Plan every shot before you film a single frame
A hands-on course in Stirling that shows you how to turn a written idea into storyboards, scene outlines, location shortlists and a filming schedule you can actually follow.
Learn by planning real factual shoots
Every module is built around exercises rather than lectures. You start with a written idea and finish with documents a crew could use on the day: drawn frames, interview outlines, location comparisons and a timed schedule. Each exercise gets feedback before you move on.
ContactBreak a script into scenes
You take a short written idea and divide it into scenes, then into individual shots. The exercise teaches you to ask what each shot shows, why it is there and what it needs. By the end you hold a shot list that makes sense to someone who has never read your script.
Draw frames anyone can read
Storyboards here are simple. You practise thumbnails, basic framing and short annotations rather than polished illustration. The aim is clarity for the camera operator, the producer and anyone helping on the day, whatever your drawing skill.
Outline interviews with care
You plan where people sit, where the camera and light go, and how questions flow from one topic to the next. You also list cutaway ideas, so the edit has useful pictures to work with once the conversation ends.
Compare locations side by side
You gather details on access, permissions, noise, power and space for each candidate site, then set them into a single comparison. This makes the choice easier to explain to colleagues and keeps surprises away from the shoot.
Build a schedule that holds
You work out travel, setup, interview time and changing daylight, then fit them into one shooting day. The result is a realistic running order with room for the things that usually take longer than expected.
Six modules from written idea to shooting day
The course moves in the order you would plan a real shoot. It begins with shot lists and storyboards, continues through interviews, locations, camera positions and light, and ends with a filming schedule. Each module can be read on its own, but they build on one another.
From Idea to Shot List
Turn a written idea into a clear sequence of planned shots, with exercises on breaking a script into scenes.
Storyboard Drawing Basics
Learn simple framing, thumbnails and annotation so your storyboards can be read by any crew member.
Scene Outlines for Interviews
Plan interview setups, question flow and cutaway ideas for factual reports and short films.
Location Scouting and Shortlists
Collect location details, access permissions and filming constraints, then compare options side by side.
Camera Positions and Light
Mark camera positions, lens choices and natural or studio lighting on simple floor plans.
Filming Schedules
Build a realistic shooting day schedule that allows for travel, setup time and changing light.
Full descriptions of every module, with the exercise each one involves, are on the curriculum page. Ask us if you are unsure where your own project fits.
CurriculumPrinciples behind every exercise we set
Planning is rarely glamorous, but it decides whether a shoot runs calmly or falls apart by mid-morning. The course is shaped by three principles that show up in how lessons are written, how feedback is given and what we ask you to produce.
Clarity
Clarity means every plan can be read by someone who was not in the room when you made it. We ask you to label frames plainly, name locations precisely and write schedules in ordinary language, then check whether a colleague could follow them without your help.
Preparation
Preparation is treated as the real work of a shoot. You learn to visit a site before booking it, to ask about permissions early and to think about light and sound before the camera is switched on. Time spent here is time you do not lose on the day.
Practicality
Practicality keeps the exercises tied to real conditions. Budgets are small, daylight is limited and people arrive late. Your plans are tested against those facts, so what you produce is something you would genuinely take out and use.
Bring your idea and we will help shape it
Tell us about your subject, the number of locations and how long the finished video should run. We will reply with suggestions on where to begin in the curriculum.
ContactGet in touch
Email: [email protected]