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Film & HD Video Workshops

For 34 years, a leader in teaching the creative use of technology to the world’s storytellers: photographers, filmmakers and media artists.

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The HD Journalist: The Platypus Workshop - New Orleans A comprehensive boot camp for staff and freelance photographers, picture editors and media producers making the transition to High Definition Digital Video Storytelling

  • Faculty: PF Bentley, Dirck Halstead
  • Length:
  • Dates: February 6, 2009 – February 15, 2009
  • Location: New Orleans, LA
  • Enrollment: 12
  • Levels: Photographers, newspaper photojournalists, reporters, freelance producers
  • Tuition: Shooters: $1,995, Producers: $995. Non-refundable application fee of $55

These workshops are acknowledged as the gold standard of Digital Video training.  In 9 days, we teach high-definition digital shooting and editing, with an emphasis on storytelling.  It is unique in the industry.   We have taught over 200 photojournalists since our inception in 1999.  Our graduates have gone on to do television documentaries, web videos especially for newspapers and even films. One of our graduates was a nominee for an Oscar in 2006.  There are two ways to attend this workshop.

Shooters
As a Shooter you are the storyteller. You get to use a new Canon XHA-1 HD camera, wireless and on-camera mikes from Sennheiser, tripods from Libec and an Apple laptop MacBook Pro with the latest version of Final Cut Pro for editing. You may work alone, or with a Producer (see below), to create the class exercises and a final 8-minute documentary or news story.

Tuition for Shooter = $1,995

Producers
As a Producer (we used to call them participants) you do what the name implies in broadcast. Producers are an integral part of the process and the course . . . they attend all classes, team up with shooters to "produce" the various segments of the course work.  Producers work in collaboration with Shooters as they research stories, make arrangements, conduct the interviews, go out on the field exercises and co-produce the final project . . . as a team.  The Producer and the Shooter both come back to the edit bay and cut the projects together, just like in television. This in no way diminishes the role of the Shooter, who is the principal storyteller.  The Producer gives the Shooter more time to concentrate on the picture, sound and story elements, resulting in a better learning experience for everyone and better told stories. 

Tuition for Producer = $995 

Everyone who joins the class will learn about the newest HD video cameras, field sound recording, cinematic storytelling, the use of lenses, tripods and Apple's latest Final Cut Pro editing software.

The Faculty
These workshops are taught by Dirck Halstead, PF Bentley or Roger Richards, all award-winning photo and video journalists. "We know where you come from and what you need to learn."

Alumni from previous Platypus Workshops serve as assistants to the course.

Who Should Attend
The Platypus Workshops is for journalists, photojournalists, freelance newspaper staffers, picture editors, web masters, as well as independent filmmakers and students who want to move ahead filming short documentary projects for the web and editorial clients. A basic knowledge of photography is expected.

The Hotel
Our hotel is St. Louis Hotel in thew French Quarter. Rooms rates are $95 per night for a single and $115 for a doubl e. Make our own reser vation by calling the hotel. Mention you are with the HD Journalism Workshop. 

St. Louis Hotel
St. Ann Marie Antoinette
Louis XVI Restaurant rancais
730 Rue Bienville
New Orleans, LA  70130
(504) 200-3114

When to Arrive?
The workshop begins Friday evening at 7 PM with a welcome reception, introductions and a briefing. The class begins in earnest Saturday morning at 8 AM.

When To Depart?
The workshop ends Sunday at noon. You can check out of the hotel that morning, store your luggage and come to the last class.

What to Bring?
Our sponsors provide all the equipment, cameras, tripods, mikes, Apple Laptops and Final Cut Pro software. You need to bring a sample of your work to share with others in the class. Bring an SLR digital camera, and an audio recorder to record the lectures. We provide tape but you need to bring DVDs on which to transfer your work and final output.


We recommend a good set of "over the ear" earphones, not buds, or noise-cancelling ones.