Who can apply?
This course is for women (trans welcome) of colour of all ages.
By women of colour we mean Black & Minority Ethnic women, for example, south & east asian, mixed, romany, indigenous peoples of australasia, the americas, the islands of the atlantic & the indian pacific, black, middle eastern, etc. etc. – all of the many different peoples who are the majority of the world.
You do not have to live in Glasgow to apply for this course although unfortunately we cannot provide accommodation – but we are happy to try and help you find some.
When will it be held?
The next course will be held in 2016, depending on funding. Post GLITCH we’ve been running screenings in partnership with Cinema For All as fundraisers for the LGBT Unity Scotland group, as well as touring with ‘The Best of GLITCH’ programme of shorts in Copenhagen, London, and Hamburg so far.
How much will it cost?
The course is totally free including all materials. Subsidised travel is also available to course participants on low incomes. This means Digital Desperados will help you with bus passes/tube tickets/ a lift wherever possible.
Where will it be held?
At this date we don’t yet know the venue but it will be in Glasgow and easy to get to via public transport.
Will it be wheelchair accessible?
We will not know until we have secured a space but it is one of our main aims. In 2009 our course venues were fully accessible but in 2011 & 2013 unfortunately this was not possible.
Our films screenings are always held in accessible venues – this includes the toilets.
Do I need to have any experience?
No! The course aims to pass on all the basic practical information you need in order to make your own short film. This means being able to use a camera in order to take film footage of a quality you are happy with and have sound of a reasonable quality. It also means being able to use computer software to edit selected footage together in a way that looks and feels good to you. Making films is like writing books or making pictures in as much as people have their own ideas, styles and opinions about what is best. Digital Desperados aims to encourage participants to explore their own ideas and visions and express them.
What will the course include?
The main parts of the course will introduce you to:
- how to use a camera. This part of the course will include storyboarding, sound, lighting etc. etc.
- how to edit your camera footage on a computer using a program called Final Cut Pro for the Apple Mac.
- film watching with time for talking, sharing & developing ideas.
- a variety of empowering workshops including self-defence, vision therapy, massage (clothed) and d.i.y. women’s health, etc.
Anything discussed in workshops will remain totally confidential.
” the other aspects of the course, like the massage and ergonomic stuff were amazing too.”
Nadia 2009 Course Participant
What will I be learning about film?
A lot of the films included in the course are by or about women of colour. These films are a mixture of types of films – feature films (fiction), documentaries and experimental genre defying films. We will take these as starting places to explore a variety of topics through shared discussions. Digital Desperados will also provide background information in the form of brief talks and in printed handouts. There will also be the opportunity to meet some film-makers and talk to them about how they made their films.
Some of the films that’ll be shown during the course give you an idea of some of the areas we’ll be touching on RIZE, TRUDELL, CHAIN CAMERA, PURA VIDA/ BONITO, KANEHSATAKE, the work of Apichatpong Weerasethakul and many others.
What are the aims of the course?
- We aim to empower you to make your own film. We aim for you to develop enough skills so that you can make films by yourself in the future and some course participants have gone on to do this.
- We aim to support you in exploring your own power and creative process.
- We also aim to give all course participants a chance to come together and discuss thoughts and experiences of what it feels like and means to be a woman of colour.
- We aim to create as safe, friendly and respectful a space as possible in all group learning sessions and discussions. To sometimes be serious but always to have fun in the course of a day!
How much time does the course take up?
A fair amount! In the first month there are typically workshops that run from 7-9pm two/three weekday evenings and workshops on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-5pm. Then in the second month there are again typically two/three workshops on weekday evenings and workshops on saturday and Sunday from 11am – 5pm. Some of the evening workshops involve watching films..In the final 3/4 weeks the studio is open from 11am – 9pm most days so that course participants can come in and work on editing their films at times that work for them. Besides that you will need to take more personal time to develop and/or shoot your film. Then we have a one week break/aka deal with any remaining techie nightmares and then screen the films!
Is there an interview?
We do have an interview process because Digital Desperados’s film course requires a high level of commitment and we want to make sure the limited spaces go to folks most up for doing it. The interview is fairly informal and would take place in person or via skype. We want to know what motivates you to do the course, any ideas for potential films you have and a wee bit about your interests.
When can I apply?
You are welcome to apply/ find out more about the course at any time. We will announce an application deadline closer to the time (approx. 2 months before the course begins).
How do I apply and find out more?
Send us a message via the Contact page and we will get back to you with a form/ more information asap!