Film Stills Fast Track

Film Stills Fast Track An online photography course

Join the Waitlist

Accelerate your film stills career with professional photographer Nicola Dove

Would you:

Love to get onto a film set and take stunning photographs?
Like to add an exciting niche to your freelance photography business?
Like to work with actors and directors?
Love to see your pictures published all over the world?

Have you:

Heard about the industry and wonder how to break in?
Tried to get onto a film set but made little progress?
Been on set but feel impatient with your progress in the film industry as a stills photographer?
Heard of other photographers getting great jobs and want to get those juicy opportunities as well?

It's time to get clarity on how to Fast Track

Your Film Stills Career

Whether you’re a photographer who is completely new to the film industry, or you have been on set already, I can guide you on your with your next steps.

I have been a professional film stills photographer for almost twenty years, and will share my systems with you for how to take great images in every situation, how to build relationships that will develop your film stills career, and how to create and develop a polished film stills ready portfolio.

What will you learn on Film Stills Fast Track?

How to think like a film stills photographer, even if you’re not on set yet.
How to work with light, actors, and crew.
How to make the best out of your equipment.
How your mindset directly affects your pictures.
The four mistakes to avoid making on set, at all costs
How to create a film stills style portfolio
Listings for getting onto a film set
Plus, how to pull off a stunning poster shoot (with examples from No Time To Die!)

Enrol

Join The Waitlist

After Film Stills Fast Track you will have all the practical knowledge you need to build an exciting film stills photography career.

This is for you whether you’re:

A keen amateur who knows your way around a camera
Already a photographer and want another possible income stream
Already on set and want to step up to the next level
Motivated and ready to take action
Impatient and want to fast track your film stills career

Film Stills Fast Track- an online course with LIVE Q&A's

You’ll hear it all straight from me – I'm sharing twenty years of knowledge directly with you over 10 weeks.
One 60-90min module per week to watch at your own convenience, including a bonus poster shoot module and a group portfolio review.
Each module is jam-packed with information, pictures, insights, stories, and guidance on all aspects of film stills photography.
One live Q&A session each week, answering all your questions, sharing insights, and getting to know your cohorts.
A fantastic guest speaker line up carefully chosen to give you the insider's scoop on the industry.
An exclusive private FB group to share images, get feedback, and interact with your fellow students from around the world.
The first 5 students get access to me for a 1:1 session.
- You’ll be able to ask questions about your work, and your situation so together we get you ready for the next step in your film stills career.
The first 20 students will be eligible to take part in a group portfolio review session to discuss their potential portfolio images.

Hello, I'm Nicola

I’m a professional film stills photographer and I have worked on some huge films, including the latest Bond movie No Time To Die. But it wasn’t always that way.

In my late twenties, I was living in my small home town in New Zealand, busy not being a photographer and wishing I was one. I had studied photography but never really followed it through.

One day I suddenly lost all hearing in one ear. I had scans and they said it might be a brain tumor. Luckily it wasn’t, but the doctors couldn’t tell me why it had happened.

Afterward I made a decision. I wasn’t going to live a safe life anymore. I realized that at any moment your life can change.

I left my lovely little home town, with my camera, for the UK, and started shooting weddings, editorial and traveled shooting for various charities.

I also started shooting for free on short films, and slowly built my portfolio and networks. It took me a while but I got there.

I am still deaf in one ear, and I feel thankful every day for it (I’m always grateful it wasn’t an eye!). It continues to wake me up to the fact that life is for stepping outside your comfort zone and backing yourself.

I try to live by it still with how we raise our two kids for example and taking them on lots of adventures. They often travel with me to my international jobs, but that is for another story.

I’m looking forward to sharing more of what I know with you and inspiring you to reach your potential too.

Here’s the course I wish I had when I started:

Module 1: Let's get shooting!

We look closely at what makes a good film still to understand which images get used for publicity and which don’t, so you can start thinking like a film stills photographer.
We cover the four fundamentals for a stunning shot. We look at image examples and discuss how you can bring these elements into your work.
You’ll be given an assignment to start shooting straight away, even if you are not on a film set, so you can begin to build, or develop, your film stills style portfolio.

Module 2: Who's Who

You’ll learn the structure of a crew and what their roles are.
I’ll explain what a call sheet is and how to read one. This is the blueprint for each day’s filming and if you don’t understand it well you’ll miss critical opportunities.
I’ll guide you as to how to build the key relationships onset that help you gain the best access.

Module 3: Get Set Prepared

Equipment: We’ll look at how to get the best out of your equipment, whatever kind of camera you have.
I’ll show you all the settings I use for different lighting and action situations, so you can work fast and effectively to get great shots.

Module 4: Good Access = Great Pictures!

If you get the following fundamentals right at the beginning, you build trust with the cast and crew, granting you access to get great images. If you get them wrong you may not be invited back on set!
I'll break down optimal positioning for different types of scene set ups so you get all the shots you need AND work optimally around the cast and crew. There’ll be diagrams!
I'll warn you of the MISTAKES TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS as a photographer on set!
I’ll explain the images you must achieve to cover a scene, and a film, well.
Plus, I’ll let you in on my secrets for how to be unobtrusive on set.

Module 5: An Inside Job

You'll learn how to work with actors to get the best performances for authentic pictures, plus some critical mistakes to avoid.
I'll give you tips on how to most effectively get set ups done if you need them.
We look at different genres of films and how to shoot accordingly - how to make a comedy shot funny, how to make suspense shots dramatic.
MODULE 5a: State Of Mind: Your attitude and mindset are critical to your film stills photography career, and a good one will become your greatest strength. I’ll be exploring with you how our state of mind creates the kinds of pictures we make.
I’ll teach you the strategies I have developed over the last twenty years for how to have great composure on set that will make you an asset, not a liability.

Module 6: Effective Workflow

At the end of a long day shooting you don't want to spend hours on downloading, editing and post production.
I’ll share with you my system for fast and efficient digital workflow.
I'll cover the important aspects of naming photographs correctly, how my folder systems work, plus backing up your work.

Module 7: Deals and Delivery

We'll discuss what the producers or studio expect and how to deliver your images.
How much can you charge? Who do you talk to to negotiate your rates? What other expenses can you charge for?
What other expenses can you charge for?
We’ll look more closely at unions in the USA and UK.

Module 8: Portfolio Ready!

Learn how to edit your work into an effective portfolio which contains the kinds of images that producers and studios want to see.
We'll look at different options for showing your work.
Now that you have learnt the fundamentals of film stills photography, and know how to put together a great film stills ready portfolio, you are almost ready to go on set!
We’ll explore ALL the options for increasing your chances of getting on set, and how to find and maximise them.

Bonus Module

How to Shoot a Stunning Poster

How to plan a poster shoot amidst a busy filming schedule.
Different lighting options depending on the genre of movie.
An equipment list for a poster shoot.
PLUS, I’ll lift the lid on the No Time To Die character poster shoots, including exactly how it was lit.

First 5 Students

Receive a 1:1 session with Nicola to ask your unique questions.

First 20 Students

Join a group portfolio review session to have your photographs reviewed and get personalised feedback from Nicola and Debi Berry, Picture Executive at the BBC

Enrol

Join The Waitlist

Plus LIVE Q&A's on Zoom!

Film Stills Fast Track will be delivered online via Zoom, with a private online group as a place for sharing images and information.

You'll become part of a small film stills community where you can continue to ask questions, get support, and where knowledge is shared.

With all this inside knowledge you’ll have all the CONFIDENCE you need on set, which is critical to building a good name for yourself in the industry. That is how you’ll get your next job.

The two most important things you must do to build a long-term career as a film stills photographer are:

Build your network.
Create a stunning portfolio.

Both of these things stem from your on set skills.

If you know what you're doing on set, you build trust, and therefore the network of people that will refer you grows.

If you know what you're doing on set, you'll get great pictures and therefore build a great portfolio.

Let’s get started developing your on set skills together.

Learn the Art of Film Stills Photography with Nicola Dove

Description

Enrollment for the current course is closed. Please join the Waitlist

Single Payment

Film Stills Fast Track Course

$1297

8 x 60-90 minute Modules
One BONUS poster shoot module
A BONUS portfolio review (for the first 20 students)
10 x Live Q&A sessions
Lifetime access to the replays
Community of fellow students

JOIN WAITLIST

Payment Plan

Film Stills Fast Track Course

$677 2 payments

8 x 60-90 minute Modules
One BONUS poster shoot module
A BONUS portfolio review (for the first 20 students)
10 x Live Q&A sessions
Lifetime access to the replays
Community of fellow students

JOIN WAITLIST

VIP Track

Film Stills Fast Track plus Mentoring

$1997

8 x 60-90 minute Modules
One BONUS poster shoot module
A BONUS portfolio review (for the first 20 students)
10 x live Q&A sessions
Lifetime access to the replays
Community of fellow students
4 x 1:1 mentoring sessions
6 places available

JOIN WAITLIST

VIP Mentoring Students get the Films Stills Fast Track Course plus 4 x 1:1 sessions with me:

Description

It can sometimes feel like a long and lonely road to becoming a successful film stills photographer, and you wonder if you are on the right track.

Use these sessions to:

develop your portfolio further together with my feedback,
get additional support for getting onto a film set,
ask in-depth questions about any situation you are experiencing on set,
get additional mentoring to develop your career.

PLUS you get me on Voxer during the week for direct messages when you need a quick answer.

Having an ally alongside you as you develop your film stills career can be invaluable.

Be first to know

when you too can join Film Stills Fast Track

This course has been exactly what I have been looking for as a professional photographer wanting to know more about this area of the industry - absolutely perfect and very grateful to connect with you Nic, thank you so much for delivering such an amazing course with absolute heartfelt knowledge.

Jax

Photographer, New Zealand

This has not only been a world-class, comprehensive workshop in this art form and industry, it's also been a master class in how to be an artist, a human being, a diplomat, and a stealth detective (if not a double agent!).

I have never experienced a class in which the instructor has brought such a profound mastery of the subject, such thorough preparation of the modules, such deep and broad understanding of the layers involved in applying one's skills to the art as well as navigating the industry, with access to and insights from world-class professionals. What an exhilarating, life-enhancing experience this has been.

AJ Stetson

Photographer, New York

I first met Nicola through a photography collective in London. I was in awe of her work, particularly her ability to gently withdraw something raw and real from her subjects.

She became my mentor and since then friend. Through working with Nicola, she helped me gain clarity and confidence in taking the next steps in my photography career, which has ranged from shooting music gigs, weddings, and portraiture. I learned how to be calm and present around clients, and how to handle challenging situations. I was constantly inspired by her, as she was always thinking out of the box, and showing me new ways of seeing, experiencing, and in interpreting a shoot.

Before being mentored by Nicola I was fumbling around trying to make sense of the photography industry, feeling unsure and sometimes intimidated. After my time with her, I had gained enough confidence and the tools to get out there. I would absolutely not be where I am today, had it not been for Nicola sharing her knowledge, and teaching me everything she knows.

Monica Dart

Photographer, South Africa

FAQ'S

I don’t have a silent camera. Can I still do the course?

Do I need to be on a film set to do this course?

I don't have enough time! I have other commitments and may not always be able to attend the online training sessions. Does that matter?

You will be able to watch recordings of the modules on the private Facebook group page at your convenience, as many times as you like. In fact, you'll have lifetime access to the modules which will be full of useful so you may want to re-watch some, even if you did attend live, to squeeze as much knowledge as you can out of each module.

However, I do recommend attending the live modules when you can, as you’ll get a chance to ask questions and get feedback within a small group.

I’ve already been on set a couple of times. Is there anything of value for me here?

It feels risky to invest in this course right now because I don’t know if I’ll ever get on set.

Getting onto a film set is about knowing the right places to look. There may be productions in your vicinity, who would love to have a film stills photographer on set. On smaller films, they often don’t realize the importance of still pictures, so it’s great to understand how they get used and why, so you can tell them how much they need you! In this course, I will be listing all the ways you can get on set.

In this time of Covid will the film industry be affected? And will that limit my chances of getting onto a film set?

Obviously, if a country has imposed a strict lockdown, then the film industry will be affected like most other industries. However many productions are now working within the Covid health guidelines very successfully.

It remains true that great images are needed for the marketing of content, and the need for new content has never been greater. If you do get on set at these times, it is even more important that you know what you are doing so you can maximize your time.

Once Covid has settled down, either with a vaccine or effective treatment, you will be expertly placed to grab those opportunities to get on set and make great pictures.

What is the refund or cancellation policy?

Will it be value for money?

Surely I can learn all of this myself, as I go along?

Enrol

Join The Waitlist