Defining Your Voice as a Director
Weekend Intensive
No currently scheduled sessions
Interested in hearing about the next session of this course?
Add your name to our notification list
Did you apply or register for a session that is not listed above?
How do you know the difference between a Tarantino film and a Spike Lee joint? What’s different about the styles of Steven Spielberg and Chloé Zhao? You might call a filmmaker’s visual language and point of view their “cinematic voice” and it can take years to refine.
In this online weekend intensive, writer and director Lindsay MacKay (Wet Bum, The Swearing Jar) will guide you on steps you can take to start developing your voice and visual style as a filmmaker.
What you bring to the course:
- a general understanding of filmmaking terminology.
- some experience in filmmaking in an academic or professional setting.
- an interest in building a career as a director.
What you’ll get from the course:
- A breakdown of notable directors’ visual styles
- A deeper understanding of how visual language can translate to an audience
- An understanding of the various shot sizes, styles, and perspectives
- How to approach designing a frame and placing the camera
- An approach to choosing your camera and aspect ratio
- A pathway to discover your own point of view as an artist
This course will:
- provide tools and techniques that apply to any project.
- connect you with other creators via a discussion board where you can discuss core concepts and share your work.
Intensive Schedule
Friday, February 23:
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, February 24:
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PT
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 25:
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PT
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PT
Space is limited. Applications for this course are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Have questions? View our FAQ section or contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. PT
- Welcome & introductions
- Weekend overview
- Breakout networking sessions
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PT
- Session #1
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT
- Break
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PT
- Session #2
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PT
- Session #3
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. PT
- Break
1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. PT
- Session #4
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PT
- Final remarks
- Closing Circle
Have questions? View our FAQ section or contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.
Lindsay MacKay is a Writer/Director whose debut feature film WET BUM, about a self-conscious 14-year-old girl searching for a place to belong, premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival. WET BUM was named a Top 10 Finalist in the prestigious Zoetrope Screenwriting Competition. It went on to be nominated for CSA, CSC, and CCE Awards, was nominated for Best First Feature and Best Lead Actress by the Vancouver Film Critics, and won best debut at Alkino Film Festival in Poland as well as Best Film by the international jury at CinéJeune de Aisne in France. more...
Have questions? View our FAQ section or contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.
In Sundance Collab’s Intensives, participants attend live, virtual class sessions in a condensed time period. These sessions are led by an instructor and supported by the Sundance Collab courses team.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab Intensives. Some Intensives require an application. Please review the description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the Intensive is a good fit. If you have any questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
For application-based Intensives, note that space is limited. Applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the Intensive is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first. If the application window is open, you will see an “Apply” button on the course page.
We send our application acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first session. At any point, you can check the status of a course that you have applied to by logging into Sundance Collab and visiting the course page. You’ll see a purple bar there indicating your status.
When reviewing applications for an Intensive, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the Intensive. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the Intensive and meaningfully contribute to the group process.
We do not offer any combined applications or discounts for Sundance Collab Intensives.
We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship, complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.
Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
No, because of the length of the course, we do not offer payment plans for Intensives. However, we do offer a limited number of need-based scholarships which can be applied for within the course registration process.
Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online Intensive even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each session are available online within 48 hours.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within 48 hours. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our Intensives are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page.
- Join a Live Training from Zoom.
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.
Have other questions? We would be happy to answer them. Contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.