Beginners Film School

Be one of 12 budding young filmmakers from around the globe to take part in our intensive director training. If you’re passionate about filmmaking and seeing your ideas come to life on the screen, will give you the foundations you need to make your start.

Beginners Film School – Summer: Sun, 10 August 2025 to Sat, 23 August 2025

This two-week intensive is packed with practical filmmaking exercises. In addition to directing, you will try your hand at screenwriting, editing, acting and camera. You will work with peers on early exercises, but the final project will be your own! You will develop your ideas into a script, and work with industry professionals to translate it onto the screen in your own short film.

At the end of the course each participant will receive a certificate of attendance, plus a USB of all of their scenes which may be used for showreel purposes or as part of an application portfolio.

Aimed at those with little or no practical filmmaking experience, this programme complements our Directing Summer School with Udayan Prasad for more experienced filmmakers.

Please note: Those who complete and submit an application by certain dates will receive a priority date.

• For our Summer edition, the early application deadline is Sunday 24th March 2025 will receive priority for a place.

We will continue to accept applications after the initial application deadline. Offers to subsequent candidates will be made subject to availability.

Get ready for two jammed-packed weeks of practical filmmaking exercises and industry-standard workshops! Even if you’ve never written a script, picked up a camera or thought seriously about a career in filmmaking, this course will leave you with the tools and inspiration you need to shout ‘Action!’.

You’ll first learn the basics of filmmaking and participate in group exercises with your fellow participants. The exercises and group workshops are designed to get you feeling confident behind the camera, before embarking on your own short film shoot. You’ll have the chance to direct, write, shoot, and edit your own short film with the help of a professional cast and crew.

The Beginners Summer School will jump-start your passion for filmmaking.

NOTE: You are encouraged to come up with at least two ideas that you might consider filming before the course begins. These ideas must be 5mins maximum in duration and feature two characters. You will also be given some examples of short films to watch and scripts to read for the first directing exercise.

A day-by-day breakdown is available below. Please keep in mind that course timings and content are subject to change. The final schedule will be emailed to all participants in advance of the start date.

The first few days are all about filmmaking foundations. What makes a good short film? How can you best tell your story? You’ll also complete a directing exercise with your peers, based on these foundations. This exercise will be subject to constraints in locations and number of set-ups to test your creativity.

DAY 1

BLOCK TWO

The next block will be spent preparing for your final films. You will take turns to direct your  scripts, working in groups with your peers. You will also take on the role of camera operater and actor in your peers’ films. Each film will be assembled by professional editors, and screened to the group for feedback. You’ll then take what you learn from this experience and apply it to your final film.

DAY 6

BLOCK THREE

DAY 11

The final day will be spent reviewing all twelve films, and seeing your progress from the first exercise. There will be group feedback and notes from your peers and our guests tutors, followed by a farewell event.

At the end of the course each participant will receive a certificate of attendance, plus a USB of all of their scenes which may be used for showreel purposes or as part of an application portfolio.