AFTRS Short Courses

15/08/2025

Develop media-facing communications skills and understand techniques to navigate media interactions and represent your brand.

Learn with Tracey Spicer AM, a multiple Walkley Award-winning author, journalist, and broadcaster who has anchored national programs for ABC TV and radio, Network Ten, and Sky News.

👉️ Explore the different types of media and what they expect from an interview.
👉️ Develop strategies for staying on message and on brand.
👉️ Increase your authenticity and impact.

If you are the first line of contact for media in your company, or if you are a leader in your business or industry, this course will equip you with the tools to remain calm, ask the right questions and screen enquiries to present your organisation with a professional media “first line”.

Intro to Media Skills starts Wednesday 20 August. Enrol now.

Learn how to represent your brand and navigate media interactions with finesse.

14/08/2025

And… Action. Explore the role of a director! Learn all facets of directing and a director’s responsibilities from pre-production to post-production, including coverage, visual storytelling, acting and on-set procedures.

🎬️ Describe the Director’s role in translating stories to the screen through pre-production, production and post-production.
🎬️ Outline how the Director leads a creative team through collaboration with various heads of department.
🎬️ Identify approaches to collaborating with actors, from preparation to screen.

Taught by Australia’s premier directors, become familiar with story essentials, how to build relationships with actors and production departments, and what makes a great director.

Don't miss out, this will be the only chance to take the Intro to Documentary course on campus in 2025!

Intro to Directing starts Saturday 30 August. Enrol now.

Explore all facets of directing and a director’s responsibilities from pre-production through to post-production, including coverage, visual storytelling, actin

13/08/2025

Curious about role of a screen producer? Explore this in-demand role and explore how to:

▪️ Explain the various roles of a Producer and how they differ across production formats and platforms.
▪️ Outline how a Producer leads a project from conception and funding to production and market.
▪️ Identify a Producer’s practical responsibilities including budgeting, legals, WHS and supervising production.

This course is ideal for aspiring producers, film students and other filmmaking professionals looking to understand producing and screen business fundamentals. It is also ideal for media students, professionals and educators, law professionals, and professionals from other backgrounds who want to transition into the screen industry.

Don't miss out, this will be the only chance to take the Intro to Documentary course on campus in 2025!

Intro to Producing and Screen Business starts Saturday 23 August. Enrol now.

Learn all facets of a producer and their responsibilities from the conception of a screen project to bringing it to market.

12/08/2025

Explore the world of Documentary!

Taught by Australia's premier documentary filmmakers, become familiar with what makes a great documentary:

▪️ Identify a range of documentary formats, styles, and aesthetics.
▪️ Understand interview techniques and their relationship to visual storytelling.
▪️ Recognise current industry practice, including financing, funding, festivals and distribution.

Learn on campus with award-winning writer/director Kate Vinen (Acts for the Invisible, Hopeful Romantic), who works across narrative and documentary. Don't miss out, this will be the only chance to take the Intro to Documentary course on campus in 2025!

The next Intro to Documentary course starts Saturday 23 August. Enrol now.

Learn to tell powerful true stories and connect with your audience through documentary.

11/08/2025

Join AFTRS' Intro to Screenwriting short course and learn the foundations of creating compelling screenplays! From crafting characters to structuring plots, this course is ideal for anyone seeking to transform their passion for storytelling into a professional script.

▪️ Recognise the principles of screenwriting and cinematic narrative.
▪️ Define the key concepts of theme, premise, storyworld and characterisation.
▪️ Identify how to structure and format your screenwriting.

Learn on campus with Thomas Wilson-White (Heartbreak High, Paper Dolls, The Greenhouse), an award-winning director and screenwriter. It's time to kickstart your screenwriting journey!

Intro to Screenwriting starts Saturday 23 August. Enrol now.

Learn the foundational principles of genre, theme, character, plot and structure used by professional screenwriters.

05/08/2025

Ready to create captivating videos? Join the Videomaking Intensive short course at AFTRS and learn how to shoot, edit, and tell compelling stories that stand out.

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

▪️ Implement interview techniques, scene coverage and planning for effective visual storytelling.
▪️ Demonstrate efficient operation of DSLR camera, sound and lighting equipment.
▪️ Apply knowledge of post-production processes to manage data, edit, and export your video.

This course is ideal for corporate video producers, marketing and communications professionals, and content creators looking to gain practical, ready-to-use skills and elevate their video content production.

The Videomaking Intensive starts Monday 22 September. Enrol now. https://www.aftrs.edu.au/short-course/videomaking-intensive/

31/07/2025

Are you passionate about numbers, film and TV? Our Production Accounting Intensive short course will enable you to develop the knowledge and skills required to work as a Production Accountant:

▫ Identify the production accountant and accounting department’s role and responsibilities at each stage of production.
▫ Analyse relevant production documentation essential to accounting procedures, reporting and audit.
▫ Apply production accounting skills using screen industry standard software.

Fast-track your career to become a Production Accountant with our course starting Monday, 22 September. Learn more.
https://www.aftrs.edu.au/short-course/production-accounting-intensive/
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29/07/2025

From TV concept to pitch. Learn the fundamentals of creating viable and original TV series concepts with AFTRS’ 10-week online course on the essentials to create a successful TV series.

📺️ Determine the essential elements to make an engaging series, including the dramatic world, compelling characters and story engines.
📺️ Analyse and apply different series formats, structure and narrative arcs.
📺️ Create key script documents necessary to take an idea from concept to pitch.

Gain industry insights and individual feedback as you complete written exercises and work towards conceptualising your idea.

Creating a TV Series Bootcamp starts Monday 6 October. Enrol now.

Learn the fundamentals of creating viable and original TV series concepts.

27/07/2025

Develop essential editing skills with Premiere Pro - Understand the ins and outs of the timeline-based editing software and spend two days in AFTRS’ Computer Labs learning fundamental tools so that you’re ready to start editing your next projects.

🖥️ Understand the Adobe Premiere Pro workspaces, set up and preferences.
🖥️ Demonstrate video editing principles to import rushes, assemble footage, sync audio, and export a project.
🖥️ Identify effects, transitions, and graphics to enhance and refine an edit.

Premiere Pro Workshop starts Wednesday 27 August. Enrol now.

This introductory editing course covers Premiere Pro basics and is designed for beginners, with no previous experience or knowledge required.

25/07/2025

“This course is a great mix of insights and hands-on experience. The facilitator was able to give us real-world examples and her expertise was so valuable for learning how to apply skills in my own work.” - previous participant.

Brief to Script to Great Video will give you the tools to:

▪️ Craft a powerful video story that will connect your customers with your brand in a meaningful way.
▪️ Brief your ideas so that your creative vision comes to life, create a hook and produce a compelling call to action.
▪️ Write video scripts that create a visual ‘storyworld’ and use engaging, clear language.

This practical course will be useful for anyone who creates or commissions video. If you are moving into more client-focused areas or planning to bring expertise in-house, this course is an excellent grounding in video storytelling and technique.

The next course is delivered online and starts Wednesday 3 September. Enrol now.

Improve your script and brief writing skills for corporate videos, digital marketing, social video or client/customer information videos with this online AFTRS course.

23/07/2025

Develop essential camera and sound operation skills! Learn the techniques and practical skills to shoot high-quality footage with minimal equipment and crew.

🎥 Demonstrate efficient operation of industry standard full-frame cinema camera.
🎥 Implement professional audio practices to capture quality sound.
🎥 Understand essential shooting considerations including framing, lighting and coverage.

Learn with Rob Gunn, an experienced Shooter Producer specialising in crafting stories for factual and reality television, with a credit list including Ambulance Australia, This Time Next Year, Air Rescue, The Great Australian Bake Off and The Embassy.

Unlock your shooting skills and develop your understanding of technical requirements for screen storytelling.

Camera and Sound Workshop starts Thursday 25 September. Enrol now.

Working with professional full-frame cameras, sound and lighting equipment, gain skills and knowledge in framing and coverage, camera setup and audio recording, working with different lighting conditions, and working in solo or two-person crews versus larger crews and projects.

22/07/2025

Accelerate your growth as a screenwriter! Dive into the art of screenwriting with AFTRS' Screenwriting for Film Bootcamp. At the end of this course, you will be able to:

▪️ Apply principles of screenwriting and cinematic narrative.
▪️ Analyse what makes engaging characters and a variety of structures to drive a compelling narrative.
▪️ Write key documents essential to the screenwriting process and pitching.

Ready to bring your film ideas to life? Whether you're a writer, director, actor or media professional, this 5-day intensive course will teach you the essentials of crafting compelling stories for screen.

Learn from Australia's premier screenwriters and gain industry insights and individual feedback on written exercises.

Screenwriting for Film early bird enrolment has been extended to midnight Wednesday 23July, the course starts Monday 4 August. Enrol now.

Gain foundational writing and analysis skills as you develop your story ideas and work towards the first draft of your screenplay.