Yesterday I attended the KNOW workshop by stillmotion. I felt like the experience was wonderful.
It’s easy to see how much effort has gone into their educational tour, DVDs, and book. They do a great job as storytellers and trainers. They also seek out honest feedback about what their doing, and I appreciate that.
The workshop confirmed that I was on the right track with a lot of things: storytelling, equipment choices, and philosophical approach to filmmaking. I’ve recently felt like I’m spending too much time in pre-production; however, I feel more freedom to do that now, so I can make stronger choices once the camera starts rolling.
I also came away with a renewed energy for all of the technical things that I once loved, too. This was my first filmmaking class, even though I’ve worked on a number of productions and recently finished my first feature-length film (Abandoned Allies).
All in all, the folks at stillmotion did a great job. I hope they continue to grow / evolve the program. Perhaps stretching it over the course of two shorter days would make it easier on attendees and trainers; everyone seemed spent by the end of the day. It probably won’t be a surprise that I wished for more time for networking, too. There were folks I didn’t really get a chance to chat with like I’d hoped.
The workshop was fantastic. If you want to participate, it looks like there are some seats open in various locations. Check their website for more information about the workshops and their next stops on the tour. I definitely recommend it. (Big thanks to Brian Crawford for telling me about the workshop, too!)
The Field Guide to Filmmaking is a take sway from the workshop. It’s beautifully designed — something that makes me happy!