Short Film Production Workshop: Learn by Making a Short Film (4 Days)

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Note: RSVPs made here do not guarantee a spot at the course. In order to register you must go to: https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/product/first_step_filmmaking_4day/

Also, by registering for this workshop you get a 1 year membership into the Berlin Film Community's Verein (Officially recognized Non-Profit Association) which costs €30 and gets you an instant 10% off of not only this workshop, but also all paid workshops and seminars we offer. Plus, being a member gets you many other benefits, such as free seminars, access to filmmaking equipment for free, rental discounts at 25p and more!

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There is no better way to learn the basics of filmmaking than by actually doing it. In this very hands-on 4 day workshop I will teach you the basics of filmmaking in the most effective and fun way possible, by actually getting your hands dirty making a short film. You will learn the fundamentals of filmmaking by going through the entire process, performing various roles on set such as director, camera operator, lighting technician and sound recorder.

This workshop will have a very limited class size of 12 people. This ensures that everyone gets the personal attention that learning so much information requires, as well as to allow for a decent amount of time so that you can try each of the different roles. I have tailored this course to make it flexible enough to accommodate people with absolutely zero experience as well as for people who have done a bit of filming. This 4 day workshop is different from my 2 day workshop, the First Step Filmmaking Workshop: Make Your Own Film, in that it goes into additional aspects of filmmaking, such as camerawork, lighting and sound which couldn't be included due to time constraints. We will also work as a group to make one short film together instead of everyone shooting their own film.

There will be three days of instruction and practical exercises and one shooting day. To be able to effectively get through the monumental task of shooting a short film in 1 day, we will be working from a prepared script that is very short and simple to shoot. This will allow everyone to work with the actors, shoot with the cinema camera, modify the lighting, and get a grounding in the way a set works. All the equipment and actors necessary for the short will be provided.

After we finish the shoot, you will get all the video and audio files so that you can review and edit the footage on your own. Please bring a hard drive with at least 50gb of free space on the last day of the course. While editing is an extremely important part of filmmaking, this course is designed to give you a grounding on the pre-production and shooting of a short film and 4 days just scratches that surface.

This course will be super informative, but also fun. I will throw a lot of information at you, but it will be mixed in with some groan worthy dad jokes along the way so you have that to look forward to.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me at [alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com](mailto:alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com).

Verein Membership and Discount
The workshop costs 550€, or if you are a student or over 65 with ID, you pay 525€.
However, if you are not already a member, by registering for this workshop you will get automatically enrolled in a 1 year of membership into the Berlin Film Community's Verein (Officially recognized Non-Profit Association) which costs €30 and gets you an instant 10% off of not only this workshop, but also all paid workshops and seminars we offer. Plus, being a member gets you many other benefits, such as free seminars, access to filmmaking equipment for free, rental discounts at 25p and more!
So for this workshop, if you are not a member, it will be €550 + €30(membership) - €55(10% member discount) = €525 for a Regular Ticket.
If you are already a member, you will get the discount of 10% without having to pay the membership cost, €550 - €55(10% member discount) = €495.

What you need to bring:

• A pair of work gloves in the event that you may handle hot lights.
• A hard drive with at least 50gb of free space for the audio and video files.

The workshop is conducted in English.

Schedule:
Day 1:
Saturday March 21st - 09:00 - 16:00

• The basics of visual storytelling
• What it takes to direct
• Camerawork on set
• How to use lighting to set a mood
• How to record audio
• Open discussion of working on set
• Q&A

Day 2:
Sunday March 22nd - 09:00 - 16:00

• Practical exercises using our camera, lighting and sound equipment
• Everyone gets to work with all the gear
• Homework for Day 3 & 4
• Q&A

Day 3:
Saturday March 28th - 09:00 - 16:00

• Creating a shot list, storyboarding, and camera diagrams
• Lighting diagrams for the different scenes
• Shooting plan for Day 4
• Further work with camera, lighting, and audio gear
• Q&A

Day 4: Shoot Day!
Sunday May 29h - 09:00 - 16:00

• Working with actors
• How to work on set
• Shooting the script as a group
• Everyone gets to perform all roles
• Quick review of footage
• Downloading of footage to drives
• Q&A

About the Workshop Leader:
Hi, I’m Alex DePew and I have been working in the film industry for over 19 years and have led several filmmaking workshops, many of which have been here in Berlin. I absolutely love teaching newbies the ropes and I get tons of joy when I see someone light up as they make a connection between what I am teaching and something they have seen in a movie. When a student then applies that knowledge to their own film, it is a thing of beauty.