SFDFF and LINES Dance Center Present

Screendance Workshop

This two-part screendance workshop is structured to guide students through the process of completing a short dance film from conception to exhibition. Students are welcome to take the workshop series independently or as a package. Those who complete their film will have the opportunity to have it screened at the San Francisco Public Library April 10, 6:00 – 7:30pm

Spring 2019: Saturdays, Mar. 2 – 23*
*March 2, 12 – 6pm at BAVC | all other sessions 1 – 4 pm at LINES Dance Center
Price: $305 ($330 after February 20, 2019) \ REGISTER NOW

Screendance Part 2: Editing Techniques

Learn the Art of Editing Dance Films
Building on skills developed in Screendance Part 1, Screendance Part 2: Editing Techniques, focuses on refining and practising editing techniques. Working with footage created in Screendance Part 1 or using their own footage, students will be guided through the process of editing their film, culminating in a special screening at the San Francisco Public Library, April 10, 6:00 – 7:30pm.

In a hands-on lab environment, students will learn:

  • The fundamentals of editing in Final Cut Pro X.
  • Through in-class demonstrations and assignments to be completed outside of class, students will explore different methods for editing dance, from faithful reproduction of the choreography to re-working the dance into a new piece that could only exist on film.

Spring 2019: March 2, March 9, March 16, March 23

March 2, 12 – 6pm at BAVC | all other sessions 1 – 4 pm at LINES Dance Center
Price:$305 ($330 after February 20, 2019) \ REGISTER NOW

    Please note:
  • A computer is not required to take the workshop.
  • Access to Final Cut Pro would be useful but is not essential. An editing workstation will be available for students to use at LINES Dance Center on a first come, first served basis
  • Students can purchase a $55 membership at BAVC (Bay Area Video Coalition) which will provide 8 hours of access to an editing workstation per month.
  • Students will need to provide an external hard drive to store their media

Screendance Part 1: Developing and Shooting Your Film

Explore the Possibilities of Capturing Dance on Camera
This four week workshop will develop students’ unique voices as dance filmmakers. Sessions will focus on how to formulate concepts for a dance film and how to translate that vision to film. The workshop will establish a basic foundation of film theory and terminology to improve understanding of how the medium of film works.

Students will:

  • Participate in hands-on exercises with the camera to develop a better understanding of how the camera sees dance and how to creatively exploit its unique perspective.
  • Analyze seminal works of the field that highlight directing and editing choices which illustrate what is possible with film.
  • Learn how to communicate with filmmakers, and discuss strategies for building successful collaborations with filmmakers.

Fall 2018: Saturday October 27, Nov 3, Nov 10, Nov 17 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, 26 Seventh Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco

Price: $225 | REGISTER NOW

Meet Your Teacher, Ben Estabrook

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Ben Estabrook specializes in capturing dance on camera. He was the director of photography for films that have screened at Cinedans, Dance on Camera, Dance Camera West, Sans Souci, and the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. His work has screened internationally in Poland, Cuba, Belgium, Scotland, Chile, Sweden, Hong Kong, and India.

He has taught Film Production for Dance and Movement and Video Production for Performance at UC Berkeley, and he has given guest lectures on screendance at Stanford University, Mills College, and Brigham Young University. He helped to found the San Francisco Dance Film Festival, for which he is the resident workshop instructor. In 2015 he attended the first Symposium for Teachers of Screendance led by Doug Rosenberg and Katrina McPherson at the American Dance Festival. Additionally, he has participated in dance film workshops with Thierry De Mey (2018 and 2007) and Katrina McPherson (2017 and 2011).

His interest in screendance led him to the University of Utah, where he studied under Ellen Bromberg and graduated with an MFA in Film & Media Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Screendance in 2014.