Workshop Announcement: Introduction to Scientific Filmmaking

Overview: This 7-day immersion workshop will teach participants to communicate scientific findings, natural history information, or conservation messages by creating compelling, professional-quality videos. Topics will include story selection, planning, writing, camera technique, voiceovers, technical aspects of video and audio production, basic video and audio editing, project output, and distribution. These technical elements will underpin the main focus of the worrkshop: effective storytelling through video. The "hands-on" approach will be emphasized, and participants will put concepts introduced in lecture into daily practice. Opportunities will exist for shooting in the field and studio, and AAUS certified divers may have opportunities to try underwater videography. Collaborative opportunities may arise between participants and researchers working at Friday Harbor Laboratories. Participants will also critique existing documentaries, and by the end of the workshop, students will produce a short film on a topic of their choosing.

Target audience: This workshop is intended for academic scientists at any level (undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, faculty, or emeritus) as well as professional biologists (government, NGO, industry, etc.). Interested individuals from the general public will also be considered. No prior film making experience is required. The workshop will run with a minimum of 10 participants, and a maximum of 16. 

Instuctors: Jeff Morales (National Geographic Film & Television, & VONIGO Films)
Dr. Colin Bates (Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre & Department of Botany, University of British Columbia). more...

Where: University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories

When: November 16 – 22, 2009

Cost: US$1100 Includes workshop fees, supplies & equipment, housing, food, and lab user fees. Registration deadline is Sunday, November 1st .

For further information and application materials, contact Colin Bates (colinba@interchange.ubc.ca)


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