Short course
Directing Creative Productions Short Course
Course description
Course overview
This course teaches the practical, commercial side of creative production that most design courses skip entirely. Working art directors do not spend their time refining mood boards. They spend it budgeting shoots, commissioning photographers and crews, managing locations and logistics, and making fast creative decisions under pressure once cameras are rolling.
Taught through real productions from international shoots across Europe, Asia and America, this course gives students the practical toolkit to lead a creative production from brief to delivery. You will learn how to budget and schedule a shoot, commission the right team, manage a location, and direct creatively on set when things do not go to plan. This is the side of art direction that turns good creatives into employable, commercially minded ones, and it is rarely taught anywhere else.
This course is available to study both online and on campus. The price and duration vary depending on the mode of study, allowing you to choose the option that best fits your schedule and preferred learning style:
- Online learning offers a more flexible, part-time approach, ideal if you are balancing study with other commitments
- On campus classes provide a more immersive, intensive learning experience in a shorter timeframe
Please check the location assigned to each date in the booking section to ensure you select your preferred study option.
Who this course is for
This course is aimed at photographers, designers, content creators, and aspiring art directors who want to move into commercial creative production.
It would be an excellent fit for individuals who already have some creative or design background and want to understand how productions run, as well as early career creatives heading into agency, in-house or freelance production work.
Level of experience: beginner to intermediate. Some prior creative or design experience is helpful but not essential.
Necessary experience: none required, though familiarity with photography, design, or content creation is an advantage.
Key information
Topics covered
- Budgeting and scheduling a production
- Commissioning photographers, filmmakers and crews
- Location management and logistics
- Creative leadership on set and problem solving under pressure
Learning outcomes
- Create a production budget and schedule for a creative shoot
- Identify the right photographer, crew and suppliers for a given brief
- Apply location management and logistics planning to a production
- Identify strategies for creative leadership and decision making during a live production
- Identify common production problems and the approaches used to resolve them
- Develop a complete production plan for a given brief
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
On campus:
- Notebook and pen
- A laptop would be useful for budgeting exercises but not essential
Online:
- A laptop is recommended
If you are taking this course online, please see our Guide to taking online short courses
Tutor
Antonella Bordone
Antonella Bordone is a British-Italian Art Director and Creative Director with over 15 years’ experience across luxury hospitality, travel and editorial brands. She has led creative production across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, including senior roles at The Economist Group, Metro Newspaper, and Ink Global, where she worked across more than 20 international titles. She has also directed destination campaigns for clients including the Budapest Tourism Board and spent six years leading creative for Hilton Grand Vacations. Antonella is the founder of A Little Louder, a creative studio working with independent hotels, retreats, and destination brands.
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