I wish I'd gone to Raindance a long time ago - it would have saved me a fortune and unravelled a lot of mysteries about getting into the movie business. Most importantly though, at Raindance they give you the tools to stop talking about it and get out and do it.
Philippa Juul, Screenwriter | i recommend all the couses at Raindance
i know through
experiance that the information gained is priceless before
you go out shooting your movie. Raindance
prepares the serious producer/writer
/director for the real
business of film making.
Chris Lennox
actor/director/producer
| Raindance courses changed my life - who I am and all that. Without trying to sound egotistical, directing following the principles I have learned at Raindance really has made a huge difference to the way that I work, and has opened up endless possibilities and doorways hitherto closed.
Ben Moore, Director
| Suggested Reading
Raindance Tutor
| 
Order your copy here |
FACT:
The first cinematic screening in Europe with actor Leonardo Di Caprio was at Raindance in 1993 with What's Eating Gilbert Grape
| Suggested Reading
Raindance tutor
| 
Order your copy here | Dear Elliot,
Thank you for your informative and spot on information as always.
I took your course in Glasgow in October 1995 and I have made eleven features since then ... And they still haven't sent the limo! Do you have any suggestions as I have adhered to the Grove Method like a religion but I seem to be making little progress in the film fest circuit or with the majors. Is there a third way? As you know success is only surface deep and as a filmmaker an audience is what I seek, not money. Anyway if you can offer some guidance to one of your past graduates I would be grateful.
Kind regards,
Robbie
Robbie Moffat
Palm Tree UK
Double Lodge, Pinewood Studios,
Iver Heath SL0 0NH
| Suggested Reading
Raindance Tutor
| 
Order your copy here | Dear Elliot,
Just to say a million thank yous for the course last weekend. It was absolutely fab! I totally enjoyed it and you inspired me to go forwards instead of staying still.
You are a walking movie in human form and once my movie finally finds its feet - I would really love for you to be around because you just have that extra special know how to get it spectacular!
Hope to see you up at Live Ammunition tomorrow evening - but if not - take care.
Sheila Cronin
| Elliot
I know you get hundreds of emails every day but I wanted to say thank you for the course this weekend. I really enjoyed it and felt that by the end there were some great group dynamics going on. There were a number of areas that I was particularly interested in learning about (shooting with 35mm cameras, actors and cinematographers) and I am very happy with the level of detail that you provided for us. Really, it was great.
I was going to book myself on your screenwriting course straight away but now see that it's the week I'm scuba diving in Egypt. I'll keep an eye out for the next time.
Also, as I put on the sheet of paper that came round, if anyone needs a Final Cut Pro editor for their DV then I am good and have the kit. I am sure there are interesting projects that I can help people out with so feel free to pass on my contact details if anyone asks.
With best wishes
Richard Griffiths
| Suggested Reading
Raindance tutor
| 
Order your copy here | Will:
Thanks again for a great weekend course. The time just flew.
I've now started thinking about my screenwriting in terms of a new
business venture, and that way of thinking is really helping me focus
on what I'm doing, along with the craft-skills that I've been learning
over the last few months.
Best regards,
Ken
| | Suggeted Reading | 
Suggested Reading |
In case I never get the nerve to say this to your face............ Raindance and you have been an inspiration.
I did the lo to no budget making course in July 2003, and since then many more courses.
They've helped me write my first feature length script, which is being optioned, and have the courage to experiment with friends on a couple of shorts and finally make my first short film with a full crew, totally no budget of course...I share your attitude to cash.
This in between working full time and writing another 20 other treatments and scripts which I will develop once I have the time to sleep again.
Bottom line if I hadn't come to Raindance I would never found the courage to follow my dream....thank you for the encouragement and the inspiration!
As for the Film Council and Skillset well I guess visionaries have always scared the establishment.......better to be a rebel with a cause than a civil servant with a rule book!
congrats on the film option and the book
keep on keeping on
kindest regards
Deborah Groves
Finally, my eyes are open. I have the potential to be a great screenwriter. I can be up there with Leigh Brackett, Joss Whedon, Mario Puzo, Lawrence Kasdan and John Peoples (Leigh Brackett was a woman, by the way - and she wrote 'The Big Sleep', 'Rio Bravo' and the first draft of 'The Empire Strikes Back' - on her death bed! I think she was brilliant and as a writer she is one of my heroes...).
I can do this.
Leigh Oakley, Screenwriter
Dear Raindance,
Many thanks for yet another fantastic course this weekend, as usual Raindance delivers.
Cheers
Steve Akers
| | Greetings!
Here is our new catalogue of up-coming film training courses in writing, directing and producing that we are presenting this year up til Christmas in Central London. Whether you are interested in directing, writing, producing or shooting, there is something for you at Raindance.
Raindance courses really work. Filmmakers who have taken our courses have made films which have screened at prestigious film festivals, won awards and made a combined box office total of more than one hundred million dollars.
Our courses are not taught by teachers - they are taught by filmmakers who can teach. If you want a summary of how we teach, and if you have 21 minutes, let me show you how with our 21 Minute Film School.
+++ NEWS FLASH: Raindance presents DIRECTORS FOUNDATION WEEKEND in Bristol on Saturday/Sunday 18/19 August.
Our courses can be taken individually, or grouped as diplomas. Let me tell you more: | | First: our classes work
 So many people have taken our classes and then gone on to make a feature film. Paul Andrew Williams is one. If you have never heard of him, click on his picture to the left. He is currently directing The Cottage, based on the sucess of his debut £80K feature, London To Brighton.
Second: We follow our own advice
We currently have four films in production - all written, directed and produced by people like you who have taken Raindance courses.
Third: We make movies
Through the contacts we have made at the Festival over the past fifteen years, we have made some excellent connections with investors eager to discover new talent - like you. The first film we produced, THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, actually had its world premiere at the prestigious Rotterdam Film Festival last January. The film has gone on to win 12 awards at international film festivals, it has sold 15 territories, and now plans are being made to release the film here in the UK and abroad.
Our second feature is currently in post-production.
Fourth: We Know which films work with audiences
Which is why we are launching www.Raindance.TV
on September 15th with the best independent shorts, features and documentaries.
Fifth: We run a international film festival - where you could screen your work (if it's good enough) This year, two of our jurors include Mick Jones )(founder of The Clash) and Iggy Pop.
| How Our Courses Work
Our courses repeat every four months, except for special events with major guest directors, producers and screenwriters - which happen once a year.
You can book an individual course or a series of courses to make up a Raindance Diploma in your area of interest: Writing, Directing, Producing, or Filmmaking.
If you are unsure of which course to take, call me up, Will Pearce, on 0207 287 3833 and ask as many questions as you like. As Course Director at Raindance, my job is to make sure you pick the right course for your skill level and your interest.
Whatever course or courses you choose, I can promise you that our courses deliver the most amount of information in the least amount of time at the best possible price.
Look around our website... | |  Open Evening
Tuesday 4th September 6:30 - 9pm
FREE EVENT
(near Tottenham Ct Rd Tube)
Refreshments courtesy of Cobra
It's time once again for Raindance to throw open its doors and welcome another batch of aspirant filmmakers.
If you're new to Raindance and want to know a little more, or don't know which course is best for you, come along and we'll help you through it.
Every Opening Evening we have a special guest speaker. In May we had Mark Mahon. An ex-Raindance student, Mark has completed one feature film, writing, producing and directing Strength & Honour, starring Michael Madsen, and is working on his next.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter for updates on courses and indie news.
It's free to get in and I have a feeling that those nice people from Cobra may be providing some refreshments on the evening, so what's your excuse?
Let me know if you want to come along and I'll put you on the list.
Our Open Evenings are legendary networking events, and with door prizes, special on-the-night discounts and inspiring and informative talks from our tutors, its hard to see how you could come away empty handed.
Get on the Guest List Or call us on 0207 287 3833
| 99 Minute Film School
 Thursday 6th of September 6:30 - 9pm
Just £30
Members pay just £25.50
You can't learn filmmaking in one evening, can you?
Let Raindance founder Elliot Grove try in this fun and information-packed evening.
Perhaps you have heard about Raindance and our courses but have never taken the leap. Here's your chance.
You can Book Online Here or call us 0207 287 3833
Learn more...
| Filmmakers Foundation Certificate
Five Tuesdays starting 11th of September 6:30 - 9pm
Five Tuesday nights designed to take the fear out of filmmaking and give you an overview of writing, directing, producing and marketing a first short or feature film.
Week ONE Writing for Low Budget Films
Writing your first movie but have a low budget? This week we will concentrate on how to get the most out of your script, locations and actors and how to make sure these elements will be in line with a low budget. Discover how to make what you already know into a unique story.
Week TWO Essentials of Lo-to-No Budget Filmmaking
Making movies can be very expensive, but debut films are usually made on miniscule budgets. A successful filmmaker will make the ordinary seem extraordinary, thus enhancing the film's production values.
Week THREE Director's Toolkit
Actors, cinematographers and directors form one of the most exciting relationships on a movie set. New directors need to learn to communicate their vision to their crew in order to get the best results on screen.
Week Four Introduction to Production
The computer and camera companies have developed a bewildering array of low cost editing and camera equipment. Choose the right equipment and maximise its potential for the edit of your movie.
Week FIVE Selling Your Film: Creating a Press Kit
The essential task for filmmakers is to create a marketing plan for your film. Learn how to utilise the trade press, consumer press and film festivals to turn your film (and yourself) into this year's cult classic.
Just £125 + VAT = £146.87
Members pay just £124.84 inc VAT
You can Book Online Here or call us 0207 287 3833
Who Should Attend:
Writers, directors, producers, actors, filmmakers, cinema lovers and anyone with an interest in how movies are made and who seek a basic introduction to the filmmaking process.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Learn more... | Join Raindance Join Raindance
Get 15% off all courses (20% from Diplomas), free script registration, our annual DVD of the best shorts from the Raindance Film Festival and much more.
Find out more..
Why not join online here?
| Directors Foundation Certificate
Five Thursdays starting 13 September 6:30 - 9:30 pm
One of our most popular courses designed to take you through the basic elements of directing and prepare you for directing your first short or feature.
Week 1: The Director and the Script
The script is the blueprint for a movie. The director's job is to read and interpret the screenplay. Discover how a good director translates the written word into the visual elements on the screen.
Week 2: The Director and the Rehearsal
The director's challenge is to communicate his/her vision to the cast. Learn how to run a rehearsal and create mood and tension by inspiring the actors and using the tool of staging.
Week 3: The Grammar of Directing
Directors use a variety of shots and lenses to compose their scenes and create a vocabulary of cinematic techniques and processes. Directors must learn the do's and don'ts of film grammar.
Week 4: Directing the Shoot
Using professional actors and a DV camera, we will shoot a short scene to demonstrate the techniques used by professionals.
Week 5: Directing the Edit
In the edit, the audiovisual material collected during the shoot is reorganised to tell the film's story in the best possible way. The director must thoroughly understand the editing process.
Just £145 + VAT = £170.37
Members pay just £144.82 inc VAT
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Who Should Attend
Writers, directors, producers, actors, filmmakers, cinema lovers and anyone with an interest in how movies are made and who seek a basic introduction to the filmmaking process.
| Editing
2 Weekends exploring desktop editing using Final Cut Pro
Intro to Final Cut Pro
Sat/Sun 13/14 October 9:30 - 6 pm
You can Book Online or call 0207 287 3833
Advanced Final Cut Pro
Sat/Sun 20/21 October £250 + VAT each
Members get a 15% discount
You can Book Online or call 0207 287 3833
Non-linear editing (editing on computer) is an essential skill for filmmakers. Editors are a key creative in the filmmaking process along with writers, actors and directors.
These two weekends explain what editing is and takes you through the Final Cut Pro software, explaining many of the tricks not included in the instruction manual.
Learn More... | Selling Your Film
Tuesday 23rd of October 6:30 - 9 pm
Only £30
Members price is £25.50
You've made your film, now what?
This course explains how to create a press kit, how to submit to film festivals, how to maximise festival screenings and how to attend film markets.
We haven't put this course on our website yet. To register call me, Will Pearce at Raindance. 0207 287 3833
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
|  Raindance Students Score
Charles Steel produced THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and Ken Marshall produced the award winning LONDON TO BRIGHTON.
Both took Raindance courses.
| Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking
Make your first feature
 LONDON 27/28 October
£225 + VAT = £264.38
Members pay just £224.72
Fewer European filmmakers have more experience in shooting, producing and marketing micro and no-budget films than Raindance founder Elliot Grove.
Day One: Learn over 50 money saving filmmaking tips.
Day Two: Learn how to finance, market and sell your movie and how to turn your movie into this year's cult classic.
Read a review.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Learn More...
| Movie Money
Where It Is And How To Get It
Tuesday 30th October 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Just £30 Members price £25.50
Discover how to raise money for your film by using non- industry finance. Learn how EIS, VCT and pension funds can all be sources for your film finance.
Learn how small and larger deals are put together and how the recoupment waterfall works.
N.B. If you are looking for sources of industry finance, please look at the UK Film council website.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
More details... | Hands On Directing for Film and Television
Saturday/Sunday 3/4 November 10 - 6:30 pm
Just £250 + VAT Members save 15%
 Everyone wants to be a director. If you can create a 'look' for your film, your career will skyrocket.
But why do so many British feature films, especially those by first-time directors, fail to achieve this important artistic success? When the technique needed for visually pleasing single-camera direction is so basic, why do so many directors fail to make the right choices? And when actors can add so much to a production, why don't directors take the time to ensure that their actors perform to the best of their abilities?
This intensive seminar teaches you the secrets of maximising performance from the cast while realising the importance of the ultimate audience: the camera. Learn how to direct on-time and on-budget, get the results you want and keep the producers happy. Single camera shooting techniques are explored in depth. Students will be given a number of exercises to undertake, including the opportunity to participate in directing a short dramatic scene critiqued by Patrick Tucker.
Full details here...
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Patrick also teaches an Advanced course:
Advanced Hands on Directing for Film and TV
Saturday/Sunday 10/11 November 10 - 6:30 pm
Just £250 + VAT
Members save 15%
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
| Raindance Gift Certificates
We issue gift certificates in denominations to suit your budget - anything from £20. Gift certificates make the ideal gift for the special film person in your life.
Last year over a hundred people attended our courses using gift certificates.
Call me, Will Pearce on 0207 287 3833 and I'll talk you through it.
| Budgeting and Scheduling
Tuesday 13 November 6:30 - 9:30pm
Just £30 or £25.50 for Members
Always considered the boring bit by film producers and directors, the budget and schedule are nevertheless the spine of any production. If you get the budget (the money part) wrong, your film will stall half-finished without cash. Get the schedule (the time) wrong, and your film will suffer - either from loss of quality or remain unfinished because you have run out of time (and budget!)
This evening explains how scripts are analysed and whipped into shape budget-wise and schedule-wise.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Full details here...
| Write and Sell the HOT Script
Saturday/Sunday 10/11 November 9:30-6pm
Only £225 + VAT Members pay just £224.72
 Need some help getting that great idea for a movie out of your head and onto a piece of paper?
And then, need to organise a plan of attack so you can get it sold?
Raindance founder Elliot Grove has built a solid reputation for devising and presenting the best introduction to screenwriting in Europe.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Full details here:
| Writers Lab
7 Wednesdays from 14 November 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Only £145 + VAT Members save 15%
 Elliot Grove leads writers in a first or second draft script through an interactive workshop designed to get your idea firmed up and leave you with a realistic plan to finish your script.
Previous writing experience is advised, but not necessary.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Full details...
This popular course has limited places. Avoid disappointment - book now
| Hollywood's Four Greatest Lies
 For a FREE Raindance article on the four big lies of Hollywood, send an email to us here.
| Creating A Business Plan
Tuesday 6 November 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Just £30 or £25.50 for members
Once you have scoured film festivals looking for new talent, settled on the next hot director and found that absolutely terrific script, you need to prepare a plan of attack to get the money to shoot your film.
This evening workshop will run through the basic essentials you will need to present your project to both private and industry investors. The last segment deals with creating a business plan for your career enabling you to raise enough money so you can ditch the day job.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Read on...
| Camera Skills 1 and 2
Saturday and Sunday 17/18 November 10:00 - 6:30 pm
Just £125 + VAT each day, or £250 + VAT both days
Members save 15%
 A 2-part masterclass for first time filmmakers and anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of cinematic single camera techniques. You can attend either or both sessions, although it is recommended that both are attended for maximum benefit.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
More details here...
| Basic Legal Contracts
Tuesday 20 November 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Only £30 Members save 15%
 Once your film is finished and ready to be sold, you will have to show the "chain of title" to any prospective film buyer. If you fail to do this, you will never be able to sell your film.
In this evening crash course, the basic talent (ie: writer, director, actor) contracts are explained. View it as health insurance for filmmakers. This evening is presented by Guy Shepherd of Wiggin
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Read more here... | Power of Lighting
Wednesday 27 November 6:30 - 9pm
Just £30 Members price £25.50
 Lighting is probably the best and cheapest way to enhance the production values of your film.
See a first-hand lighting demonstration, and discover what can be done with a limited budget and very little time.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Learn More...
| The HDV Shoot
24/25 November, 10am - 6.30pm
Just £250 + VAT Members save 15%
 Ever wanted to just get out there and shoot a film? Well you can, cheaply and efficiently with the many HDV cameras available on the market right now. The so-called digital revolution has put broadcast quality video cameras into the reach of just about everyone.
Broadcast quality and very easy to use, HDV is an ideal tool for filmmakers to make films on a low budget without compromising on quality of image. All you need are good ideas, a great script, and with a little technical know how you can get going.
You will also learn how to edit the film and create a high-quality tape that can be submitted to festivals and distributors and used on your showreel. With the advent of HD television, more and more broadcasters are seeking material originated on the HD/HDV format.
Participants will be given a DVD copy of the rushes and a rough cut. You will have the opportunity to do all of the jobs on the shoot: direct, operate the camera, set up lights, work with professional actors and record professional quality location sound.
You can Book Online Hereor call 0207 287 3833
Only eighteen places available... | Directing Performance
11/12 August, 10am - 6.30pm or December 1/2
Just £225 + VAT Members save 15%
 Directing Performance introduces directors to the acting process and demonstrates proven techniques to enable directors to promote strong performances.
By developing the inner and outer worlds of the characters through their relationships with their environment, other characters and themselves, a great story can be given further depth and will create a greater involvement for the audience.
Working with professional actors, Chris Thomas will demonstrate how the director can gain clues from the text, think creatively about casting and together with their cast, create rich characterisations and relationships no matter what the film is about.
Participants will gain insight into how actors prepare, explore ways to use rehearsal and direct actors during the shoot. The course will be illustrated through examples, demonstration and review of scenes shot during the class.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Full details here... | Pitching Skills Workshop
30 August, 6.30 - 9.30pm
Only £30 Members save 15%
Pitching is one of the most essential skills needed for a successful career in the film industry. It is also one of the least considered by new entrants to the industry.
This intensive evening class presents the original class developed for the MA programme of film studies at the Royal College of Art Film School and is presented here in its entirety. Participants will also have the opportunity to test their pitches out on Elliot Grove and get his immediate response in his acclaimed "Pitch Repair" session.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
More details...
| Raindance Screenwriting Courses
If it ain't on the page it ain't on the stage
 You may wonder why Raindance spends so much time working with writers, and why we have such a wide range of writing courses. That is because we believe that screenplays are the single most important element of a successful film.
| Writing For Comedy
Saturday/Sunday 8/9 December 10:00 - 6:00 pm
(Date TBC)
Just £225 + VAT Members save 15%
 British comedy is booming - there are now more ways than ever for writers to enter the profession. And producers love new writers, especially women (why are there so few women comedy writers?). However, budgets haven't risen in proportion so there are also more people chasing less money.
Sitcoms and movies take forever to get commissioned, even longer if your name isn't Richard Curtis. But it is possible to make a living as a comedy writer while trying to sell your own ideas to producers.
This intensive and practical two day course is designed to help all aspiring professional comedy writers find their way into the business and to develop the kind of skills required to create sitcoms, panel shows and movies. So as well as finding out the best people to sell your ideas to, there'll be plenty of time for actual sketch writing exercises. If you're already selling jokes or sketches, then the course will help you take further steps down the road to earning full-time.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
Learn more...
| The Writers Journey
with Christopher Vogler
Summer 2008, 9.30am - 6.30pm
£250 + VAT Members save 15%
 Find out why Hollywood studios employ Christopher Vogler to help them find the story in challenging material. The Writer's Journey is a two-day seminar with Christopher Vogler offering the latest developments in his thinking about myth, movies, and the deep structure of storytelling for the screen.
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler has become one of the cornerstones of modern screenwriting theory. Based on an influential memo he wrote while working at the Disney studios, the book has been translated into eight languages and its ideas were promptly put to use by a whole generation of screenwriters and novelists. Meantime, as Vogler has worked on countless feature film projects as a consultant, writer, and producer, his concepts about myths and movies have continued to evolve. The world has changed, we are in a new era with different rules, and classic patterns like the hero's journey have to be re-examined for what they can tell us about the current state of movies and the world. Vogler will share the latest principles derived from his work as a story consultant on independent films and major studio features, and will update his model of the Writer's Journey.
| William C Martell's Script Secrets
Next date auntumn 2008
£250 + VAT members save 15%
 William C. Martell has written eighteen produced films, including three HBO World Premieres (*Steel Sharks*, *Crash Dive!* and *Grid Runners*) two for Showtime (*Black Thunder* and *Droid Gunner*), three Cinemax Premieres (*Treacherous*, *Night Hunter* and *The Base*), plus a couple of USA Network thrillers (*Hard Evidence* and *Blind Trust*).
Bill presents his popular Script Secrets for Raindance.
| David Freeman's Beyond Structure
Saturday/Sunday 22/23 September 9:30 - 8pm
 David Freeman presents a very popular course in LA and NYC, and is also a leading computer game author with a team of a dozen writers creating successful video games.
His Beyond Structure class was immensely popular at Raindance in 2006.
You can Book Online Here or call 0207 287 3833
More details... |  John Truby's 22 Step Story Structure March 2008
John Truby's 22 Step Story class remains one of the most innovative andpowerful storytelling tools anywhere
More details here
| | If you have any questions, give me a call at the office. The last thing we want is for you to attend a course that is wrong for you. My number at Raindance is 0207 287 3833. And I am ably assisted by Joe Pearshouse and Elliot Grove.
Happy filmmaking
Will Pearce
Head Raindance Training
| Will Pearce
Raindance Festivals Limited | | |
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