Make a movie with the help of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte Unconventional Film school !

Are you looking to improve your filmmaking skills or just curious about the process of video and film making? If so, you may be interested in attending one, or all, of our new workshops starting in September. As part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s burgeoning Community Media Strategy, and in partnership with the Charlotte Unconventional Film School, we are excited to announce Make-a-Movie workshops. Beginning in September and running through December 2019 , these FREE in-person workshops will take place at various Charlotte Mecklenburg Library branch locations and will bring together filmmakers, professors and professionals to provide insight into the art of movie-making and this exciting industry.  

Registration for all sessions is recommended as space is limited.

A link for each session can be found with the corresponding descriptions below:

Hands-On Make a Movie One-Day Workshop

This day is all about ACTION! The day will begin with camera exposure, lenses, framing, movement and simple lighting techniques. We will film a very short scene (about one minute) with 2 actors. The script will come from a local person. The actors will be local talent and chosen in advance. This workshop is meant for adults who have little to no experience being on a movie set. A participant can only attend one of these sessions. Because it is hands-on, there is a limit of 15 students per session. Each session will take place on Saturday afternoons, from 12:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
 

Click here to register for Sept. 7, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Oct. 26, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Nov. 16, 2019 – West Boulevard Library

Click here to register for Dec. 7, 2019 – Sugar Creek Library
 

Make a Movie: Telling Stories for the Screen

Rodney Stringfellow currently teaches courses in screenwriting, film history and video production at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. An educator and screenwriter, he has written episodes for Nickelodeon, PBS, Disney Channel and more. Stringfellow designed this class to help students craft stories specifically for the screen. The workshop teaches story structure, screenplay formatting, idea development and what happens after you have finished your script. This session will run from 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
 

Click here to register for Sept. 28, 2019 – Main Library
 

Hands-On Make Your First Short Documentary (Session A)

This is an opportunity for adults to wrap their heads around the steps required to make a short, low budget documentary from scratch. There will be an emphasis on peer-to-peer support and working together on individual projects. We will learn by doing. These sessions will be led by the Director of Charlotte Unconventional Film School, Julie McElmurry. McElmurry is self-taught and has completed six documentaries. This workshop is for adults who already have an idea for a very short documentary and need some guidance and deadlines. We will utilize a short, free online seminar on our own time in addition to our class time. Over four sessions, students will be given deadlines for figuring out and arranging tasks. They will be given basic video editing software, taught to interview, taught how to create an outline for the documentary and shown some examples of other short documentaries that are engaging and informative. By the end of the workshop, we will have created several two-minute videos about the Library branch where we are meeting.

Each session will take place on Thursday evenings, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Click here to register for Oct. 10, 2019 – Main Library

Click here to register for Oct. 17, 2019 – Main Library

Click here to register for Oct. 24, 2019 – Main Library

Click here to register for Oct. 31, 2019 – Main Library
 

Hands-On Make Your First Short Documentary (Session B)

This is another opportunity for adults to learn the steps it takes to make a short, low budget documentary from scratch. There will be an emphasis on peer-to-peer support and working together on individual projects. This session is also led by the Director of Charlotte Unconventional Film School, Julie McElmurry. Please read the description for “Hands-On Make Your First Short Documentary (Session A)” above for more information.

Each session will take place on Thursday evenings, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
 

Click here to register for Nov. 7, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Nov. 14, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Nov. 21, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Dec. 5, 2019 – University City Regional Library