Course curriculum

  • 1

    WEEK 1: Onboarding

  • 2

    WEEK 2 The Content Idea

    • Project Development

    • Evaluating your idea


    • A Documentary Proposal

    • Finance Options for low budget filmmakers

    • First steps to obtaining funding

    • Making a sales promo or teaser

    • A Case study: Jack the Ripper 
 BIRTH OF CSi

    • Assessing your market


    • Evaluating your audience

    • Representation (documentary content)


    • Developing the ‘Hot Pitch’ (Elevator Pitch)

    • Basic Kit for your production
  • 3

    WEEK 3: Packaging your Production

    • A Production - the workflow

    • Case Study:Unmasking the Ripper

    • Stages of Production


    • Business Plan Development


    • Professional Roles. What you’ll need to know


    • Institutions & Organisations

    • Forming a Company

    • The Script (Adapting or Original story)

    • Packaging – What help is there?


    • Finding the Niche and Positioning your product

    • Case Study: Cuba/That Deadwood Feeling

    • The Process of development from idea to ‘Go’


    • Talent & Interviewees

    • Contacting and Liaising with Contributors


    • Case History: RAHM (with Ahmed Jamal)


    • Independent Producer’s Tasks

  • 4

    SESSION 4: Funding

    • Getting Funding – Routes and solutions


    • Commissioning Process 


    • Budget Considerations in Packaging

    • Crowdfunding Solutions

    • Preliminary Pre-Production decisions

    • CASE STUDY: The Cuba Shoot


    • Budget Outline for Investors

    • Getting it off the ground: Vision
  • 5

    SESSION 5: Pre-Production

    • Who works on a film: relationship

    • What is the Pre-Production Phase


    • The Process – What happens when

    • Case Study: That Deadwood Feeling/Unmasking the Ripper


    • Crewing Up


    • Contracts & Deals


    • Who works on a film (The Production Team)

    • Delegating Roles – Understanding the relationship

    • Defining Roles and Workflows

    • Script Breakdown


    • Understanding Scheduling

    • CASE STUDY: Cuba the Forgotten Isle (Getting ready)


    • Forms, Schedules & Reports

    • Indie Producer & Pre-Production

    • Firming up Interviewees. CASE STUDY: Unmasking the Ripper

    • Call Sheets & Controlling the Budget


    • CASE STUDY: Location Considerations

    • Final Preparation for Shoot Day
  • 6

    SESSION 6: The Shoot

    • The Process of production

    • Production Work Flow

    • Lighting

    • Camera & Grip (Basic Kit)

    • Shooting your project


    • Call Sheets & Schedules

    • Shoot Procedures

    • Interviewing


    • Shooting a scene CASE STUDY


    • Time Management

    • Production Challenges

    • Shoot Promotion & Publicity

    • Breaking down a scene CINEMATOGRAPHY

    • Music Videos & other Media
  • 7

    SESSION 7: Post-Production & Completion

    • Post Production Workflow

    • Preparation for Edit

    • The Role of the Editor

    • The Edit Workflow

    • Structure

    • Time & Space in editing

    • Edit Software options

    • Edit Practical


    • Sound Design

    • Music Soundtrack

    • Delivery

    • Packaging the Product

  • 8

    SESSION 8: Marketing, Promotion & Sales

    • After Post-Production – Workflow

    • The Promotion Elements

    • The Publicity Elements

    • Delivery Requirements

    • Film Festivals

    • Marketing Plan & Strategy

    • Sales Agents (The Deal)

    • Distribution Agreements

    • Exploiting Rights


    • Distribution Campaign

    • Niche Product and Selling

    • Selling to the Broadcast Channels

    • Alternative Markets

    • Distribution Case Study on a £50k film

    • Cinema Release

    • The alternatives in today’s market
  • 9

    SESSION 9: Online Digital Content THE METAVERSE

    • Online Content Management

    • Looking forward – VR and AR and MR

    • Understanding the Metaverse
  • 10

    SESSION 10: The Business of Production

    • Getting Started in Production

    • global Marketing Perspective

    • Alternative Approaches

    • Filmmaker as a Businessperson


    • Career Development