In-camera Colour Matching Workshop part II
2025-07-15 19:45 - 22:00 UTC | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Peter Leverit

Following on from our popular “Getting Exposure and Colour Right” masterclass, this session takes things a step further with a practical evening of multi-camera In-camera Colour Matching.

Using both club cameras and any equipment members bring along, we’ll aim to set up a short scene with multiple angles — and then work together to ensure the footage matches across all sources. This session is perfect for those looking to build skills in multi-camera continuity, lighting consistency, and matching colour profiles from different makes and models.

What we’ll cover on the In-camera Colour Matching night

Balancing cameras: Exposure, white balance, and picture profiles

Lighting consistency: Working with one lighting setup to serve multiple angles

Practical camera setup: Framing, placement, and coordination of shots

Using tools: Waveforms, vectorscopes, and lookup tables (LUTs) where available

Matching footage in post: A quick look at what you can fix after the shoot

We’ll be feeding all compatible cameras into our video switchers, allowing us to monitor all live angles at once and compare the In-camera Colour Matching Workshop part II with regards to image consistency in real time. This gives us a fantastic opportunity to see how exposure, colour, and lighting decisions hold up across multiple cameras simultaneously.

Please note: not all cameras may be capable of live output, but we’ll work with what we have and adapt accordingly.

We will have the club cameras and a grey scale card.

What to bring:

Your camera, if you have one (any brand or level welcome)

Tripod or rig if available

Any tools you use for exposure or colour balancing

This session is about collaboration, experimentation, and shared learning. Come along and see how small changes can make a huge difference to the final result.

Come ready to learn, ask questions and see the difference that proper exposure and colour handling can make.

Can you tell a story in just a 1 minute film?
2025-08-05 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Paul Dryland

Make a a 1 minute film in an evening.

Back by popular demand, this fast-paced, creative evening will see club members split into small teams and challenged to create a compelling short film in just two hours, with a maximum running time of 60 seconds! Yes, a a 1 minute film.

This session is about thinking on your feet, making quick creative decisions, and focusing on tight, visual storytelling. You’ll need to plan fast and shoot smart to get your idea across in under a minute. Editing can be done afterwards, so the focus will be on capturing the footage within the two-hour window.

You can bring your own cameras or use club equipment. We’ll have tripods, handheld rigs and a couple of basic kits ready to go. The beauty of this challenge is how much you can achieve with limited gear and lots of imagination.

The films can be any genre or style, drama, comedy, horror, documentary or something experimental. Be bold, be creative! You can build your teams in advance, or simply come along and take pot luck on the night. We suggest thinking ahead about what you might like to shoot, so you’re not starting entirely from scratch when the clock begins.

We’ll watch the finished films together at a club night a month or two afterwards and celebrate the creativity that can come from a ticking clock and a great idea.

Whether you’re new to filmmaking or want to hone your storytelling under pressure, this is a fun and energising session where everyone can contribute. Come and test your skills – and your stopwatch!

Below is a Group Prompt & Planning Sheet for you to use

1-Minute_Film_Script_Prompt_Two_PageDownload

Sound Recording Workshop (Hands-On)
2025-08-19 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Join us for a practical evening focused on one of the most critical (but often overlooked) elements of filmmaking – sound recording. This hands-on workshop is designed to help you get to grips with the gear we use most often on club shoots, and to build your confidence when capturing dialogue on set.

Whether you’re new to sound or looking to sharpen your skills, this is a chance to learn through doing.

What we’ll cover:

How to position a shotgun mic on a boom for clean, consistent dialogue

Tips for working with personal (lav) mics, including hiding techniques and avoiding rustle

Basic techniques for monitoring and adjusting levels on the fly

Understanding mic placement in relation to framing and movement

Working collaboratively with the camera and directing team

Common pitfalls in low-budget sound recording and how to avoid them

We’ll be working with real scenes and actors, rotating through sound roles so everyone gets hands-on experience.

Equipment focus:

This session will focus on club-owned gear, including:

Rode NTG2 shotgun mic with boom pole and shock mount

Sennheiser G3 wireless lavalier mics

Zoom audio recorders and club headphones

We’ll set up practical filming situations where you can test mic placement, record takes, and review sound quality – all with immediate feedback and support. If you’ve ever worried about background noise, inconsistent levels, or that dreaded rustle from a shirt collar, this is your chance to troubleshoot and learn the fixes in real time.

Bring your own kit too (optional)

If you have your own mics, recorders, or headphones, feel free to bring them along and compare setups.

Stepping Into the Director’s Chair
2025-09-02 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by – Adrian Dean

Directing is often thought of as calling “action” and “cut,” but it’s so much more than that. A director’s choices shape the entire mood and impact of a film — from the way a scene is shot, to how the actors interpret their lines, to the music and locations that set the atmosphere.

Then it’s your turn. We’ll split into groups and give everyone the same short script. Each team will direct and film their version of the scene, applying their own ideas and instincts. Afterwards, we’ll watch back the results to see how differently the same script can play out when filtered through a new creative lens.

At this session, we’ll explore what it really means to sit in the director’s chair. Together, we’ll break down the different areas where a director makes key decisions: storyboarding, shot composition, performance, casting ideas, music, and location. You’ll see just how much power there is in these choices, and how dramatically they can change the tone of the final film.

It promises to be a fun, interactive evening where everyone gets the chance to be hands-on. Whether you’re new to filmmaking or a seasoned club regular, this workshop is designed to spark creativity, collaboration, and discussion. You might even discover a hidden flair for directing that you didn’t know you had!

So come along, take the hot seat, and find out where your directing instincts will take you.

No experience necessary. Just bring your enthusiasm and maybe a script or story you’d like to try reading on camera. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be on the other side of the lens – this is your night!

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

Project & Networking Night
2025-09-16 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Our regular club nights are always full of energy, packed with workshops, shoots, and hands-on activities. But one thing that often gets lost in the buzz is the chance to sit down, talk through ideas, and plan future projects together.

This Project & Networking Night is designed to give us that space.

It’s part social evening and part working session. You’ll have the chance to grab a cuppa, catch up with fellow members, and then dive into proper conversations about the projects you’re working on — or the ones you’d love to start.

The Anthology Films will be a key focus. With so many moving parts to bring together, this is the perfect time for those involved to share updates, discuss logistics, and map out next steps. Heads of department will also have the chance to meet and coordinate roles so that everyone knows who’s doing what.

This is nothing like our club nights – but we can aim for it!

But it’s not just about the anthology. If you’ve got a project of your own — whether it’s a short film idea, a documentary, or just a creative experiment — this is your chance to talk it through with the group, find collaborators, or get some constructive feedback.

By the end of the night, you’ll come away with a clearer plan, fresh ideas, and stronger connections with other members. And because it’s a social as well, you’ll also have had time to relax, chat, and enjoy the company of fellow filmmakers without the usual pressure of a busy club night.

So bring along your ideas, your enthusiasm, and maybe even your notebook — this is a night to share, plan, and make things happen.

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

Newsdesk Green Screen Presenter Night
2025-10-07 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Step into the spotlight and take the anchor’s chair.

In this fun, hands-on session, we’ll transform the club into a working TV studio. You’ll have the opportunity to present a news-style piece to camera using our green screen setup, complete with virtual backdrops and studio-style lighting.

Whether you want to try your hand as a newsreader, field reporter, or host of a mock chat show, we’ll have scripts and formats available for you to try – or you can bring your own material to perform. This session is ideal for anyone looking to build confidence in front of the camera or learn how to direct presenter-led content.

We’ll cover:

Lighting and framing for green screen shoots

Reading to camera and using autocue prompts

Positioning and timing for live-style recording

Directing presenters and working as a studio crew

Tips on scripting engaging pieces to camera

This time, we’ll also be giving our presenters a topical challenge: reporting on a breaking story that ‘the internet has gone down across the globe.’ With the cause unknown and no idea if or when it will return, you’ll have the chance to deliver this dramatic piece of news straight to camera, footage we hope to use in our upcoming anthology project.

This is a collaborative session, so there will be plenty of chances to try out different roles, whether that’s presenting, directing, operating cameras or mixing live feeds. If you’re more comfortable behind the scenes, we’ll need people to manage sound, lighting, and recording too.

The best footage from the evening may be used in future Sutton FilmMakers promo videos, turned into short presenter reels for those taking part, or even featured in our anthology project.

No experience necessary. Just bring your enthusiasm and maybe a script or story you’d like to try reading on camera. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be on the other side of the lens – this is your night!

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

Casting Night for the Anthology Films
2025-10-21 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Adrian Dean and Rhys Davies

Lights, camera… auditions!

We’re entering the casting phase for our exciting Sutton FilmMakers Anthology Project, and this club night will be dedicated to auditioning actors for a selection of the short films we’re producing as part of the series.

We’d like to invite performers from local drama groups to join us for the evening and actors that would like to be involved. You do NOT have to be a member. They’ll be reading scenes from selected scripts, giving directors and producers a chance to see how different actors bring the material to life. This is your chance to meet local talent, hear your lines performed aloud, and make decisions about who’s right for each role.

It is FREE for those auditioning.

We’ll be:

Auditioning roles from several anthology scripts

Inviting actors from the local community

Filming test scenes where needed, to help with casting decisions

Finalising casting for shoots scheduled in the months ahead

We’re looking for a diverse range of actors for several upcoming short films and scripts.

We’re currently accepting self-tapes and encourage everyone to audition. Even if you’re not cast in this round, your audition will be considered for future projects in the anthology. The Casting night is on the 21st If you can’t make the night a selftape can work.. The self tapes do not have to be videography master pieces, we just want to see you act.

Details: To read the scripts simple click on the film name.

Echoes of Silence (family drama):

DAUGHTER: 16, female – sarcastic

MOTHER: 40, female – playful & warm

FATHER: 40, male – loves a bit of banter

GRANDMOTHER: 65-70 patient – wise & playful

TV BROADCAST: 30-50, any gender

The Scam (slice-of-life drama):

PETER: 60-70, male, well spoken

YOUNG PETER: 25-35, male, well spoken

PETER’S SON: 20-30, male, techy/geeky

EVELYN: 60-70, female, well spoken

JOHN/SIMON: 50-60, male, accents preferred

After I Am (family drama):

BILLY: 7-11, male

GINA: 30-40, female

GRANDDAD: 50+, male

Undelivered (action):

DELIVERY CYCLIST: any age and gender – own bike preferred

WORKER: any age and gender

RECIPIENT: any age and gender

Self Driving Trouble (workplace drama):

LESLIE: 20, male – timid but earnest

TARON: 40, male – chaotic and in-command

Threadbare (sewing bee comedy):

CLEANER: 30+, any age and gender

DEREK: 50-60, male – cheerful and calm

LUCY: 28, female – warm-hearted but tired-looking

MARGARET: 40s, female – prim, proper, composed but warm

PAM 58, female – quick, colourful and with (a Northern Irish lilt, not essential)

If you’re interested, please submit (if you have them) your headshot, résumé, and self-tape of one page from the relevant script(s) if you can’t make the night. Please complete the form on this page – Casting Call.

If you’re involved in one of the anthology films, or simply want to learn more about directing actors and running auditions, this is a must-attend session. And if you’re an actor yourself, you’re very welcome to attend and read – just let us know in advance!

Whether you’re a director with a script in the anthology, a writer curious to hear your dialogue off the page, or just interested in the casting process, this will be a lively and engaging evening.

The casting choices made here will shape the next phase of the project, so come along and help us discover the faces of our upcoming productions.

Sutton Filmmakers Spooktacular - Part 1
2025-11-04 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Owain Dain

History of Horror is here!

Welcome, boils and ghouls!

Prepare to take a deep dive into the history of horror and discover why we at SFM just can’t get enough of being scared.

We’ll explore how horror has evolved over the years, discuss how the “rules” of who lives and dies have changed, and figure out the best way to tell who’s next to go.

“There’s a formula to it, a very simple formula!!”

In this spooktacular, expect clips, conversation, and maybe a few jump scares of our own.

We’ll also talk about why horror is such a genius genre from a filmmaking perspective — low budgets, minimal sets, no big-name actors (though plenty of famous ones started in horror), and still massive returns.

We’ll cite the Blumhouse financial model and look at just how effective it’s been.

It’s creative freedom with a killer payoff. We’ll explore sound design (where less is definitely more), the history of the jump scare, and how music and camera positioning can turn an ordinary scene into pure nightmare fuel — or even casual comedy.

Basically, what makes horror work — and why it keeps haunting us.

To top it all off, we’ll be screening and evaluating two club horror films — Night Fears and Lake on the Cabin — discussing what works, what doesn’t, and what we can learn for our own projects.

By the end, we’ll all have a better sense of how to create a solid, spooky short ourselves, using everything we’ve learned.

Filmmakers beware — you’re in for a scare!

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

Screen Acting Workshop with Sara Jordan
2025-11-18 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Sara Jordan

Bring your stage craft to camera

This event has passed. However you can see the write up and footage here Screen Acting Workshop, One Line at a Time

Bring your stage craft to camera with clarity and confidence. This focused, two hour workshop is designed for theatre trained performers who want to understand what changes on set, how the lens reads truth, and which habits help you deliver clean, believable takes.

Led by experienced actress and award winning Director Sara Jordan, you will feel the difference between stage scale and screen intimacy, and leave knowing exactly what directors at Sutton FilmMakers are looking for.

What we are aiming to achieve

By the end of the night you will

recognise how the camera magnifies thought and pares back gesture

know where to place your eyeline and how to keep it consistent

use stillness, breath, and listening to carry a moment

match simple actions for continuity so your performance cuts smoothly

take a clear redirect and repeat the beat with confidence

Theatre vs. Screen Performances

How the night runs

A short welcome, why screen acting is different, three simple rules, smaller, later, listen

Live demonstration with immediate playback to show stage size, medium shot, and close up

Paired drill off camera to practise eyeline and stillness with a reader just off lens

On camera hot seat rotations, each actor delivers a short contemporary beat, receives one precise note from Sara, and runs a quick pickup

Group debrief, five recurring patterns to watch for in future screen auditions, and practical next steps

Who this is for

Actors with strong theatre experience who are new to camera or returning after a break, recent graduates building their first screen credits, am dram performers ready to translate their skills to film, performers who want sharper, simpler on set habits.

Theatre trained actors who want to translate stage craft to camera with confidence

Amateur dramatic performers ready to shift from projection to on camera truth

Recent drama school graduates building screen experience and set discipline

Actors returning after a break who want a fast, practical refresh on screen habits

Presenters, creators, and voice actors moving into filmed performance

Directors or writers who act in their own projects and want cleaner takes

Any performer who’s heard “smaller, later, listen” and wants to feel what that means under the lens

If you can hold a scene, take a note, and you are curious about how the camera reads thought, this night is designed for you.

What to bring

Neutral top without logos, minimal jewellery, comfortable shoes, a bottle of water, your curiosity and a willingness to listen on camera

Why we are offering this

Our recent anthology casting brought in brilliant theatre talent, and we saw how much potential there is when stage craft meets the lens. This workshop bridges the gap, helping you keep everything you do that works on stage while refining it for the intimacy of screen.

If you are a theatre actor and would like to take part do let us know in advance please as it would be nice (but not essential) to know how many actors we can work with.

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

Writers Room, Live Script Workshop
2025-12-02 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Adrian Dean

Welcome back to the writers room.

We are turning the evening into a live script workshop. If you have a script, or even just a few scenes, that you think could be stronger, this is a chance to put it in front of your fellow filmmakers and get some honest, constructive help.

Most of us write because we want to see our stories made into real films. The hard part is getting the script to the level it needs to be before anyone points a camera at it. It is very easy to work in a bubble, not get notes, and only discover the weak spots when it is too late, on set, with a crew waiting.

On this writers room night we will sit together, read sections of your script, and break them down in a supportive way. We will talk about structure, character, dialogue and pacing, and look at how clearly the film appears in the reader’s mind. The aim is not to tear work apart, but to find the strongest version of your idea and help you move towards it.

Your script does not have to be finished. You can bring a first draft, a problem scene, or even a rough outline if you are stuck and need to know whether to push on or start again. Sometimes a ten minute conversation saves you months of circling the same issue.

How will Live Script Workshop work

Send us your script, or an extract, in advance, preferably as a PDF, use the script submission page (its one we use for lots of submissions so some of the fields wont be appropriate but ignore them) , with “Writers Room” in the subject line.

On the night we will work through as many scripts as we reasonably can, scene by scene, with the writer in the hot seat to answer questions and hear suggestions.

If you are not ready to share your own work yet you are still very welcome to come along, listen in, and join the discussion. Watching other people’s scripts being pulled apart, gently, is one of the quickest ways to improve your own writing.

Come ready to give and receive feedback, ask questions, and bounce ideas around. With a bit of courage, and a room full of peers behind you, you might find that the script you have been wrestling with is closer to production ready than you thought.

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

Christmas Social
2025-12-16 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Join us at The Parochial Halls in Cheam on Tuesday 16 December 2025 at 7.30pm for our Christmas social, with drinks, nibbles and member made films from this year.

Our final meet up of the year is a relaxed Christmas social at The Parochial Halls, Cheam, Sutton, starting at 7.45pm on Tuesday 16 December 2025. This is a chance to unwind, catch up with other members and look back at what we have created together over the past twelve months.

We will have a few beers and wines available, along with soft drinks and some nibbles. Nothing formal, just an easy going evening where you can chat, share ideas for next year and enjoy some of the work that has come out of the club recently.

During the evening, we will screen three Sutton FilmMakers projects that many members will not have seen yet.

• From Hong Kong To Sutton, Directed by Tom McDanialA thoughtful documentary about the Hong Kong community who have made Sutton their home, sharing how they are settling in and their hopes for the future.

• Best Day Worst Day, Directed by Julie ChildsA sharp short comedy about a new driver, old grudges and some very bad decisions.

• Women In Film, Directed by Peter LeverickA behind the scenes documentary celebrating the women who crewed Best Day Worst Day, highlighting their roles, their paths into film and how Sutton FilmMakers helps people step up, learn and lead on set.

The Christmas social is free for current members. Visitors are very welcome too at the usual £8 visitor rate, so if you know someone who is curious about the club, this is a gentle way to introduce them.

Come along if you can and help us round off the year in good company, with good films and a bit of festive cheer. If any details like timing or access are a concern, just get in touch and we will do our best to help.

Guests welcome see below.

Sutton Filmmakers Spooktacular - Part 2
2026-01-06 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Owain Dain

Lets Dive Back In

Tonight, we’re diving back into the world of horror for a follow-up, and trust me, it’s not just about jump scares.

Horror is full of surprises: genre-bending stories with symbolism and hidden themes, monsters that represent real fears, and subtle tricks that make you question what’s real.

The Horror Rules Change

It’s clever. It’s creative. And it’s constantly evolving.

Over the course of the evening, we’ll travel through the decades, from the raw rebellion of the ’70s, to the blood-soaked excess of the ’80s, the self-aware ’90s, and the chilling influence of Japanese horror and “torture porn” in the 2000s.

With each era, the rules change: who survives, who falls, and what we’re really afraid of.

We’ll also explore why horror works so well in short films, and why those ideas don’t always translate to feature-length films.

Short horror thrives on the event itself: the shock, the tension, the atmosphere, while features often focus on the people experiencing the event.

We’ll also look at how horror shares a lot in common with comedy: it’s all about the build-up, the suspense, and the punchline, or in horror’s case, the reveal that makes your heart skip a beat. By the end of the night, you’ll understand not just why horror works, but how to craft it yourselves.

Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.

January Club Social Meal
2026-01-20 19:45 - 22:15 | ECO, 23 The Broadway, Cheam, Sutton SM3 8BH, 23 The Broadway, Sutton, SM3 8BH, United Kingdom
Rather than trying to squeeze a Christmas meal into a hectic month, we’re having a more relaxed club social meal in January, when it’s usually easier to book and nicer to chat.

On Tuesday 20 January we will not be holding our usual meeting. Instead, we’ll meet at 7:45pm at ECO, 23 The Broadway, Cheam, Sutton SM3 8BH (just opposite the club).

I’ve booked a table for 20 people to start with, and the restaurant can expand the booking if we have more members who want to join.

Club members will receive a £5 subsidy towards their meal (members only).

If you’d like to come along, please reply to the club email by end of day 13 January so we can confirm numbers with the restaurant.

Eco Menu

Focusing and Camera Movement Evening
2026-02-03 19:45 - 22:00 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Tom McDaniel

Join us for a practical club night looking at camera movement and focusing techniques, the sort of stuff that can quietly lift a scene from “fine” to “that feels like a film”.

Ever wanted to pull off an exciting move that has that blockbuster energy, or tried to block actors only to realise the focus has drifted the moment they take a step? This evening is about getting more confident with the basics that make movement work, keeping shots usable, and understanding what’s actually happening when focus goes right, or wrong.

We’ll run through a handful of classic camera moves and explore how to execute them cleanly, with simple, repeatable approaches. Alongside that, we’ll look at practical ways to keep the action in focus while the camera is moving and the performers are moving, which is usually where things start to unravel.

It’s a hands on session, so expect to watch, try, adjust, then try again. The aim is to leave with a better feel for how to plan a move, how to place people for it, and how to focus in a way that supports the shot rather than fighting it.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 3rd February 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

Col Spector, 8 Rules For Shooting A Documentary
2026-02-17 19:45 - 22:00 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Col Spector

We’re delighted to welcome Col Spector to the club for a talk on something most of us only learn the hard way, how to shoot a documentary that actually turns into a film, not just a pile of interesting footage.

Col has worked across documentary, commercials and fiction, and he’s known for being both practical and refreshingly direct. This evening he’ll be sharing his “8 rules” for documentary making, the kind of rules that stop you drifting, keep you honest about what you’re trying to say, and give you a structure you can lean on when the shoot starts throwing surprises at you.

Col Spector set up documentary consultancy to help documentary filmmakers make emotionally engaging films that get seen and launch their careers. Using the principles/guidelines that he developed throughout his career as a documentary maker at the BBC, Col has worked with hundreds of early career directors helping them turn their ideas into films that have been commissioned and screened on the BBC, Netflix and many top tier film festivals. See some testimonials from filmmakers Col has helped and for more about how he can help you at www.thedocumentaryconsultant.com

This is not a technical talk about cameras, lenses, or kit. It’s about decisions, focus, and storytelling. The invisible stuff that makes the difference between a documentary that feels alive, and one that feels like it never quite gets going.

What You’ll Take Away

A clearer way to start, so you’re not “finding the film” three months into the edit

How to shape a documentary around an idea without strangling the real life out of it

Why a documentary needs tension, development, and a dramatic arc, even when it’s truthful

How to hold a critical point of view, without turning your film into a lecture

A simple framework you can use on your next project, whether it’s 5 minutes or 50

Col will introduce the rules, unpack the thinking behind them, and share examples of how they show up in the real world of shooting and editing. You’ll come away with plenty to try, and probably a couple of uncomfortable realisations too, in a good way.

There’ll be time for questions at the end, so if you’ve got a documentary idea you’ve been circling for ages, or you’ve started one and hit the familiar “do I actually have a film here?” moment, bring that with you.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 17 February 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

Acting And Auditioning Workshop With Sara Jordan
2026-03-03 19:45 - 22:00 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Sara Jordan

Sara Jordan is running a practical, hands on acting and auditioning workshop for anyone who wants to feel more confident in auditions, and more grounded in their acting choices.

This is not a sit back and listen kind of evening. Expect plenty of exercises, short explorations, and supportive feedback as you work on what casting people and directors actually respond to, believable character, clear choices, and an actor who feels present rather than “performed”.

What We’ll Explore

Finding character and authenticity

You’ll work through simple, repeatable exercises that help you build a character with truth at the centre, not just a collection of mannerisms. The aim is to feel connected to what the character wants, what they fear, what they’re protecting, and then let that inner world shape everything else.

Building a character from the ground up

Sara will guide you through how movement and voice naturally grow out of character, rather than being added on top. You’ll explore posture, pace, gesture, rhythm, breath, and vocal tone, and how small physical choices can make a character feel specific without becoming forced or “put on”.

Understanding your casting type

This bit is often surprisingly useful. You’ll look at the kinds of roles you’re most realistically likely to be cast in right now, and how to lean into that strategically, without boxing yourself in forever. It’s about knowing where you fit in the casting landscape so you can show up with clearer choices and less second guessing.

How auditions really work

We’ll cover what directors tend to look for, what helps you stand out in a good way, and what quietly undermines an audition even when the acting is solid. You’ll also focus on how to present yourself well in the room, how to take direction, and how to keep your nerves from hijacking your performance.

Who It’s For

This workshop is suitable for beginners who want a practical starting point, and for more experienced actors who want to sharpen their audition technique and make their character choices feel more grounded and intentional.

If you’ve ever left an audition thinking “I could do it, but I didn’t show it”, this evening is basically for you.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 3rd March 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

Film In A Night Evening - One Concept, Told In Multiple Genres
2026-03-17 19:45 - 22:00 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Adrian Dean

One Concept, Told In Multiple Genres

On 18 March, Adrian Dean is running a Film In A Night challenge built around a simple idea, one concept told in multiple genres. We’ll split into teams and be given a basic plot plus a genre to tackle it in.

Each group will then discuss and plan quickly before going off to shoot their idea, aiming to edit in camera so we can screen a finished film to the rest of the club at the end.

No pressure, just a fun, practical evening of filmmaking with friends, and a great way to see how much genre comes from choices, not budget.

See our other events here

Film In A Night Evening – One Concept, Told In Multiple Genres

In a film in a night challenge the teams that finish strong usually do one thing early, they commit. Not to perfection, just to a clear direction.

Start with three quick agreements:

Genre Promise, what do you want the audience to feel most, amused, tense, unsettled, warm, suspicious

Genre Signal, pick one obvious “tell” you can lean on all the way through, sound, lighting, performance style, pacing, camera movement

Final Beat, decide what the last moment is meant to land like, so you’re always shooting towards something

Then keep the rest ruthlessly simple.

Time Saving Tips That Actually Work On The Night

Planning can drift into a mini writers room if you let it, so for a film in a night challenge give yourselves a few constraints and stick to them.

Limit locations

One location is ideal, two at most. Moving between places eats time, and it’s where continuity and sound start falling apart.

Keep the shot list small

Aim for around 6 to 10 shots. If you’re listing 20, you’re probably trying to cover uncertainty rather than telling the story. One strong wide and a couple of close ups will do a lot of heavy lifting.

Assign “owners” even if roles overlap

Someone watches sound, someone watches framing, someone watches continuity. People can double up, but it helps if each area has a name attached to it.

Rehearse the blocking once

A quick walk through of where people stand, where they move, and where the camera is, saves more time than repeating takes later.

If you get stuck, go more obvious

Film In A Night is not the moment for subtle genre. Make the genre clearer than you think it needs to be, especially in the first 20 to 30 seconds.

What Editing In Camera Means

Editing in camera means you’re assembling the film as you shoot, rather than collecting lots of coverage and building it later. In practical terms, you film only what you intend to use, and where possible you shoot shots in the order you want them to appear.

It’s a great approach for this kind of challenge because it keeps things moving, and it stops the evening turning into a long laptop session.

You might also want to read how to get it right colour wise in camera

How To Get Editing In Camera Right

Shoot in sequence where you can

If your story beat order is A then B then C, try to film in that order. It reduces confusion and makes the “assembled” version feel natural.

Give every shot a clean start and finish

Hit record, hold for a second, let the action happen, hold for a second at the end. Those little handles make it much easier to stitch together quickly.

Cut on actions, not on words

People turning, standing, picking something up, reacting, these are natural cut points. Cutting mid line can work, but only if you’re doing it deliberately.

Fewer takes, but one safety take

Do not chase perfection, but if a take felt messy, do one more while you’re there. “We’ll fix it later” is how Film In A Night projects die.

Prioritise sound

Clear dialogue makes a film feel finished. Get close enough to the actors, do a quick listen back before you move on, and avoid noisy corners if you can.

At The End Of The Night

We’ll bring the films back together and watch them as a group. Same basic plot, different genres, different choices, and a lot of laughs, plus you’ll probably pick up a few tricks just from seeing how other teams tackled the same starting point.

The Basics Of Film Editing
2026-04-07 19:45 - 22:00 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Peter Leverick

If you’ve ever sat in front of a timeline and thought, “I know what I want this scene to do, but it’s not landing”, this evening is for you. We’re keeping it simple and practical, a night focused on the basics of film editing and the core decisions that make a sequence feel clear, natural, and emotionally right.

We’ll work through the three questions that sit underneath almost every edit:

When to cut

Sometimes the cut is obvious. Sometimes it’s a tiny moment you can’t quite describe, but you can feel it. We’ll explore the cues that tell you it’s time to move on, pace, performance, energy, eye movement, and even breathing.

Why to cut

Cuts aren’t just there to shorten things. They shape meaning. They control what the audience notices, what they miss, what they expect, and how they feel. We’ll look at the most common reasons for cutting, to tighten rhythm, to hide problems, to heighten emotion, to build tension, to reveal information at exactly the right time.

What to cut to

This is where the basics of film editing starts to feel like storytelling rather than assembling shots. We’ll look at how choosing the next shot can change the mood of a scene, and how different choices can make the same material feel funny, unsettling, calm, or urgent.

We’ll also look at how the basics of film editing shift depending on genre, because genre is basically a set of audience expectations, and editing is one of the quickest ways to meet those expectations, or deliberately play against them. We’ll talk through a few common genres and the sort of cutting style they tend to lean on:

Comedy, timing, reaction shots, and how a fraction of a second can make a joke work, or kill it

Horror, controlling what the audience sees, when they see it, and how cutting can create dread before anything even happens

Drama, staying with performance, letting moments breathe, and knowing when not to cut

Suspense, tightening the rope slowly, using pace and withholding information to keep the audience leaning forward

Peter Leverick will also focus on one of the most useful skills an editor develops, knowing whether the cut feels right. Often the editor’s first clue is simply that something feels off. It might be a timing issue, too early, too late, not held long enough, or it might be something else entirely, a mismatch in energy, a performance beat that’s been cut away, or a moment that needs a different shot to make the scene make sense emotionally. Peter will share ways to spot what’s actually wrong, so you’re not just nudging clips around at random.

We’ll also cover a couple of common cut types that editors use all the time, including J cuts and L cuts, and why you might use them. They’re simple techniques, but they’re surprisingly powerful for smoothing transitions, pulling the audience into the next moment, and making scenes feel more natural without the edit drawing attention to itself.

This is a hands on learning night in the sense that it’s all about real decision making, the sort of stuff you can immediately apply to your own projects, whether you’re editing on a phone, a laptop, or a full editing suite. If you’re new to editing, it’ll give you a foundation. If you’ve edited a bit already, it’ll help you understand why some sequences work and others don’t, even when the footage is decent.

Come along and sharpen up your instincts, get clearer on the basics of film editing, and leave with a few practical ideas you can try the very next time you sit down to edit.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 7th April 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

Video Editing Basics, A Hands On Practical Workshop
2026-04-21 19:45 - 22:00 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Following our previous meeting, where we ran out of time to get into the practical editing, this follow on session is all about learning by doing. Members will work with a set of simple clips, with experienced members on hand to help, guide and answer questions as they go.

If you want to get started with editing but feel more confused than confident once you open the software, this workshop is a good place to begin.

This is a fully practical, hands session

This is a fully practical, hands on follow on session where members will be learning by actually editing. It is not a lecture and it is not a software demo that you simply sit and watch. The whole evening is built around getting stuck in, trying things out, and learning the basics with support from experienced members as you go.

We will provide a set of simple clips for everyone to work with during the workshop, so there is no need to bring your own footage. The aim is to help you get comfortable with the core editing process, bringing clips in, placing them on a timeline, trimming them down, putting them in order, and turning raw material into a short finished sequence.

If you want to bring your own laptop, your editing software must be installed before you arrive. We will not have time to install software during the workshop, and internet access at the club is limited, so please make sure everything is set up in advance. If you do not already have editing software, Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve is available as a free download and is an excellent place to start.

We will also have a small number of editing suites available for members who do not have a laptop to bring. These will be offered on a first come, first served basis, as numbers are limited.

This workshop is aimed at complete beginners, as well as anyone who has tried editing before but still feels unsure about the basics. The focus is on doing, not theory, so by the end of the evening you should have a much clearer feel for how editing works and more confidence about taking footage and shaping it into something watchable.

What To Bring

Your laptop, if you want to edit on your own machine

Editing software already installed before the session

A mouse, if you have one, as it usually makes editing easier

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 21st April 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

Shot Composition and Framing, Making the Audience Feel Something
2026-05-05 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Owain Dain & Peter Leverick

How you frame a shot can completely change the way an audience feels about a scene. The same action can seem tense, dramatic, awkward, powerful, or uncertain, simply because of where the camera is placed and how the subject is composed within the frame.

This practical and interactive evening will explore how shot composition and framing affect meaning, mood, and the audience’s emotional response to what they are seeing.

A Practical Session On Visual Storytelling

This session will look at how filmmakers use framing to shape what the audience thinks and feels. We will experiment with simple examples such as making a scene feel dramatic, making one person look powerful, making someone appear confused, or making a character seem uncomfortable or exposed. Peter will also talk about some of the psychology behind these choices and why certain framings create particular reactions.

This will not be a dry theory session. The evening is designed to be hands on and discussion based, with members looking at framing choices in practice and exploring how small changes in camera position, lens choice, headroom, distance, and angle can alter the emotional meaning of a shot.

We will also break up the practical work with selected clips and examples from well known directors, looking at how they use composition to guide attention, suggest relationships, create pressure, or reveal something about a character without saying it directly.

This session should be useful for directors, camera operators, editors, and anyone who wants to become more visually intentional in the way they shoot. It is also ideal for newer members who want to understand why some images feel strong and cinematic, while others feel flat or unclear.

What To Expect

Interactive discussion and practical framing exercises

Examples of how framing changes emotion and meaning

Selected clips showing how well known directors use composition

A clearer understanding of the psychology behind visual choices

You do not need to bring any equipment for this one, just your interest in filmmaking and a willingness to get involved.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 5th May 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

WeMakeFilms International Film Festival
2026-05-19 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Hosted by Sutton Filmmakers

Session led by Paul Howard

🎬 Celebrating Creativity and Ingenuity in Indie Filmmaking

We’re thrilled to announce that the WeMakeFilms International Film Festival will be hosted by Sutton FilmMakers on Tuesday, 19th May 2026, in Cheam, Surrey. This event is dedicated to showcasing exceptional films created with limited budgets, celebrating the artistry, passion, and resourcefulness of indie filmmakers from around the globe.

About the Festival

WeMakeFilms champions the creativity and ingenuity of indie filmmakers working with modest resources. Our festival levels the playing field by focusing on films with lower production budgets, ensuring great storytelling and innovation take centre stage.

The festival features four categories:

🎥 Production Value Under £500/$600🎥 Production Value Under £1,500/$1,800🎥 Production Value Under £5,000/$6,000🎨 Animations Only

What to Expect on the Night

📽️ Finalists’ Screenings

We’ll be showcasing the three finalists from each category, giving the audience a chance to enjoy a diverse selection of creative and innovative films.

🏆 Audience Awards

The audience will have the exciting opportunity to vote for their favourite films, determining the winners of the Audience Awards for each category.

🎖️ Category Awards

We’ll also announce the Best Film and Audience Awards awards in each category, recognising outstanding achievements in indie filmmaking.

Why Attend?

This is a fantastic opportunity to:

Experience a celebration of creativity and resourcefulness in filmmaking.

Discover powerful stories and unique perspectives from talented indie filmmakers.

Be part of an audience that directly influences the festival awards.

Connect with fellow film enthusiasts and filmmakers.

Event Details

📅 Date: Tuesday, 19th May 2026🕢 Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm

This promises to be an inspiring and entertaining evening for anyone who loves the art of storytelling and independent filmmaking.

Mark your calendar, and join us as we celebrate the filmmakers who bring incredible stories to life with creativity, passion, and ingenuity.

We look forward to seeing you in person at the film festival!

To see future events go to our events section.

A Practical Evening Of Interview Technique
2026-06-02 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Paul Howard

Interviewing someone well is harder than it looks. A good interview is not just about having a list of questions, it is about listening properly, asking clearly, spotting what matters, and knowing when to follow something interesting a bit further.

This practical club evening will give members the chance to improve their interview technique by putting it into practice with Peter Leverick in the hot seat.

A Practical Evening Of Interview Technique

Members will have the chance to ask Peter questions about the club, its history, the challenges of keeping it going, and the experiences that have shaped it over the years. Peter will then give feedback afterwards, helping members think about what worked, what could have been stronger, and how to get more from an interview.

This will be a hands on and interactive evening rather than a lecture. The aim is to help members become more confident interviewers by seeing how different kinds of questions produce different kinds of answers. Some questions open up stories, some reveal personality, and some simply fall flat. Learning to tell the difference is a big part of becoming a better filmmaker.

There should also be a lively element to the evening, as Peter has every intention of being a slightly awkward and mischievous interviewee at times, which in itself should make for a useful learning experience. Real interviews do not always go smoothly, and part of the skill is learning how to stay calm, adapt, and keep the conversation moving in a productive direction.

This session should be useful for anyone interested in documentary, factual filmmaking, or simply getting better at drawing out stronger answers from contributors. Whether you have interviewed people before or never done it at all, it should be an enjoyable way to practise and learn.

What To Expect

A practical interview session with Peter Leverick

The chance to ask questions and see how different approaches work

Feedback on interview technique and question style

A useful evening for documentary and factual filmmakers

You do not need to bring anything special for this session, just your curiosity and a willingness to get involved.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 2nd June 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:15 pm

Documentary Inspiration Night
2026-06-16 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Tom McDaniel

For this meeting, we’re inviting members to bring along a short documentary, or a scene from a longer documentary, that they think really works.

It might be something powerful, revealing, moving, beautifully observed, or simply a piece that captures the spirit of documentary particularly well. The aim is to get us into the documentary mindset by watching and discussing work that has made an impression on us.

An Evening Of Documentary Inspiration

Each member who brings something can briefly introduce their choice, explain why they picked it, and say what they think filmmakers can learn from it. That could be about story, character, access, tension, structure, editing, camera work, or simply the feeling the film creates. The idea is not just to say what we liked, but to explore why it works.

This will be a relaxed but focused evening, giving us the chance to share inspiration, discover documentaries we may not have come across before, and build a stronger feel for what makes factual filmmaking effective. By looking at a range of different styles and approaches, we should come away with fresh ideas for our own work.

To help the evening run smoothly, it would be best if any clips are short and ready to play. A scene of around two to five minutes is ideal, enough to give us something real to discuss without losing the pace of the session.

This should be a useful evening for anyone interested in documentary, whether you already make factual films or are simply curious about what gives documentary its particular power when it is done well.

What To Bring

A short documentary, or a short scene from a longer documentary

A clip that is ready to play, ideally kept to around two to five minutes

A few thoughts on why you chose it and what filmmakers can learn from it

You are also very welcome to come along without bringing a clip, and simply enjoy the viewing and discussion.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 19th MayTime: 7:45 pm – 10:15 pm

An Evening with Paul Kerensa on Story, Character and Comedy
2026-08-04 19:45 - 22:15 | Sutton FilmMakers Club – Parochial Rooms, 42 The Broadway, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8BL, United Kingdom
Session led by Paul Kerensa

On 4 August, Sutton FilmMakers welcomes writer, comedian and broadcaster Paul Kerensa for an evening exploring story, structure, character and comedy.

Paul has written on more than 100 episodes of Not Going Out, as well as Miranda, Top Gear, TFI Friday, The Royal Variety Performance, Andy and the Band, and a wide range of radio comedy and drama for the BBC.

This session will look at what makes stories work, how structure can help you shape stronger scripts, how to build characters and relationships that feel alive, and how comedy can be created through character, dialogue and visual ideas.

Paul will explore major storytelling theories including the Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, the Hegelian Dialectic and John Yorke’s Into the Woods, alongside his own practical approach based on real writing experience.

What The Evening Will Cover

What makes a story work

How to build structure without becoming trapped by formula

Story theories including the Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, Hegelian Dialectic and Into the Woods

Creating stronger characters and relationships

Writing comedy through character, dialogue and visual humour

Live Q&A on writing, comedy and the industry

There will also be time for questions on any part of his writing career, including sitcom, sketch shows, writing for radio and television, and developing your own voice as a writer.

A Little More About Paul Kerensa

Paul has also taught screenwriting at the University of Winchester, for BBC Writersroom and for London Screenwriters Festival, so this should be a particularly useful evening for anyone wanting practical, usable guidance rather than vague theory.

As well as his writing work, he is an experienced broadcaster, performer and author, with more than 3,000 stand-up gigs to his name, including The Comedy Store, the Montreal Comedy Festival and twelve Edinburgh Fringe solo shows.

Whether you are already writing scripts, thinking about starting, or simply curious about how stories, characters and comedy are shaped, this promises to be an entertaining and valuable evening.

Come ready to learn, laugh and leave inspired. You can find out more about Paul Kerensa here.

Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us

Date: Tuesday 4tt August 2026Time: 7:45 pm – 10:15 pm
