Documentary Filmmaking Certificate

6 weeks, 30 consecutive weekdays
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (plus additional hours incl. evenings and weekends)

If you have an idea for a documentary and want to turn your dream into reality, this intensive, 6-week course will provide the grounding you need to transform your initial concept into a gripping factual film. With hands-on training from practising documentary professionals, you will gain all the skills you need and make your own collaborative documentary ready to pitch and package to the industry.

You'll work with broadcast quality digital cameras and learn and develop your skills in cinematography and sound. Hone your editing skills with Adobe Premiere Pro before you pitch your final project to a panel of documentary industry professionals.

Key Features

• Promote your documentary projects through pitching and writing treatments
• Gain practical and paper-based skills and experience to apply to your own future documentaries
• Targeted exercises develop new and existing camera and sound abilities
• Learn documentary research methodologies and how to apply them
• Gain an understanding of the different sectors of the documentary industry
• Receive hands-on training from practising documentary industry professionals
• Work in small groups with excellent tutor-to-student ratios
• Group feedback sessions, mentoring and technical support enhance your learning and your individual project needs
• Work with broadcast-quality digital cameras and edit using Adobe Premiere Pro
• Pitch final projects to a panel of documentary industry professionals
• All final documentary film projects are screened
• Benefit from studying and networking within a top professional film academy to increase your contacts and knowledge of the filmmaking process

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

Minimum age 18.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS (For international Students)

To access the course content and understand the technical filmmaking terminology used when delivering our courses, all applicants must be able to read, write, speak and understand English to a B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale. The best way to find out your CEFR level is to take a well-designed standardised test. Most common English assessment tests now provide the CEFR equivalency. If you have questions about our English language requirement, please feel free to email the Short Courses team.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

For in depth Visa information please visit our Visa page.

Do I need to have an idea already? 

While we help you generate an idea at the start, it’s beneficial to have a project concept to aid your pitch and guide the tutors. 

Will I get to make my documentary? 

Not all students will produce their documentary due to time constraints. You'll pitch your idea to a panel, and the top 3 will be selected for production. 

What kind of documentary will we make? 

This is an educational short course, so choose a topic suitable for diverse audiences that can be effectively explored in a five-minute documentary.