0-100 Film for absolute beginners on 16mm

Ready to shoot on celluloid?

Join our 0–100 Beginners Celluloid Course and gain hands-on experience with Super 16mm film and the ARRI SR3 camera.

This 4-day intensive gives you the practical, technical, and creative skills to start shooting on film. Based at our fully equipped Newton Studio Lab in Salford, you’ll learn from renowned cinematographers Laura Hilliard and Stephen Wyatt, alongside other industry professionals.

You’ll get a solid grounding in celluloid filmmaking, work collaboratively on test shoots, and have your footage processed at the KODAK London Lab, Pinewood Studios. The rushes will be sent to you after the course.

Who is it for?

This course is designed anyone interested in getting to know celluloid film. It’s expected that you would have little to no experience working with motion picture film but great enthusiasm to get started. All are welcome to apply – Video artists, producers, archivists, projectionists, researchers, DoPs, Operators, 1st Ac, 2nd ACs, trainees, and Gaffers are welcome.

What you will learn ;

  • Prominent advances in the history of cinematography – masters and their methods, how to use the past to solve production problems today.
  • Understanding how the eye sees, and the technical process by which the camera captures light and transforms it to create and capture an image – film gauge, focal length and field of view
  • Celluloid Cinematography – film stock identification, basic colour science and 3 colour sensitometry, film development and processing.
  • Workflow considerations – Notes, labels, and working with the lab
  • Modernizing Film Camera Technology – magazine types, ground glass and optical viewfinders, new methods for power and monitoring.
  • Building, loading, operating, focus pulling, and working with the ARRI SR3 Super16 Camera(s)
  • Nature of Light and Basic Lighting Theory – Exposure, Light Meters, White Balance, Contrast, and Dynamic Range. ND and colour filter use. Tungsten, HMI, Florescent, and LED light sources. Consideration for Power.
  • Camera Test design and execution – the scientific method to shooting a film on film.

Dates: Feb 23-26 2026
Course Length: 4 days
Location: Face to face at Newton Film Studios
Age: Over 18
Cost:
Accommodation: You will need to arrange you own travel, your accommodation and meals. Further guidance on this can be found here.

Interested? You can register your interest in any of our courses using the ‘Register your interest’ button above or drop us a message using the ‘Contact Us’ button

Book your place coming soon!…….