Intro to Documentary Certificate

This documentary filmmaking course provides you with all the information you need to get your first documentary made. It focuses on the challenges that first-time documentary filmmakers are up against and provides practical strategies that enable you to get to the finish line. Furthermore, the course takes into consideration the challenging limitations that COVID-19 presents to filmmakers as well as highlights new online initiatives and collaborative tools designed to support and promote documentary filmmaking through these challenging times.

You can apply for the course with a project already in development, but this is not a prerequisite. The week is used for project consultations as well as group work that will help you to move your project forward. The course includes documentary development, pitching, paperwork, budgets, production, directing and post-production. Case studies are used to explain different production strategies and the course culminates in pitching techniques for project presentations.

In addition to your project work, we offer practical advice on thinking through a documentary film career, with an emphasis on a multi-disciplinary approach and strategies for making, presenting and distributing in a wide variety of formats in order to ensure your success.

• Gain an intensive overview of the documentary industry, including festivals, broadcasters and funding bodies
• Skills in researching œthe story, producing and conceptualising, scriptwriting, defining your audience and finding your key team
• You are given example documents, including treatments, release forms, schedules and permissions
• Insight into budgeting crew size, camera format, sound set-up, length of shoot and postproduction and how to balance practical and artistic considerations.
• How to film an interview discreetly, ethically and safely
• Post-production needs of your documentary, from viewing and logging footage to producing a finished film ready for distribution
• The opportunity to pitch your project and receive feedback
• Exhibition, distribution and broadcast strategies are discussed with a range of case studies from traditional TV documentaries to new media platforms

Duration: 5 days, full time
Hours: 10:00 - 17:00 GMT

This documentary filmmaking course provides you with all the information you need to get your first documentary made. It focuses on the challenges that first-time documentary filmmakers are up against and provides practical strategies that enable you to get to the finish line.

You can apply for the course with a project already in development, but this is not a prerequisite. The week is used for project consultations as well as group work that will help you to move your project forward. The course includes documentary development, pitching, paperwork, budgets, production, directing and post-production. Case studies are used to explain different production strategies and the course culminates in pitching techniques for project presentations.

In addition to your project work, we offer practical advice on thinking through a documentary film career, with an emphasis on a multi-disciplinary approach and strategies for making, presenting and distributing in a wide variety of formats in order to ensure your success.

• Gain an intensive overview of the documentary industry, including festivals, broadcasters and funding bodies
• Skills in researching “the story”, producing and conceptualising, scriptwriting, defining your audience and finding your key team
• You are given example documents, including treatments, release forms, schedules and permissions
• Insight into budgeting – crew size, camera format, sound set-up, length of shoot and postproduction – and how to balance practical and artistic considerations.
• How to film an interview discreetly, ethically and safely
• Post-production needs of your documentary, from viewing and logging footage to producing a finished film ready for distribution
• Exhibition, distribution and broadcast strategies are discussed with a range of case studies from traditional TV documentaries to new media platforms.

This course takes place in person at LFA, 52a Walham Grove, London SW6

To apply online please click on the course date below.

• 21 April 2025 - 25 April 2025
  Course Fee: £ 695
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• 14 July 2025 - 18 July 2025
  Course Fee: £ 695
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• 27 October 2025 - 31 October 2025
  Course Fee: £ 695
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• All applicants must be fluent in English: English Language Level: Upper Intermediate
• Minimum age 18

Step 1: Application
Submit your Application Form here.

Step 2: Course Fees
Your letter of acceptance, which you need in order to apply for your student visitor visa, can only be issued once you have met all of the admissions criteria for the course you are applying for and we have received your full course fees.

Step 3: Acceptance
Once we’ve received your full course fees, we can issue you with a letter of acceptance, which you can use to apply for your student visitor visa. In order to issue your letter of acceptance we will require:

1.  A scanned copy or high quality photograph of your passport
2. Your passport number
3. Your name as it appears on your passport
4. Your nationality
5. Your home address
6. The address where you will be staying whilst studying in the UK