Delve into filmmaking and see what you can create: George's filmmaking experience
- Written byUAL Short Courses
- Published date 15 June 2026
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Ever thought about developing your filmmaking skills beyond picking up a camera or smartphone? At UAL Short Courses we run Film Making Short Courses designed to establish your filmmaking abilities; from ideation through to creation, focussing on working across film, photo, writing, editing, and presentation skills.
We spoke to Short Course student George from Tokyo, Japan, who took the Film Making Short Course led by tutor Mark Aitken in April 2026. He tells us about his experiences on the course and what he intends to do with his newfound skills.
What made you choose this course?
I chose this course because I wanted to learn filmmaking in a creative and international environment like UAL. I had always enjoyed watching films, but I wanted to take the next step and experience making a film myself. Coming from Japan to London was a big challenge for me, but I wanted to be in a place where I could gain practical experience in planning, shooting, and editing films, while also meeting other creative students. I hoped this course would help me develop filmmaking as one of my creative strengths.
What skills and knowledge did you gain from this course?
Through group work I was able to develop my creativity together with other students. I learned how important cooperation and communication are when working as a team, and I also learned how to express my own ideas more actively. I think these experiences will be very useful if I work in film production in the future.
I also gained practical knowledge of filmmaking from Mark, including how small changes in editing, sound, and visual choices can affect a film's meaning and atmosphere.
Did this course help you to achieve a creative or professional goal?
Yes, this course helped me move closer to my professional goal of working in the film industry. With Mark Aitken’s guidance, I was able to gain practical knowledge and insights that are not usually accessible in a regular classroom setting.
It also gave me more confidence to start creating my own films and to think seriously about filmmaking as part of my future.
What was your favourite part of the course?
My favourite part of the course was re-editing an existing music video by adding my own background music, subtitles, and editing choices. It allowed me to express my own sensibility in a way that was different from group work.
By comparing my version with other students’ videos, I was able to understand what was unique about my own style and how it differed from other students’ approaches.
What can you tell us about the learning/classroom environment?
The classroom environment was very practical and supportive. Each student used their own computer, which allowed us to work smoothly on the tasks. There were seven students in the class, and I worked in a group of three.
Mark was very knowledgeable and shared the knowledge he had gained through his own filmmaking experience in a way that was easy for us to understand. He also encouraged us by noticing and praising even small improvements.
Although English is not my first language, my classmates supported me and accepted my ideas with an open mind, so I felt comfortable participating in the project.
One of my best memories was making our final short film about the environment. Because we wanted to create a strong final short film, my team members and I went to a park after class to shoot additional footage for the project. We repeated the shots several times until we were satisfied with the footage, and that process became one of my most memorable experiences from the course. We repeated the shots many times until we were satisfied with the footage, and that process became a very memorable part of the course for me.
What are your next steps creatively or professionally?
I would like to build on this experience by creating my own films, starting with short films, and submitting them to competitions and film festivals. In the future, I hope to make a feature-length film and work in the film industry, contributing to larger creative projects.
I also want to continue improving my skills in editing, sound, and visual storytelling, while sharing my thoughts on films and entertainment in both English and Japanese.
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Delve into filmmaking and see what you can create: George's filmmaking experience -
Delve into filmmaking and see what you can create: George's filmmaking experience -
Delve into filmmaking and see what you can create: George's filmmaking experience
Fancy your hand at filmmaking ? See what you can create in a week with our Film Making Short Course , or if you know a young person keen to develop their skills we have Film Making for 16 to 18 Year Olds and 11 to 15 Year Olds.
Have a question? Our customer service team are here to help you find the right course for you. Get in touch via our enquiry form to start planning your learning journey.
