Award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer John Harrigan joins us to host an exciting smartphone filmmaking workshop, traversing all steps of the process – screenwriting, pre-production, production, post-production, and independent distribution – and combining practical lessons with technical expertise. Utilising his 13 years of industry experience, John will unpack the essential skills needed for creating a feature film using just a smartphone, providing a wealth of useful tips and insights.
This workshop will teach you how to adapt and thrive throughout the filmmaking process, making effective use of your surroundings to weave engaging narratives. Drawing from his philosophy, “Art is magic. Art is utterly vital...", John will show you how to create compelling and impactful stories, work with actors and a film crew, and direct and capture stories through the lens of your phone.
The course will unfold as follows:
- Prologue - How do we stay true to our ideas using a smartphone? Examples from the world of independent filmmaking.
- Act One - The landscape of your story and how to create a screenplay that takes advantage of shooting on a smartphone.
- Break
- Act Two - Pre-production and the power of collaboration.
- Act Three - Principal photography. Using your smartphone as a narrative compass. Lighting, gimbals and the advantages of shooting on a small and powerful camera phone.
- Lunch
- Act Four - Post-production in the realm of smartphone filmmaking.
- Break
- Act Five - Release strategies, community, and the future of smartphone filmmaking.
For this workshop, all you need to bring along is a smartphone capable of recording video, a pen, and a journal. The Cinema City Cafe Bar will be serving a variety of hot & cold food throughout the day, though you are welcome to bring your own lunch if preferred.
About our workshop leader:
John Harrigan, founder of the creative collective F00lishPe0ple, is a seasoned filmmaker, producer, writer, consultant, and lecturer in storytelling, experience design, and creativity. Currently a Senior Lecturer at the Birmingham Screen and Film School and a Visiting Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, John has been invited to facilitate workshops at prestigious venues such as the Institute of Contemporary Arts and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He has also served as a script reader for the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition.
