Working on physical celluloid for the film production office

This four day online course offers participants a practical step-by-step guide to the impact of managing a production using physical celluloid on budgeting, scheduling and postproduction. It will offer practical advice and guidance on the impact of film production on budgets, production schedules and postproduction management.   

The course is fully supported by the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund with contributions from UK film productions and is run by The Pipeline, hosted by creative director Christine Pyke and delivered by cinematographers, Laura Hilliard and Steve Wyatt.

Who it's for

This course is for production coordinators, production managers and line producers keen to understand the nuances of the film production pipeline to enhance employment prospects in this growing sector. It is designed for professionals who have existing experience within the production office managing UK-based productions.   

The four day online training programme takes participants across the full film production process outlining technical and creative implications on costings across each stage. 

Participants will be expected to have experience of working within a production office and have an understanding managing pre, production and postproduction processes. 

We are keen to hear from under-represented groups across the UK including those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds; people with a disability (physical and neurodivergent); people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We offer inclusive training and will support any access requirements individuals may have.

To discuss access requirements, please email hello-pipelinemedia@salford.ac.uk 

What it covers

The course, held over two consecutive weekends, will be delivered online with a host and two expert professionals with many years’ experience working with celluloid film as cinematographers, filmmakers and producers. 

The training programme will be delivered in bite-sized sessions across the film production workflow to help the participants understand each stage and the implications on budgets and logistics.

The course will include topics such as gaining the trust of film labs, understanding their needs and timescales, negotiating deals on purchasing and hiring film stock and equipment and processing, storing film stock, accessing it and the transportation of material for processing. It looks in detail at the amount of paperwork needed at each stage with tangible examples, when and who to talk to early in the process to pre-empt issues further along the pipeline and what information a post facility needs to get a film production successfully to delivery.

The overarching aim is to support the cohort who are already experienced within their own genres to be confident to ask the right questions throughout a celluloid film production project to bring be able to bring it in on time and within budget.  

The course will be hosted by the Pipeline creative director with cinematographers Laura Hilliard and Steven Wyatt.   

Course dates

26 - 27 October:

Day One: online introduction to the course and bite-sized sessions throughout the day introducing the participants to the celluloid film production pipeline working through each stage from inception to delivery and the practical and technical needs to be considered at each stage of the workflow.

Day Two: using a real production case study, participants will work through the budgeting and scheduling needs of the production – considering crew needs and roles including clapper loaders – to handle film and monitor consumption on set within the production process including the kit needed for different types of production, conversions and cost implications on common shooting formats currently used in film production. 

2 - 3 November:

Day Three: working with the film labs and the processing procedure from beginning to end identifying the technical and creative needs of the cinematographer for the lab and production office. 

Day Four: an exercise in budgeting and scheduling a celluloid film production using case studies to support participant learning. Small group work and full group discussions.  Detailed feedback on budgeting exercise and final troubleshooting and evaluation of the course.      

How to apply

Click 'apply now' to submit your application. You will need to be logged into your ScreenSkills account to complete your application.

Deadline to apply: 14 October 2024

Contact information

Email: hello-pipelinemedia@salford.ac.uk