London Film School, offer full-time MA Degree courses in both Film Making and Screewriting.

Paul Cronin, editor of the book On Film-Making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director by Alexander Mackendrick, presents a comprehensive workshop based on Mackendrick's influential teachings.

This in-depth seminar is an excellent opportunity for any filmmaker who wishes to learn more about film-making from one of the masters of the medium. Alexander Mackendrick's practical approach serves as one of the best introductions to the craft of film-making available today. The weekend is structured around the illustrated lecture Mackendrick on Film, which features footage of Mackendrick discussing his approach to film-making, interviews with some of his former students and colleagues who discuss his ideas in detail, and a host of film clips.

The newly structured 3-day workshop gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in Mackendrick's ideas and engage with other participants.

Please note that this is a seminar-based workshop, not a practical hands-on weekend.

Course Outline

As well as dealing with Mackendrick's ideas on how film should be taught, the workshop topics covered include:

• Crafting a narrative screenplay
• The fundamentals of film grammar: turning your script into a film
• How the director works with actors
• 'When not to write a shooting script'
• Why you should always try to cut dialogue from your script
• How 'Movies show and then tell'
• Why a 'clever plot' might not be a good starting point for your story
• Why props and 'incidental business' are crucial to the job of the director
• 'The Pre-verbal Language of Cinema'
• Why you should be beware of flashbacks
• 'Exposition is boring unless it is in the context of some present dramatic tension or crisis'
• 'Passivity is a capital crime in drama'
• 'The role of the antagonist may have more to do with the structure of the plot than the character of the protagonist'
• Setting the fuse and the obligatory scene
• How different camera angles and movement help create different emotions in the audience
• 'What is happening now is apt to be less dramatically interesting than what may or may not happen next'
• 'If you've got a beginning but don't yet have an end, then you're mistaken: you don't have the right beginning'
• 'Drama is expectation mingled with uncertainty'
• Use of the foil character
• Why a good story can be told from the point of view of any character
• Why you should always look for the longest axis on your set
• 'What you leave out is as important as what you leave in'
• Postcarding as a method of structuring your story

Go here for an in-depth breakdown of the workshop:
http://www.thestickingplace.com/pdf/film/study_sheets.pdf

For more about Mackendrick's teachings, go here:
www.alexandermackendrick.com

Novice filmmakers will leave the workshop equipped with valuable craft-based ideas that will help at all times when writing and directing. Those who are more experienced will have their understanding of the craft greatly enriched.

Times: 9.30am - 6pm

Fee: £220
10% Early Bird discount available until 30th April

Fee includes networking lunch on all three days, drinks on Sunday evening, plus a complimentary copy of the Mackendrick book.

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How to apply

Please submit the following items (email applications preferred):

• Application Form
  (click to download)
• Personal Statement
  (i.e. a few brief paragraphs explaining why you're applying for the course, what you hope to gain from it etc.)

Once your application has been received we will provide you with instructions for booking your place online.

Email us:
Carolyn Atherton:
workshops@lfs.org.uk

Postal Address:
Workshops Admissions,
The London Film School,
24 Shelton Street,
London, WC2H 9UB, UK

Telephone us:
+44 (0)20 7836 9642

Fax us:
+44 (0)20 7497 3718

• Paul Cronin and Alexander Mackendrick - More info
• Testimonials