Dramatic Filmmaking Intensive: Directing, Cinematography & Editing

This event took place on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021 at 9:00 amVista Outdoor Learning Centre

Three days of working in small groups with industry professionals on the production and editing of short dramatic films. 

This course will focus on demystifying and learning industry standard practices for the roles of Directing and Cinematography. With a focus on team-building, creative problem solving, and increasing knowledge of the industry and the crafts, the participants will receive guided, hands-on experience working in their selected creative role. YFS will provide experienced actors and a sound recordist as well as support staff during the weekend of learning and production at the Vista Outdoor Learning Centre. YFS will also provide editors to work with the four directors for the dramatic editing lab.

The course will be divided into three streams: directing, cinematography and editing. All three elements will be integrated and collaborative. For example, cinematographer trainees will be encouraged to attend the editing drama master class, even though they will not be involved in the editing lab later that day.

In order to maximize learning and hands-on experience for participants, this intensive program have a submission and selection process as space will be limited to 4 director trainees and 4 cinematography trainees. The selection committee will include Indigenous staff or board member at YFS and aim to provide opportunity to people who self-identify as IBPOC, Queer or under-represented in screen media.

YFS is now accepting applications for this workshop. Please send a CV, a brief cover letter about what you want to get out of the training and if applying for the director training, a two-page two-hander script (original or published) you'd like to film. The submission of a script is optional. There will be script options presented to you if you're selected as one of the directing partiicpants. Applications must be received by Sunday July 31 at 11:59pm.

WORKSHOP PHASE ONE: Dramatic Film Production: Two days at the Vista Outdoor Learning Centre. Includes snacks, meals and wall tent accomodation for Friday (if required) and Saturday night. Participants whose home community is more than 75 kms from Whitehorse who are offered one of the eight workshop spaces will be offered travel assistance.

Day One: Instruction and hands on learning the craft of your chosen role. Instruction provided in separate groups.

Day Two: Set protocol overview and filming scenes in teams. Professional actors will be hired by YFS to act in four short films produced by the teams.

Cinematography Course Objectives

The goal for the cinematography portion of the workshop will be to offer an immersive hands-on experience that will equip the attendees with the ability to block, light and shoot dramatic scenes, as well as providing a brief introduction to a range of different shooting styles.

The course will focus on ways to achieve strong storytelling visuals in an achievable way; avoiding big budget, Hollywood examples and focusing on outcomes that are realistic and achievable for smaller, Yukon-based productions.

By working with directors as part of the course, there will be a strong emphasis on how imagery can best serve the story. The course will have a focus on the relationship between different on set roles, and the importance of relationship building in a multidisciplinary environment.

Instructor bio: Marty O’Brien's varied experiences shooting and directing content in a range of climates, conditions and locations around the world has led him to approach every project with versatility and openness. Marty is constantly challenging himself, seeking out new and dynamic ways to tell stories. He recently worked a second camera director of photography on the dramatic feature, Polaris, film shot in Yukon. His cinematography credits also include: Grey Mountain, Camera Trap, Sovereign Soil and The Arctics.

Directing Course Objectives

The directing course will be focused on visualization, breaking scenes down into their essential elements and working with actors. Students will be asked to come prepared with a 2-3 page 2 hander scene that they will prepare to film on day 2.

Directors will be introduced to a series of preparation methods including storyboarding, camera position mapping and script-lining. The course will also touch on rehearsals, working with actors and collaborating with cinematographers.

Instructor bio: Naomi Mark grew up playing in the boreal landscape of Canada’s North and feels most comfortable in wide open spaces with a camera in hand. As a film director Naomi works in both fiction and documentary creating intimate portraits that focus on the human condition. Her recent work includes the feature film How To Bee, a POV documentary about her relationship with her father as he teaches her to keep bees at the end of his life and The Arctics, a TV-hour documentary filmed across the circumpolar North and the short dramatic film Grey Mountain.

WORKSHOP PHASE TWO: 1 day editing workshp

Sunday September 19: Editing dramatic films Master Class and Editing Lab (Day 3) Venue: KDCC

This learning day is split into two sections. The morning lecture is a continuation for the eight participants of the directing and cinematography intensive and will have extra space for people who did not attend the dramatic production intensive but want to deeper their understanding of editing dramatic films. The afternoon will see the four directors from the production intensive be paired up with experienced editors to edit the material they filmed in the production intensive weekend. Students work as part of a creative team while editing, re-editing and experimenting with their scenes. Depending on COVID-19 travel requirements, the participation of this instructor may have to be over zoom.

The master class is for experienced filmmakers, directors, editors, and producers who want to develop greater sensitivity and skill in editing and shaping dramatic material.  It will explore the creative process of editing with the guidance and critique of a master film editor and deepen their understanding of scene dynamics, timing and continuity, and the aesthetics of cinematic storytelling. The class will highlight techniques for heightening tension, performance, and pacing in both comedy and dramatic films. Students will learn about an editor’s relationship with the director and how each contributes to shaping the film in this crucial phase.

9am to 12pm Dramatic film editing Master Class

Through discussions, demonstrations and exercises, participants will gain a better understanding from workflow to deliverables when working on dramatic films

1pm to 5pm Dramatic film editing Lab for production intensive directors and local editors

This hands-on lab will involve the teams editing one or several versions of the short film the director’s shot in the dramatic intensive. The instructor will work individually with the director/ editor teams as they progress, offering feedback and guidance throughout the day.

Instructor bio: Sarah Hedar is an award-winning editor whose numerous credits include the Feature film SGaawaayK’uuna: Edge of The Knife, Winner for Best Editing in a Motion Picture Drama – Leo Awards 2019, Now Is The Time Winner for Best Editing in a Short Documentary – Women in Film Int’l Film Festival 2020. Her credits include Feature Films for Shoreline Entertainment, TV series and Documentary films for the CBC, Aptn, Slice Network, Knowledge network, NFB and NSI and more. Sarah is also a faculty member of Langara College's Department of Film Arts where she teaches film editing and documentary production.