Workshop Schedule, Rate Card and Booking information are at the bottom of the page.

I (Alister Chapman) am a cameraman and producer with over 20 years of experience in broadcast television, corporate video and commercial production. I was a founding member of the Sony ICE (Independent Certified Expert) programme, Instructor for Santa Fe Workshops and I provide workshops and seminars across the world for Universities, production companies and individuals (see my guide to training costs at the bottom of the page). As well as hosting events and workshops for 3rd parties I run a number of educational expeditions and workshops throughout the year.

If you want to improve your video skills, yet don’t fancy a dull workshop in an uninteresting studio or training centre? Then these trips might just be for you.

Join me on the learning adventure of a lifetime. During the course of an adventure I will help you improve your video production skills through a series of workshops and one to one training sessions. You will have the challenge of producing a short documentary film about the week, through this challenge you will be able to hone your existing skills or lean new skills. The really unique feature of the course is the subject matter: Extreme Weather!

Every Spring the Mid-West of the USA is struck by devastating and deadly thunderstorms that produce incredible lightning, giant hail and even tornadoes. I am a highly respected storm chaser and have combined my video production skills with my passion for natural extremes to produce weather shows for Discovery, National Geographic and the BBC. The chances are that if you watch TV shows about natural extremes, you will have seen some of my footage. In late Summer there are incredible thunderstorms in the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico and in the winter you’ll find me in the Arctic filming the Northern Lights.

My adventure workshops take place out in the field, on-location, as the group tracks severe storms, visits exciting locations or films other natural phenomena like the Northern lights. This gives amazing, real world opportunities to try out things like timelapse and cache record. You will need to work out (with my assistance) how you are going to tell the story of the groups adventure. As it is likely that not every day will be an active weather or event day you will need to consider how to deal with such days in your short film. There will be opportunities to experiment with mini-cams and POV cameras as well as a range of other cameras.

The workshops that will be included during the trip where possible are:

Choosing the right camera: Sensor size and lenses.

Documentary Sound Recording.

Fundamentals of good camera work: White Balance, Exposure, Focus.

Documentary Story Telling.

Advanced Camera Techniques: Gamma, Detail and Color settings.

Advanced Shooting Methods: Timelapse, Cache Record, POV cameras.

Basic Editing with FCP and/or Premier Pro.

As Alister will be on-hand at all times during the day, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get one to one help on any aspects of video production not covered in a workshop that are troubling you.

The cost of the workshop will depend on the type of trip, location and duration. Normally the cost includes local transport, hotels and tuition. If at all possible you should bring your own video cameras, I do not provide equipment with the exception of the mini-cams which can be used from time to time during the trip. A tripod and a microphone with a cable or wireless connection are good to have. If you don’t have your own camera then rental can be arranged for you at a modest cost. I can advise each individual once a place has been reserved on exactly what to bring. To find out more please contact me using the contact form.

NEXT WORKSHOPS:

Extreme Weather, Supercells, lightning and tornadoes. April 13th -April 20th 2013 Location TBA starting in Dallas, Texas. Min 3, Max 6 people $800 pp EXCLUDING accommodation which is at cost, typically $75 – $125 per night (6 nights) so allow approx $600 USD.

Northern Lights Norway. Click Here for more details.

Northern Lights Norway Expedition. December 12th to 18th 2012. SOLD OUT

Northern Lights Norway Expeditions. Feb 1st to Feb 7th 2013. SOLD OUT, Feb 7th to Feb 13th 2013, Few places left.

Tornado Chasing in USA Southern States, based out of Dallas, TX. April 14th to April 21st 2013. £1,800 USD, includes accommodation, guide services and transportation. Does not include flights or food.

Tornado Chasing in USA Classic Tornado Season. based out of Oklahoma City. May 19th to May 25th 2013.

Arizona Monsoon, Thunder and Lightning. Phoenix Arizona, 11th August – 17th August 2013.
For a feel of what you might see check out the videos below!

Private workshops and Individual Training.

Looking for individual training or a private workshop? I can provide tailored workshops to suite your needs. The training is industry relevant from a highly regarded industry professional (me), not some tutor that hasn’t worked in production for decades. My rates are very reasonable starting at just $750 (£500) per day. I charge the same whether there is just one person or 100 people, so feel free to club together with colleges to share the costs. In addition to my day rate, if travel is involved you must cover my travel expenses, hotel and subsistence. I will only fly long haul in Premium Economy or business class and hotels must be 3 star or better. For a full quote please use the contact form.