experiance towards my wildlife documentary MA

Once I have done this training, and got through my 30 weeks training needed to complete my PTLLs and CTTLs I can do some workshops in community centers, etc. in drawing/photography etc. could also use these as my placement hours for assessment. Through getting this better paid work I can afford better equipment to build up my portfolio and maybe do a couple of these course to help build it:

Short wildlife film making course
Experience a filmmaking course and produce real wildlife footage in beautiful South Africa. Our Wildlife Film Academy offers students the chance to learn more about wildlife filmmaking and will help you to develop your career as a wildlife filmmaker.
This placement operates a globally unique one-month intensive course in South Africa, one of the most beautiful well-known countries. This exciting and educational course has been developed by International, experienced and award-winning wildlife filmmakers. If your dream is to film the wildest of animals in their natural environment and develop your skills as a wildlife filmmaker then this course is a must.

This course has been designed with you in mind and the following key elements make the course successful:

• A practical filming location shoot in a stunning wildlife game reserve to give you hands on camera experience in Southern Africa.
• Tutorials and lectures developed by renowned wildlife filmmakers who know how hard it are to make a start in the wildlife filmmaking industry.
• Individual access to editing suites and tutors to enable you to complete your own film at the end of the course, which you can use as a promo for a bigger project.
• Specific focus on Business Skills to provide you with an understanding of budgeting, negotiations to enable you to survive long-term in the industry.

Pre-Production and Lectures at the Academy

• Introduction, orientation and inspiration
• What do commissioning editors, broadcasters and distributors want?
• Conceptualising and pitching
• Camera technology, high definition, shot composition and lighting
• Soundtracks, sequencing and an introduction to shooting and editing
• Funding and budgeting
• Exposure to key industry contacts, networks and wildlife film festivals

4 WEEKS – £2,949

Pros	Cons
Go to southern Africa	Will have to use savings, start saving for MA from scratch
Interesting
Affordable
Have own film at the end of the course help my portfolio
Industry contacts
Short course

Thanda Photography project

Thanda Private Game reserve, is ideally situated in a private game reserve of 14,000 hectares of pristine bush and is home to the Big 5, the extremely rare African Wild Dog and Cheetah. The area is home to the Zulu tribe, a group of people with a very lively and colourful culture.
It is within this impressive setting that we offer you the opportunity to improve your photography skills, to photograph the phenomenal wildlife in the area, and to help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation.
In the impressive setting of a Private Big 5 Game Reserve, this unique programme offers photography enthusiasts the opportunity to get a different perspective on Africa…

Project Highlights:

• Improve your photography skills in a 3 day intensive course taught by an experienced professional photographer
• Stay in the heart of a Big 5 Game Reserve
• Take pictures of the extensive wildlife on regular game drives.
• Learn and photograph smaller species of flora and fauna
• Help to create a photo database for awareness and educational purposes
• Help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation
• Assist on conservation initiatives within the Park e.g. Snare Sweeps and Alien Plant control
• Supporting The Thanda Foundation
• Make friends for life!

Thanda Game Reserve Wildlife Photography and Conservation Education project offers a varied range of photography and conservation components. Volunteers will start with an in-depth orientation, followed by an intensive 3-day photography course with a professional photographer to improve on your photography skills. A further 3 weeks will be spent photographing the phenomenal wildlife in the park, which boasts all of Africa’s Big 5 (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo and Leopard) and also doing conservation partnership with the Thanda Foundation. Those that wish to stay on for an extra 2/4 weeks, will be working closely with the research volunteers to assist them in gathering photo research that is still needed. They will also have the opportunity to visit neighbouring reserves, such as Pongola.

Time Off

Your project managers are responsible for organising your daily activities, which will vary from day-to-day.  A typical day may look like this:

05:30 – Get up and get ready for your morning drive
06:00 – Depending on the schedule you will usually head off to the photography area for that day on a game drive to capture photographs of the wildlife, landscapes or people around the area
09:30 – Return for breakfast and to edit your photographs
12:30 – Lunch break
14.00 – Start of your afternoon projects. You may be working on adding your new pictures to the database, or you may work on a conservation activity
16.30 – You will evaluate the day with fellow volunteers and project coordinators, and discuss the schedule for the next day
18.30 – Dinner. After dinner, you may be presenting your top 5 images to the other volunteers

Morning times and end of day times do vary depending on where you are visiting and best conditions for taking photographs, for instance if you are going on a day Game drive you will start much earlier e.g. 05:00 am
Please note: Volunteers are given Saturday and Sunday off each week.

4 WEEKS – £1729
6 WEEKS – £2249
8 WEEKS – £2759

Pros	Cons
Cheap	Dip into savings
Chance to really build portfolio
Go to Africa
Industry contacts