What we’re about
Are you passionate about film making? Are you a professional looking for new opportunities and challenges? Are you a film lover curious how to get started? If you have experience behind or in front of the camera, or just starting up with dreams and aspirations - bring your talent and let's work together to make independent films. We are a group of passionate film creators focused on development, creativity and production of film in Berlin. We also offer help, film equipment, advice and all that goes into a film project.
The purpose of our community is to :
1. develop ideas for films, either narrative or documentary
2. build partnerships so that films can get shot and
3. building the team/crew and shoot the short film(s)
4. educate
4. If you already have an ongoing project and you need help/crew, this can be the group for you.
We want to stress is that we are not here to select or have opinions about what type of films you want to develop, it can be of any type or genre. The more diverse the better! But we do want to get started and shoot as soon as possible so that we get to start working together and learn more together.
Not all of us will work on all projects, you choose freely what project you want to get involved with and in what capacity. The community will support and assist all projects and facilitate planning and meetings and also create our own ideas together with you. And for those of you who don't have a massive experience already - this will be an excellent opportunity to get down and dirty and learn by doing :)
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Filmmaking Camera Workshop: Professional Film CameraworkSpace Meduza, Berlin€1.00
***
Note: In order to attend you must register and pay at https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/product/film_camerawork_workshop/***
Level: Beginner.
The workshop is conducted in English and costs 299€, or if you are a student or over 65 with ID, you pay 275€.
If you’re looking to advance your filmmaking knowledge by learning the tools and techniques that will get your camera knowledge ready for a film set, this workshop will help you take several big steps down that road. You will learn not just the camera technology, but also how to apply it, because while filmmaking is very technical, that technical knowledge is only a means to an end, which is to give you more time to spend on the creative aspects of filmmaking.
This will be a heavily hands-on workshop that will be a mix of information, demonstration and practical exercise. You will learn how to setup a film camera, what all the parts do, many of the camera settings and how they are used in different shooting situations. Together as a team we will plan out and shoot a pre-scripted scene. However, before planning the shoot we will review the camerawork theory and reasoning behind shot selection. This exercise will familiarize you not only with technical camera information, but also how to operate quickly in order to allow more time for creativity.
Everyone in the class will get the opportunity to setup the cinema camera, use all the accessories, and shoot part of the scene.
If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to reach out to me at alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.
Schedule:
Day 1:
Saturday, July 12th – 09:00 – 16:00- Cameras used in professional filmmaking
- Mid-level and pro-level Film Cameras
- What to look for when renting equipment
- Event, documentary, and narrative camera choices at different budgets
Codecs and bit depth
- Raw, Log, compressed codecs
- Picture profiles and LUT’s
- Bit depth explained
- Sensor size and crop factor
- Dynamic range explained
Exposure and exposure tools
- False color, Waveform, Histogram, Zebras
- Protecting your highlights
- Exposing your subject correctly – skin tones
- Light meters & lighting ratios with demonstration
- Maintaining consistency between shots
Focus
- Wireless follow focus – setup and use
- Focus monitor and peaking
- Creating marks and measuring distance
Tools of the trade & misc. camera knowledge dump
- Filters – when to use which filter
- Tripods and heads
- Slating (clapper) and set commands
- Video Village monitor setup
- High capacity batteries
- Rolling shutter and moiré – how to minimize their effect
- Pushing footage until it breaks to learn your camera’s limits
Building up a cinema camera
- Cinema lenses, follow focus, focus monitor, wireless transmitter, & video village monitor.
- In camera settings – white balance, frame rate, shutter speed, exposure
- Q&A & Review
Day 2:
Sunday, July 13th – 09:00 – 16:00Scene breakdown
- Breaking down the scene we will be shooting
- Shot list, storyboard analysis
- Determining which shots to group together & why
- Estimating time for setup
Setting up the camera in a group
- Group work - Setup the camera to be ready to shoot.
- Creating shooting schedule and shot list
Shooting the scene
- Shoot the scripted scene using the schedule and shot list.
- Everyone rotating through all roles
- Review of the raw footage
About the Workshop Leader
Hi, I’m Alex DePew and I will be your guide on this filmmaking adventure. I have been working in the film industry for over 16 years and have led many filmmaking workshops. I absolutely love teaching beginners the ropes. I get tons of joy when I see someone light up as they make a connections between what I am teaching and something they have seen in a movie. And when they apply that knowledge to their own film it is a thing of beauty.***Please go to the below link to register and for the full information.***
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/product/film_camerawork_workshop/ - Introduction to Documentary FilmmakingLink visible for attendees
Level: No previous experience required
Requirements: No professional camera needed—mobile phones are welcome!
Group Size: Max 6 participants (intimate, interactive learning)
Language: English
Location: Online
Cost: €299 (regular), €270 (students, low-income, special circumstances)
Payment: PayPal
Other payment methods are available upon request
Are you passionate about documentaries?Do you have a story to tell, but don’t know where to start?
Join my online workshop and discover how to create a contemporary, cinematic, and engaging documentary from start to finish! No previous experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a potential idea for a short documentary (don’t worry if you’re unsure; we’ll help you find your story!).Workshop Schedule
Day 1 – Documentary Styles & Storytelling
Sat, 19.07.2025 | 10:30 – 14:30
Check-in & Introductions
Story Structure: Discuss your documentary ideas
Documentary Styles: Watch and analyze different styles
Brainstorming: Find the best style for your storyDay 2 – Pre-Production & Production
Sun, 20.07.2025 | 10:30 – 14:30
Check-in
Camerawork & Sound: Basics of shooting, shot sizes, composition, and recording sound
Usable Footage & B-Roll: Tips for capturing essential shots
Interview Techniques: Secrets and tips for great interviewsDay 3 –Tailored consultations about your shooting
Week of 21–27 July
Personalized Support: Guidance before, during, and after productionDay 4 –Introduction to editing (educational video sent before meeting) & Tailored Consultations
Week OF 28 July- 3 AUGUST
Learn basic editing techniques
Settings and essential tools
Cutting
Transitions
Sound
Texts & titles
Exporting
Tailored consultation before-during-after post-production, concrete help with issues related to the editing and storytelling.Day 5 – Feedback & Screening
Sat, 09.08.2025 | 10:30 – 14:30
Feedbacks
Screening: Watch and discuss each other’s films
Celebration: Reflect on challenges and achievementsWhy Join?
Hands-on learning in a small group
Personalized feedback and support
Learn at your own pace with guided facilitation
Celebrate your creative journey with like-minded filmmakersContact
Email: paganelli.linda@gmail.com
Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out!About the Workshop MENTOR
Linda Paganelli is an artist, anthropologist, and filmmaker who weaves together decolonial and queer*feminist perspectives with sensory, visual storytelling. With a background in Visual Anthropology, her work creates immersive, self-reflexive experiences that challenge conventional understandings of reality. Over the past thirteen years, she has worked with universities, museums, and galleries, crafting narratives around migration, belonging, memory culture, and the more-than-human world. Her projects have taken her from the complexities of conflict zones in Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, and the Western Balkans to diverse communities across Europe. Through ethnographic filmmaking, Linda transcends academic boundaries, inviting a broader audience into these layered, intimate explorations.She has taught at the University of St. Andrews, Viadrina University, Viadrina Center B/ORDER IN MOTION, filmArche e. V., the Visual Haus Cinema School, University of Amsterdam. Together with Alex DePew and Klaus Salminen, she runs the Berlin Film Community.
