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Experience the Art of Filmmaking

Immerse yourself in the world of filmmaking with our exclusive masterclass retreat. Join director, screenwriter, and digital artist Martha Fiennes for an unforgettable experience. This is a place for you to uncover the art of storytelling through film and unleash and discover your personal film language.

Course Content

The filmmaking retreat will comprise 6x clear course days.

Once accepted on the course, a more detailed outline of the course and daily course content will be sent out. 

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The course, devised in principle by Martha Fiennes will include a comprehensive, daily programme to include:

01.

Group classes

02.

Group excursions

03.

One-on-one coaching and practice

04.

Personal working time

05.

External masterclasses & meetings

Philosophy

Inspired by the radical flourishing of filmmaking approaches during the famed French New Wave (Nouvelle Vague) approach to filmmaking during the 1960s, this filmmaking course encourages radical, free expression and experimentalism; the use of natural daylight and of shooting ‘free style’ on location (no formal studio lighting); not necessarily using trained actors; using current technology for filmmaking - from iPhones to drones.. and editing during the retreat on laptop software. Such an approach encourages exciting discoveries of a language of film style without the pressure to produce work that must perform commercially. 

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The course, a ‘tutored vacation retreat’ will offer students a combination of the principles of film ‘theory’ (practical, creative & professional mentoring) and ‘practice’ (implementation of screen-writing practice) to include:

How film is conceived and shaped.

Working with individually allocated hours with a professional, cinema-grade, ‘Netflix approved’ video camera kit and multiple lenses with experienced filmmakers, editors and camera operators Will Masheter and Hugo Andre. (See TEAM)

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Working with basic audio recording kit & mics.

Working with script-writing software.

Working with a drone and drone operator for those who wish.

The principles of translation of a script or film idea to the filmmaking process.

Working within individually allocated hours with editor & editing software / Da Vinci Resolve.

Film projects can be immensely varied - as examples, they can be shot on a smartphone, shot in one take, may or may not involve dialogue and sound effects - or could all be shot on a drone. The principle is first to mentor the student as they identify a short, simple film project outline and then help them realise it. As a result, even over a few short days, they will cover the fundamentals of the film process: • Idea outline / script (Pre production) • Camera shot list / scenes (Pre production) • Shooting (Production) • Editing (Post production) • Final Day, group screening (Distribution!) On the final day of the course, students will show their retreat project to the group. Rest assured, it will always be fun and convivial. GENERAL : The filmmaking retreat offers each student the opportunity to learn - or be reminded of - the key fundamentals of film and the filmmaking process. As the course gets underway, student/ guests will be encouraged to identify a film idea they are interested to explore and to help mentor a coherent, purposeful, realistic and practical production of a small ‘film project’ to be achieved within the days and schedule of the course. There will be the encouragement to respond to the environment at large, to light, to form, landscape, townscape, sound, colour and more- as they conjure intention and ideation. The sensory impact of the location, the house, the people will play its part in the inspiration, conception and realisation of each project. There are some exceptional people who live locally in the area at large, some with whom there is the possibility of holding external masterclasses, given the impressive nature of their careers - subject to their availability.

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