"F4F project support offered me unique insights through extensive and enthusiastic feedback on my work as well as practical and theoretical advice. The F4F team helped me to create an authentic and honest product and strive for improvement. F4F is an inspiration for all new filmmakers, academics and curious minds who wish to explore how film and research can be combined in a practical and fun way!"
Nina Wendel, Masters student (2021)
What is project support?
Opportunities that exist in broadcast television for documentary are well defined before a film is made but a research film is in a constant state of evolution right up until the final cut. Ethnographic storytelling is both part of the research process and a means to reach cinematic expression. It requires a combination of technical, practical and theoretical expertise in the craft of video recording and editing. Modern research requires reflection on the methods and approach used to create knowledge, through processes of collaboration, observation, reflexivity and expression.
We have created an online 'research hotel' to support the work of previous participants of any F4F introductory course, those undertaking a PhD with visual media and filmmaker/researchers with a developed project in mind. We assess your individual practical, technical and theoretical requirements with a detailed questionaire, helping us deliver exactly the support that you require at any stage of production, from preparation through recording to media management, rough cutting and the final stages in editing and exporting your film. You can focus our attention on any aspect of the process and we can deliver support for most recording systems and software applications. Our aim is to help bring your film to professional completion.
Many filmmakers whose projects we've supported have achieved significant success at film festivals and beyond, for example; Daisy-May Hudson with Half-Way (2016), her multi award-winning documentary about homelessness; Professor Stephen Linstead with his film about England's worst ever mining disaster, Black Snow (2017); Dr Elena Barabantseva with her two films about identity politics, British Born Chinese (2015) and Border People (2018) and Professor William A. Callahan with films that explore personal experience and the role of the senses in international relations, Toilet Adventures (2015) and Great Walls (2020).
What's included?
F4F project support is available online at all times of the year and is typically spread across a number of months. A member of our team with post-doctoral qualifications and professional filmmaking experience will design a bespoke plan for you according to your needs. One module typically involves - 20 hours of one-to-one supervision meetings and webinars using Zoom or Skype - edit viewings, editorial advice and technical hands-on assistance - email support - advice about writing a thesis or supporting statement. Your work is further supported by digital and printable teaching materials. If you require more intensive support across all the stages of a project then you can add additional modules to meet your requirements.
How much does it cost?
One module costs £1550/€1815 for those in paid employment or with project funding or £1195 /€1415 for concessions. Alternatively, by request a member of our team can deliver one-to-one or group support at your location. Please contact us for further details or to request a questionaire and booking form.
This course is supported by Filmmaking for fieldwork: a practical handbook (2020) written by Andy Lawrence and published by Manchester University Press and available at all good booksellers. We recommend that those interested in any of our courses first consult this book.
"For my first feature-length documentary, about stories of migrant women, I took F4F project support modules. The whole experience has been extremely insightful. At every step I was encouraged with concise, timely and helpful advice about approach, cutting, sound, colour, subtitles and more. I really enjoyed making this film and credit here goes to the project support I received from F4F."
Megha Wadhwa Ph.D, Research Associate at the Institute of East Asian Studies/Japanese Studies, Free University Berlin (F4F Project Support 2021-24)