Documentary Film Making with Brian Rapsey
Are you a amateur filmmaker? Do you have a passion storytelling?
Expressions of Interest are now open for filmmakers and photographers to be part of the Champions of Change Film Festival.
Join internationally acclaimed filmmaker Brian Rapsey for a series of filmmaking workshops to create a short environmental documentary for the Champions of Change Film Festival. The champions of Change film festival will develop stories focussed on the local landscape and environment in the Upper lachlan and Yass regions, working with local citizen scientists who have been regenerating the land, preserving and protecting native species and developing solutions to improve the land and ecology.
Learn skills with the expert tuition of Brian Rapsey while making a short documentary film over 4 workshop sessions.
This project has been made possible with funding from Inspiring Australia and will feature topics such as regenerative farming, soil health, conservation and threatened species.
Successful applicants will be paired with a local champion doing great works in the environmental sector and create a short film. Your short film will be screened as part of the Champions of Change Film Festival screening in Gunning, Yass and Upper Lachlan.
Key Dates
Applications closed
Workshop 1: Introductions, TBC, Zoom (1-2 hours)
Workshop 2: Project Planning, Saturday 19 June, Goulburn, 10-4pm
Workshop 3: Project Plan Check in, mid June, Zoom (1-2 hours)
Production Week: Documentary filming, from 20 June.
Workshop 4: Editing, Saturday 11 December Goulburn Workers Club 10am -4pm
Final Edits Submitted: TBC.
Champions of Change Film Festival: TBC, Gunning, Yass, Crookwell.
Applications are now closed.
About the Course
Workshop 1 (ZOOM 1-2 hrs) TBC
Meet participants; Introduce them to goals of project and structure of program; Review of skills
and needs of participants.
Workshop 2 (Goulburn Full day): Saturday 19 June 2021
- Basic skills workshop: Project Overview, Camera skills, Sound skills, Interviewing; Practical
- Exercise for class review
- Equipment review – participants own equipment;
- Equipment available for use by participants
purchased by STA. - Project Planning: “Planning a Short Documentary Worksheet”
- Selecting Participants / Teams to match to projects
- TAKEAWAY – participant/ teams to research/plan project using “documentary worksheet” as a guide.
They may wish to visit/meet projects to conduct initial research. They then make an initial plan for
their film.
Workshop 3 (Zoom 2 hrs) Saturday TBC
- Each participant / Team Presents their plan.
- Participant members are encouraged to ask questions / give feedback Coordinator gives feedback & makes suggestions
FROM 20 June – PRODUCTION
Participants independently schedule to film projects; STA organises availability of audio equipment etc to borrow for each shoot.
EDITING WORKSHOP 11 December, Goulburn Workers Club.
Workshop in 3 stages:
- Editing basics – how to use the software
- Project Management – Setting up of individual project on STA laptop computers; Making sure project data is correctly saved/ Project data is backed up on one hard drive.
- In Class Editing – Participants edit hands on; basic editing skills diagnosed on needs basis.
Editorial review session. (DATE TBC) 2-4 hrs – Face to face or via online forum.
Group gives constructive feedback on first draft of projects. Filmmakers are encouraged to prepare diagnosis questionnaire for screening that can be filled in anonymously by viewers. Brian gives specific technical feedback on edits.
Final Edits Submitted (DATE TBC).
Screenings in Gunning, Yass and Crookwell. With a feature length film.
About the Facilitator
Brian Rapsey – filmmaker/photographer – visual storyteller
Former mentor of the World Nomads International Travel Film scholarship.
Brian has worked for 20 years in TV, documentary, corporate, educational & film production. Having shot short films and documentaries over the years, I’ve also worked for ABC’s pioneering digital film channel “Fly TV” and taught for 6 years at one of Australia’s premier TV and video production training schools, Metro Screen.
Every – before the pandemic – I’ve done one of the best gigs going: making travel films and mentoring the winner of the international World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship. I’ve filmed short documentaries and assignments in Rio De Janeiro for Carnivale, New Orleans for Mardi Gras, Mexico for Day of the Dead, the remote pacific coast of Colombia, the stunning Sapa region of Vietnam, the remote Solu Khumbu region of Nepal, Kerala – India, & Tanzania.
His travel films revolve around his passions: healthy communities, the environment, sustainable travel and social enterprises that benefit all of the above.
Brian trained at one of Australia’s premiere film schools: Swinburne (now the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film & TV) in writing and directing drama. He also has degrees in History & Anthropology.
He was the cinematographer and editor of the short film “Wine Lake” that has won numerous awards at international festivals over the past year. Brian is currently in post production of his first feature film – as both cinematographer and editor.
Check out more about Brian at his webpage Rhapsody Pictures.
This project has been funded through Inspiring Australia Science Hubs with Gunning Landcare, Yass Area Landcare and Upper Lachlan Landcare.
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