Avon Wildlife Trust has linked up with Bristol’s internationally-acclaimed natural history film industry to offer amateur filmmakers and wildlife enthusiasts a rare chance to gain hands-on shooting, editing and production tuition from leading wildlife film experts.

In the winter months, several million starlings fly in to roost in to the reed-beds of the Somerset Levels. It is a great natural spectacle and we aim to witness it on camera. We will be taking a maximum of twelve students. There will also be an opportunity for two groups of filmmakers to film on Avon Wildlife Trust’s 250 acre Folly Farm Reserve and at nearby Chew Valley Lake which attracts large numbers of wintering wildfowl.

The course is residential and based at the Folly Farm Centre on the reserve. Over the three days, students will find out about research, story telling, fieldcraft, camera techniques and picture editing from some of Bristol’s leading natural history filmmakers. Participants will take away a DVD of their completed film.

The course is designed to be fun and informative – a chance to meet others enthused and inspired by the natural world, to socialise with industry professionals and to discover how to transfer your enthusiasm for nature to the screen.

Tutors include Somerset-based cameraman John Waters, who has worked on more than 60 TV productions, including the David Attenborough series ‘The Private Life of Plants’, ‘The Life of Birds’ and ‘Planet Earth’, ‘Natural World’ and ‘Meerkat Manor’ and Steve Nicholls who has produced and directed a wide variety of films for international broadcasters, including Discovery and National Geographic on subjects ranging from the deep ocean to the lives of Sami reindeer herders. Editor, Rob Harrington, whose work for the BBC and Anglia Television’s ‘Survival’ strand spans over twenty years. Highlights include ‘A Space in the Heart of Africa’, edited in Kenya about the life of forest elephants and Rob was supervising editor on ‘The Great Dance’ about the Kalahari bushmen, which won an unprecedented three Panda awards at Wildscreen.

Editor, Jill Garrett has also received industry accolades for her work including Best Short Film at Jackson Hole for “Lake of the Flies” and Wildscreen Panda‘s for “Puma – Lion of the Andes” and “Tiger Magic”. Jill has edited many programmes in the popular BBC series Wildlife on One and The Natural World and worked on “Life of Mammals”, “Wild Africa” and “Planet Earth”.

The course runs from 12noon Friday 6th November to 3pm Sunday 8th November

Folly Farm Centre, Stowey, Pensford, Bristol, BS39 4DW

Cost: £395 plus VAT (including all expert tuition and equipment, meals and single occupancy accommodation). Maximum number of participants: 12.

For bookings contact Jo Morris at Folly Farm. Tel: 01275 331590

E-Mail: info@follyfarm.org Website: www.follyfarm.org

View the people and the wildlife who came together for the last course and join us for the next one!

http:www//youtube.com/bristolwildlifefilm

‘A hugely inspirational course….

…Thank you for a brilliant weekend!

…A fabulous weekend…

..All tutors very knowledgeable and passed on a lot of useful and practical information. Thoroughly enjoyed the course…

…The general enthusiasm made the whole experience a joy!’

This course is supported by Films at 59,

59 Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6JR. www.filmsat59.com