This hands-on course is designed for videographers and aspiring filmmakers seeking to enhance their technical and creative camera skills in demanding and unpredictable environments. Drawing on real-world experience from documentary filmmaking, participants will learn how to adapt to varied conditions while maintaining professional production standards.

This course is ideal for intermediate to advanced videographers, filmmakers, and content creators who want to expand their skills and confidence working in challenging settings.

Participants will be set a bit of a task…. Like go shoot something at night.. for shooting in challenging situations.. and then we review at the next session.

Wednesday 12th February , 7-9pm Module 1: Foundations of Advanced Camera Techniques

• Understanding Your Gear: Maximizing the potential of your equipment.
• Lenses and Their Impact: Choosing the right lens for dynamic storytelling.
• Technical Fundamentals: Exposure, focus pulling, and white balance mastery.

Saturday 15^th Feb: 10am -12pm  Module 3: Visual Storytelling in the Field

• Composition and Movement: Advanced framing and camera motion for emotional impact.
• Adapting to Unscripted Moments: Capturing spontaneity with precision.
• Working with Natural Light: Harnessing available light to create cinematic visuals.

 Wednesday 19th Feb  7pm – 9pm Module 2: Working in Challenging Environments

• Adapting to Weather: Techniques for shooting in rain, snow, wind, or extreme heat.
• Low-Light Filmmaking: Creative solutions for minimal lighting conditions.
• Remote and Rugged Locations: Packing light, staying mobile, and ensuring equipment safety.

Wednesday 26^th Feb: 7pm – 9pm Module 4: Problem-Solving on the Fly

• Dealing with Equipment Failures: Quick fixes and backups.
• Improvising Shots: Creative solutions when plans change.
• Keeping Calm Under Pressure: Strategies for staying focused in high-stress situations.

Wednesday 12th March  7pm – 9pm  Module 5: Post-Production Considerations

• Shooting for the Edit: Tips for ensuring smooth transitions and continuity.
• Color Grading Challenges: Working with footage from difficult conditions.
• Review and Feedback: Analyzing participants’ footage to refine skills.

Cost £25 for 5 workshops.  These workshops are subsided to enable access to makers at different career stages. Access to your own camera is preferred. Contact Refractive  if you require camera access.

For further information contact: murielann@refractive.scot

About the Tutor:

Thomas Hogben is a Scottish-based Director of Photography, who specialises in working within Documentary. He studied a BA in Photography & Film Production at Napier University and holds an MSc in Animation and Visualisation from DjCAD.

He was one of only 7 chosen for the Scottish Documentary Institute Bridging the Gap Scheme in 2016, and the resulting short documentary film, Teeth, premiered at EIFF and won Best Documentary at the Scottish Short Film Festival as well as screening at Aesthetica, Athens International, and Sebastopol Documentary Festival. From there he DoP’d the BBC Four short documentary Outlying and 30min Our Fathers documentary for BBC Scotland. In 2020, he was commissioned to undertake the experimental art film titled The Soul Of A Statue focusing on the work of renowned Czech glass artist Martin Janecky for exhibition at the Toyama Glass Museum in Tokyo. More recently in 2022, he worked as the DoP for Maurice O’Briens on his latest feature The Artist and the Wall of Death.

Beyond this, he is a skilled gimbal operator for both ground and aerial work having credits on Outlander and Christian Carions My Son as well as working as the second unit DoP on Richie Adams drama The Road Dance which won the Audience Award at the 2021 EIFF.

Specialties: Film, Photography, Post production, GFX, Editing, Production, Digital Media

To explore Tom’s latest work visit:    https://www.thomashogben.com/blog