GOLD STANDARD (8-DAY) CAMERA & LIGHTING PROGRAMME
FLAGSHIP PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR WORKING CAMERA CREW
The Gold Standard is the SCCE’s elite professional training programme — an intensive 8-day course built specifically for camera department professionals who want to master working with celluloid at a professional, industry-ready level. Designed for those already working in the industry (DOPs, Operators, 1st & 2nd ACs, Trainees, Gaffers), this programme provides rigorous, real-world, workflow-driven training across 16mm, 35mm, and large-format systems. Participants engage in high-level testing, advanced camera practices, troubleshooting, lighting setups, and complete end-to-end cinematography workflows. No experience with shooting celluloid is needed for entry onto this course, however we do expect familiarity with set practices and workflows.
Who is it for?
- DOPs, Camera Operators, Focus Pullers
- 1st & 2nd ACs, Camera Trainees
- Gaffers & lighting practitioners
- Crew preparing for professional film productions
- Those ready for advanced, intensive technical learning
What you will learn
Camera Systems & Operation
- Professional setup of 16mm, 35mm cameras
- A guided demonstration of professional 65mm camera system
- Advanced magazine handling (co-axial, displacement)
- Optical viewfinder systems, ground glasses & registration
- Loading drills, scratch testing & pin-registration tests
- Troubleshooting camera faults under time pressure
Lighting for Celluloid
- Exposure theory for film-based workflows
- Rigorous light meter training
- Contrast ratios, ND filtration & slow-motion exposure
- Film stock behaviour in different lighting conditions
- Building lighting setups for narrative scenes
Workflow Mastery
- Designing & executing professional camera tests
- Lab communication strategies
- Stock ordering, storage & on-set chain of custody
- On-set paperwork for large-scale film productions
Course Details
- Dates: 18 May online day 1, 20-22May in Newton, 27-29 May in Newton, May25 Online day 7
- Length: 8 days
- Location: Newton Studio Lab, Salford + 2 days online
- Target Audience: Camera professionals
- Outcome: Industry-standard technical competency for film camera crew
- Cost: £2,750
Accommodation: You will need to arrange you own travel, your accommodation and evening 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. Once bookings are open we will add a link to sign up. If you have any questions please do get in touch using the ‘Contact us’ button