I have always wondered how the professionals learn filmmaking.
I’m not the type who responds very well to traditional teaching methods. and research is something that fills me with dread. My own background comes from a very practical, hands-on art school back in my native Toronto. We had hardly any lectures, and learned by doing.
I can understand that some want to go to film school to learn filmmaking. In a formal film school you get a certificate or diploma at the end of the course which proves two things: you completed all the assignments, and you paid your fees. But are you any better equipped for professional film work? Now, some will find a traditional film school the ideal way to learn the craft. For others, it could be a total waste of time and money.
I had the idea to launch Raindance’s MA in Filmmaking. At first, I got nothing but skepticism for educators. You see, my vision was that each student would write their own curriculum. No-one believed that my idea would work. But after ten years of knocking on doors, the Raindance MA in Filmmaking was born in 2011.
The 6 Step Individual pathway
Here’s how you learn filmmaking on our unique MA.
Module One: The Proposition
We recognise that the creative industry is a personal industry. An industry where each individual has specific interests and aptitudes. Simply put, each person creates their own strategic pathway of how they want to start and finish. Once the first draft of the plan is put together the Raindance faculty meets, discusses and then approves the plan. This is Module One.
The first module essentially is where you explore your dream, and with the help of our tutors and mentors, create a plan of how you are going to use the next five modules.
Our mentors and lecturers are all working industry professionals. They will challenge you each step of the way. You will be encouraged to think, re-think and think your plan every step of your learning journey. And you will be marked on this plan of how you want to invest your time and energy to becoming a master of independent film.
Modules 2: The Research
Once you have defined an in-depth plan for your studies, you will spend the next module researching an area of practice or theory, that you have chosen due to it’s relevance to your own learning aims and interests. In an undergraduate degree, research is conducted across an area or topic.
In post-graduate you dive deep exploring the specific details, the mindset and workflow of those who have gone before. You will get marked on this too. You will be asked to deliver a 4,000 word essay with proper academic footnotes and attributes. Our academic staff will teach you how to do this.
Modules 3 – 6: The Artefacts
You will have designed the remaining 4 modules to focus on developing the specific skills and knowledge you need to acquire to achieve your filmmaking objectives. To help you out you will be supported by both your lecturers and a personal industry mentor.
The artefacts are the scripts you write, the films you make, the business plans and strategic goals you reach. And you will be asked to write a reflective report on each module. And you get marked not just on how how good (or unsuccessful) your artefact is, but also how much you have learned during the process as detailed in your reflective report.
It doesn’t matter where you want to end up. Each of our students have designed an individual pathway that is totally unique. We have screenwriters, vloggers, directors, producers and everything in between.
It is so different from traditional film schools where writers are lumped with writers, directors with directors and so on. We try and encourage you to collaborate with fellow students regardless of their own chosen pathways. Basically, expect your creative sparks to fly.
Leaving the Raindance’s MA in Filmmaking will leave you with proven tools, craft and work-flow you can use to enter a carer in the film industry. Over 80% of our graduates pursue careers in the industry.
You won’t get taught filmmaking at Raindance
Traditional film schools have lecture after lecture where you ‘learn’ the history and craft of filmmaking. At Raindance you will be expected to apply theoretical knowledge and test different approaches in your scripts and movies.. This might sound like a mouthful. But don’t be intimidated. What I’m trying to say, this is a hands-on degree. You can road test your ideas against industry conventions.
We encourage you to plan your own approach in order to achieve your independent filmmaking goals. This demands that you make a highly organised approach in order to achieve your end goal. it’s a new way of learning: One where you are responsible for your own career.
You learn filmmaking principles by blending academic approaches with practical work. Raindance will help you adapt and adjust to the ever-changing independent filmmaking ethos. Successful students will also acquire a tried and tested method to approach your projects, and more importantly, a sustainable career.
But that’s not all!
Raindance is a ‘real-life’ film school. You enter the Raindance eco-system.
The Raindance Community is there to support you. Dip into the multitude of mouth-watering Open Classes, seminars, masterclasses and networking events both offline and online, not to mention the Raindance Film Festival itself. No other film school in the world is part of an internationally recognised film festival.
Are you independently minded? Do you view yourself as a creative entrepreneur? Do you seek the confidence to engage with the most independently-minded film organisation in the world? Are you ready for the hard work it takes in order to kick-start your career?
Are you ready to commit 100%?
Contact us for a free 1-1 discovery call with me, Elliot Grove, the founder, to evaluate whether or not the Raindance MA is right for you.
Resources
- Your FAQ’s Answered The 7 Principals of the Raindance MA
- Student testimonial: The Real-World Film School
- Planning Disruptive Film Education: Choosing a London-based Film School
Did you know?
- Raindance members save 20% on filmmaking open courses?
You can join online >HERE< and access freebies and discounts immediately - Our open courses are FREE for our HND, top-up BA and postgraduate/MA/ students
- You can book a free 1-1 consultation about our full-time degree filmmaking courses HERE
- We don’t teach ‘filmmaking’ at Raindance. At Raindance we make filmmakers.
Want to find out more about Raindance’s MA in Filmmaking? Find out more on our film school website.
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand. It started as a rebellion: film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, and Brussels, because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
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