The director is ultimately responsible for every image and sound that appears on the screen. Many new directors chase the dream of directing without the technical and creative skills needed to succeed.

You will learn the basics of working with the screenplay, directing actors and using camera, lighting and sound equipment in this introductory course, and gain an overview of each area of the director’s responsibilities.

Week 1: The Director And The Script

The script is the blueprint for a movie. The director's job is to read and interpret the screenplay. Discover how a good director translates the written word into the visual elements on the screen.

* Analysing and reading the script
* Discovering the true story
* Identifying key moments
* Finding additional visual elements
* Written assignment


Week 2: The Director And The Rehearsal

The director¹s challenge is to communicate his/her vision to the cast. Learn to run a rehearsal and create mood and tension by inspiring the actors and using the tool of staging.

* How actors work
* Creating characters for the screen
* Tools for communicating with actors
* Rehearsal process and staging
* Written assignment


Week 3: The Grammar Of Directing

Directors use a variety of shots and lenses to compose their scenes and create a vocabulary of cinematic techniques and processes. Directors must learn the do's and don'ts of film grammar.

* Camera placement and technique
* Framing and composition
* Storyboarding as a directing tool
* Written assignment


Week 4: Directing The Shoot

Using professional actors and a DV camera, a short scene will be shot to demonstrate the techniques used by professionals.

* Protocol on set
* Basic camera functionality explained
* Lenses, lighting and movement
* Shooting for the edit and analysing rushes
* Written assignment

Week 5: Directing The Edit

In the edit, the audiovisual material collected during the shoot is reorganised to tell the story in the best way. The director must thoroughly understand the editing process.

* Time scale and project management explained
* Viewing rushes and making decisions
* Working with sound and music
* View edit from last week's rushes
* Written assignment

Contact: 0207 287 3833 (UK country code is 44, and drop the first zero)