Want to learn how to cut scripted drama scenes to a professional standard? Our hands-on course provides you with the knowledge and the tools to do exactly that:
- Read a detailed workbook dissecting how professional editors shape a scene
- Edit 5 scenes from the award-winning independent feature film Jellyfish
- Receive professional feedback on your scenes to understand what your work is missing
If you’re just starting out in the industry or looking to try your hand at editing, it can be difficult to get hold of good material to cut. But even if you can find the right footage, access to that alone won’t be enough to truly develop your skills, you’ll need guidance and feedback in order to arm yourself with the confidence and know-how to edit to a professional level.
What does the course cover?
A scene is much like Frankenstein’s creature. It’s built from a collection of parts, and in the hands of an amateur can very much feel like an awkward monstrosity. In the hands of a good editor though, a scene will take on a life of its own, it will feel like it has a soul.
I’ve turned a workshop I run with University and College students into a downloadable course that will provide you with the tools and understanding to build and shape scenes like a pro.
The course is a practical, hands-on exploration of the key tools and concepts an Editor uses to shape and craft a scene, and will take you through the process of transforming a folder full of footage into a scene that will draw in an audience and take them on an emotional journey, challenging you to build and refine your work to a standard that will impress Directors, Producers, and audiences alike.
What do you get?
The course consists of 3 parts:
- A 38-page PDF workbook which explains how Editors shape scenes, discussing key concepts and practical strategies for working with footage. Using examples from existing films, we explore how to use information, mystery, tension, and emotion to shape your scenes. We also discuss the stages an Editor will go through when preparing to begin work, how to read and understand scripts, watch and organize footage, and how to receive and use feedback to improve your work.
- The complete footage of 5 scenes from the award-winning independent feature film Jellyfish, broken up into 3 exercises. These scenes will provide a variety of creative challenges as an Editor, encouraging you to focus in particular on your use of visual storytelling, on how to build and shape performances, and on how to use pacing to strengthen the effectiveness of your work.
- The opportunity to receive feedback on your scenes from a professional Film & TV Editor. The feedback will evaluate the effectiveness of your cuts, encourage you to utilise everything possible in the material, and illustrate to you the standard expected from a professional Editor. You will then be able to re-submit your work for a second round of comment and assessment.
How do I get the Course?
We offer several options for enrolling on the course. As well as a one-off fee, you can pay via three monthly installments. Or, for those who aren’t quite ready to commit to the full package, we offer the option to purchase the footage and supporting material without the feedback, but with the ability to upgrade at a later date. We consider feedback to be a crucial part of the course and of life as an Editor, but we still wanted to offer you the flexibility of the basic package.
FAQ
Who is the course for?
Whether you’re a film student, assistant editor, amateur filmmaker, director, or a working editor, this course is designed to both challenge and support you in building the core skills a drama editor needs.
Will this course teach me how to use editing software?
It won’t, no. This course is focused on the creative skills required to edit scripted drama scenes. You’re free to ingest the video into any edit system of your choice, whether that’s one you’re already familiar with or one you’re just trying to get your head around.
How long should I set aside for the course? Is it full-time?
The course is not full-time, it’s designed to be flexible and able to fit around your other commitments. When I run it in person with university and college students, it takes place over a Monday-Friday week, with most of the time spent with the students working on their scenes while I circulate looking at individual cuts, giving feedback, and answering questions.
During this online course, how you tackle the exercises is entirely up to you, but I would suggest working through them one at a time. I offer two rounds of feedback on each exercise, and have found that people get the most out of my notes if they send their first pass on the first exercise, then apply whatever comes out of the notes before sending the reworked exercise out for the second round of feedback. Completing exercise 1 before moving on to exercise 2 allows you to apply what you’ve learnt from cutting the previous exercise to your work going forward, but again this is entirely up to you. I’m usually able to get notes back to you within 2-3 days.
What’s in the written material?
We discuss how to use information, how to build questions & answers into a scene, how to engage viewers with the characters, how to build and shape emotion, how to deal with rhythm in your cut, and many other concepts. We also provide tips, strategies, and techniques for how to organise your footage, how to prepare yourself to begin work on a scene, how to get the most out of your material, and how to step back and view your work with fresh eyes.
What will I be editing?
Included as part of the course is the complete footage from five scenes of the award-winning independent feature film Jellyfish.
Jellyfish is a film with strong dailies and excellent, award-winning performances, meaning the material will provide you with both the opportunity and the challenge of working with high-quality material.
Although the film is currently available on Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer (UK), we would suggest not watching it until after you have completed the course. We encourage experimentation and making the most of the footage, rather than copying the “correct” version of the scene from the final film.
Will I be able to get feedback on my work?
Yes, receiving feedback and responding to notes is a crucial part of the editing process, and this course provides the opportunity to receive two rounds of feedback from a professional Editor on each of your exercises. If you sign up for the basic package, then we offer the two rounds of feedback as an upgrade option.
Who will be providing the feedback?
Course Tutor Neil Lenthall is a Film & TV Editor living and working in London. A graduate of the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS), and a member of British Film Editors (BFE), he primarily cuts fiction and documentary features, and factual TV. Between edit projects, he teaches editing classes and workshops and is currently a part-time Senior Lecturer in Post-Production at the University for the Creative Arts.
Can I use my scenes as showreel material?
Unfortunately not. As the footage in the course is from a professionally made feature film, there are limitations in place. Although you are free to experiment as much as you like with the scenes, usage of the footage is for educational purposes only, and so you are forbidden from hosting your scenes on video-sharing sites (except for the purposes of the course), or using the scenes for your showreel. By enrolling in the course you agree to these terms.
Can I give the material to other people? Friends? Or my own students?
The downloaded material, including the PDF, footage, and scripts, is only to be used by the course participant for the purposes of the course. The material should not be passed onto or used by anyone else. By enrolling in the course you agree to these terms. If you’re interested in using the course material for teaching purposes, please contact us and we’d be happy to discuss putting that into action.
Is it possible to get a refund?
Due to the downloadable nature of the course, and the fact that it’s structured in a way that each part builds on previous sections, we only offer refunds if you have completed all stages of the course.
If, by the time you’ve edited all of the exercises and been through both rounds of feedback, you feel that the course hasn’t armed you with the skills to step confidently into your next drama editing job, we will issue a full refund.