seminar useful.
'The Film Director Prepares' is a 147-page book written by Jonas Grimås based on his workshop at LFS. Partcipants attending this workshop will receive a free copy on arrival!