Overview
Dive deep into filmmaking from day one. No exams, no endless lectures - just real world filmmaking skills at all levels depending on your own individual needs.
The only real, practical outcomes any film school can actually offer - whether they say it or not - are practice, feedback, and collaboration. Information, instruction and even knowledge can be found online for free. But the opportunity to practise your craft with like-minded peers and get feedback from industry professionals? That takes something more. On top of that, you can walk away proudly with an impressive portfolio of real-life work and an expansive network of filmmakers, actors, visual effect specialists and sound artists.
Certificate, Bachelors & Masters Degree Courses
Our flagship courses focus on 'hands on' reflective practice, collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking.
Length: 1 Year
Start: September 2023
Learn by doing. And doing. And doing. This isn’t your grandpa’s film school; from day zero your boots hit the ground, the camera’s in your hands, and you’re writing, shooting, cutting, and discussing your work - then doing it all over again. By the end of this whirlwind one-year filmmaking workout you’ll have more real-world experience, practical skills, and finely-tuned professional and artistic habits than many “real” pros out there.
Length : 3 Years
Start: September 2023
Building on the madcap energy of our certificate, our BA degree expands, deepens, strengthens, and further trains you in the craft of narrative filmmaking and visual storytelling. Assemble a bulging portfolio of work. Explore your unique creative vision and become an avid storyteller. Meet your future filmmaking partners. Reach out into the world and take your first steps as an independent creative professional.
Length: 1 Year Full Time/2 Year Part Time
Start: September 2023
Celebrate, explore, develop, innovate and magnify your capabilities as a filmmaker, director, cinematographer, editor, writer, producer, sound designer or audiovisual artist, whilst building and enhancing an artistic and creative industry profile.
Short Courses
Whether you love movies and want to make your own but haven’t even touched a camera before or you’ve already got professional experience but want the deep practice needed to accelerate skills in new areas, our intensive and specialised courses will fit the bill.
Level: Beginners
Course length: 4 weeks
Start: 19 June - 14 July 2023
This 4-week filmmaking beginners course has been designed for budding writers, directors, cinematographers and editors eager to learn the fundamentals of storytelling, photography, pre-production, working with actors, and post-production. Kick start your journey as a film writer, director, cinematographer or editor.
For those wishing to join our main programmes, but lacking the formal education requirements to apply through standard entry, we offer an additional primer workshop to run alongside the 4-week Filmmaking course. It covers writing skills, reading, structuring arguments, debate and understanding context. The course utilises task and project based learning methodology to ensure that you’re prepared and ready for our longer HE Certificate or Bachelor degree level programmes.
Passion through progress
Our film production courses are built from the ground up on a foundation of practice, feedback, and collaboration.
Practice
Filmmaking is a craft and honing that craft requires commitment and time. Why wait? With our hands-on workshops, project-based approach, industry-relevant assessments and our state-of-the-art facilities, everything here is designed to give you as much opportunity to make as many films as you possibly can - from day one.
Feedback
Making then learning from your own mistakes and the mistakes of others is your fastest route to success. Learn to really listen. We stack our courses with critical roundtable discussions and head up our workshops with working professional tutors. They will guide, support, and challenge you at every turn, so you can go out and do even better next time.
Collaboration
Our courses aim to nurture a professional, supportive, and inclusive working culture, and challenge you from day one to be a responsible and effective creative collaborator. Generate, build and strengthen your professional network through your peers. They are your future industry contacts. They’ll be your actors, VFX artists, music composers, cinematographers, producers, writers and directors. At Catalyst, you aren’t a “student” any more than we are. You’re a filmmaker, and your first day on the job is with us.
Learn by doing
You won’t find any “traditional” classrooms, homework, lectures or tests here. Instead, from day one, you’ll be put in a group with other motivated creatives just like you and tasked with making a film under challenging creative, technical and logistical constraints. Tell us a story, and tell it your way. It’s harder than it sounds.
A bedrock of support
It might be harder than it sounds but don’t worry - we’re here for you. You’ll be supported by our staff of industry professional tutors running hands-on workshops on everything from cinematography to storytelling to picture editing and much more. You’ll also present, watch and critique your work and the work of others in our unique roundtable discussions.
More info
- I’ve never touched a camera before in my life and it scares me! But I know I love film and I want to figure out if it’s for me.
- I want to get out of my comfort zone and meet and work with people from all over the world.
- I don’t want to attend a program that dangles shiny toys in my face. I want to learn from people who understand what’s actually important to succeed as a visual storyteller.
- I’m itching to make movies. I can’t stop thinking about it.
- I want to study film, but I don’t want to do film studies.
- I know the best way to learn is to just go out and do it - but I don’t want to do it all by myself. Aren’t there others out there like me?
- I already know my way around a camera and editing. I want to build a portfolio of work I can be proud to present to the industry.
If any of this rings true, Catalyst could be the right place for you.
Filmmaking is about cameras and lights and sound and stories, sure. But it’s mostly about people. And sometimes, the film industry can be a people-unfriendly place. We want to take a stand for helping to change that. Alongside our technical and creative workshops, we run workshops and projects with an aim to create a positive, inclusive, and ethical film industry that puts people over power.
At Catalyst you’re not just joining a filmmaking community. You’re joining a movement to change the culture of the film industry itself.
Our team
Our tutors are all experienced professionals with a passion for passing on their experience to others. You will be guided along your filmmaking journey by a team of permanent tutors and visiting film industry pros from around the world.
Our student showcase
On the set
Behind the scenes with our film school students
Musicians, actors and film-makers collab
Collabs like this are a daily occurance here, but Film Production student Dillina Ike took the Catalyst spirit to another level. Using EMP student Tanja Alison's track "Glockentanz", he took to the Berlin streets with a cast and crew to produce this music video. Have a look on our instagram feed, which regularly features student projects.
