Intro to Genre Filmmaking

Learn the essentials of genre filmmaking in this series of one-day courses for young people aged 12-15.

‘Film Genres’ is a term to describe a certain way of making films, each with its own basic rules on style, mood, setting and storytelling. Knowing what the genre is gives the audience clues about what to expect when they watch a film, and all films belong to at least one genre – for example the Star Wars films are Sci-fi and the Harry Potter films are Fantasy.

During these courses you’ll learn about the trappings and conventions of a different genre each week from our expert tutor Keith Allott, including a practical demonstration on a filmmaking techniques essential to that genre. We’ll then ask you to film a short scene putting what you’ve learned into action, before showcasing what you’ve made to the group.

The genres we’ll be focusing on are Comedy, Sci-fi, Fantasy and Horror. You can book for individual sessions if you want to learn about that genre in particular, or attend the whole series. Individual sessions are £15, but if you book all 4 sessions in a single transaction you’ll pay £50. 

These courses will take place online, with teaching and demonstrations with tutors in the morning, followed by a hands-on self-directed filmmaking task in the afternoon, and a final session online where everyone can share what they’ve made. Tutors will be available throughout the day for advice and support.

Participants will need access to a laptop or tablet for the taught sessions and a tablet, smartphone or digital camera for the filmmaking activity.