Finding the story - on the shoot and in the edit

As part of our Step Up strand, we're offering training to help individuals coming back into the industry after a break, moving into a new role or responsibility level, or improving skills in unscripted TV.

In order to tell a good story we need to know what the story is that we're trying to tell.  

In unscripted TV this is sometimes incredibly hard because real life can be far more complicated than the version presented in a film, plus contributors who are being filmed in an observational manner might behave in unexpected and unpredictable ways, making any shooting script pretty much a stab in the dark.

So how do PDs try to work out what the story is before going on the shoot? And then how in the edit do PDs and edit producers watch the rushes and work out what the filmed story actually is? 

In this interactive workshop exec Jo Woolf will go through some different techniques and approaches to help both PDs and EPs work out how to "find" the best possible story on the shoot and in the edit. Please be prepared to have your cameras on during this session and to share your ideas and get involved in discussions and exercises.

Who it's for

This course is suitable for anyone from AP to exec level in unscripted TV who wants to explore narrative arcs, adding layers to your film and getting both clarity and nuance into your films.

The majority of the Unscripted Skills Fund (USF) online short course offering is for those at early career stage and above. As a result, we generally require applicants to have at least three credits (unless working in a traditionally uncredited role). If you strongly feel you would still benefit from the training, please email USF@screenskills.com so we can assess if an exception should be made.

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. This course is designed to be as interactive as possible. Please email the above address if you have any access requirements and we will be delighted to help, be that clarifying the form such interaction is likely to take or discussing reasonable adjustments.

Trainer

Jo Woolf is an executive producer and TV coach and trainer with many years experience also working as a producer/director on a wide variety of factual and factual entertainment series. Past credits include: Child of Our Time, First Dates and 24 Hours in A&E, as well as many quirky one-offs, gritty ob docs and specialist factual series. For more info see here website here: www.jowoolftv.com 

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘apply for ticket’ and follow the instructions to apply for your place: you must login or register before you are able to complete your application.

Places on these free online courses are limited and applications are often highly competitive. To stand the best chance of securing a place, please be sure to consider the following:

• When asked to list your three most recent credits, please include the programme title and your job role
• When asked what you hope to gain from the course, please be concise but ensure you cover the specific elements of the topic you would like to gain knowledge of and what gaps in your skillset you believe the course may address
• A rewording of the course title or a general comment on career progression does not tell us much about how this course would benefit you

If you are no longer able to attend, we ask you to please use the 'decline ticket' function on the right hand side of the page so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed, so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.

This session is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.

This course would normally cost participants to attend but, thanks to this support, we are able to offer it to you for free. If you fail to attend, we reserve the right to request reimbursement of costs, unless your place can be taken by someone else.