Reblog: Shandra McDonald To Teach Directing Workshop in Atlanta

Here's a blog post I wrote for Kiss The Limit Productions, a film company I intern for. It originally appeared on Hands Off This Girl, the site for the company's planned anti-sex-trafficking webseries:

Kiss The Limit CEO To Provide Directing Workshop

ATLANTA, Ga. — Kiss The Limit Productions President and Award-winning Filmmaker Shandra McDonald will teach a directing workshop June 8.

McDonald, a graduate of Howard University, has taught advanced directing classes at several colleges in the Atlanta area and has won awards for her film projects.

“There’s just such a need for it,” she said. “I think directing is a mystery for a lot of up and coming directors.”

The class will be an intensive, but a very practical intensive. She will be teaching directors how to visualize a scene using floor plans, directing beats, and other important elements. She will also explain how to get to the psychology of the scene, visualize and and break down a scene. 

McDonald feels very strongly that understanding the psychology of a scene is key to knowing which shots to use, camera lenses and other technical aspects of filmmaking. She cited the film “Children of Men” as a film that isn’t overly-shot. A lot of times young directors are taught to start with a wide, then go to medium, then go to close up, but the film uses the wide shot effectively to go to the heart of the scene. McDonald plans to talk about this film and other successful films. 

McDonald will also cover: 

*Theoretical side of directing...

*Working with actors...

*Post Production....

*Analyzing a script....

*Working with a Producer...

“I love directing and I love teaching young directors how to become better directors,” she said.

Directing is a lifetime pursuit. She said Mel Brooks recently spoke about how he has finally been recognized as a director, but it takes a lifetime to nurture one’s craft.

Participants will receive a comprehensive notebook with the tools they can use to continue to grow. It will be a strong entrée into the world of directing. Participants will start understanding the foundations of directing and end learning some advanced techniques. This is a great class for beginning directors who are just getting started, or more advanced directors who are looking to refine some skills that they already have. 

“The goal is to demystify directing,” she said. "It can be extremely effective if done correctly."

Space is limited, so participants are advised to register soon. To find out more information and to buy tickets, go here.