5 Day Saturday Directing A Documentary Course With Col Spector
The good news is that it’s never been easier to shoot a documentary. A phone, a mirrorless camera, a half decent mic, and you’re off.
The tricky bit is what happens next. Most first time documentaries (and plenty of second and third attempts, if we’re honest) end up as a collection of scenes rather than a film, interesting moments, but no spine, no emotional pull, and nothing that an audience would actively choose to watch.
That’s exactly what this course is designed to fix.
If you are looking for someone to make a documentary for you or your company, see our Documentary Production page.
Kindfame Productions is hosting Col Spector’s intensive 5 day documentary directing course at our Wallington office, delivered across five consecutive Saturdays, starting Saturday 30 May 2026.
Over the five days you’ll learn how to develop a documentary idea, sharpen it into something filmable, and build it into an emotionally engaging story with a clear point of view, the kind of documentary that feels purposeful, watchable, and saleable.
Course Format
This is a practical development led course, built around your ideas rather than abstract theory.
To be clear, this course is not about the mechanics, theory, or workings of cameras and lights. It is about how you decide what to film, so your documentary has direction, purpose, and story from the start.
Each morning is dedicated to developing participants’ documentary ideas, you’ll be guided to pressure test what you think the film is, find the core dramatic engine, and get much clearer about what you’re actually trying to say.
Then, for the rest of each day, Col breaks down a specific part of directing documentary, in a way that connects directly back to your project.
The Outline Across The Five Saturdays
During this Directing A Documentary Course you’ll explore the full documentary directing journey, including:
- Interview style and technique, how to get past “nice answers” and into something truthful and usable
- Camera, lighting and style, making visual choices that serve the story, not just the aesthetics
- Editing and sound, shaping meaning, pace and emotion in the cut
- Selling your documentary, positioning, clarity, and what makes a project land with decision makers
To get the most from the course, please come with one or two documentary ideas you can develop throughout the five Saturdays. Even if they’re rough. Sometimes especially if they’re rough.
8 Rules for Directing the documentary
Col will also share his well known “8 rules” approach to documentary making, not as a list of clever slogans, but as a practical way of thinking that keeps you honest from the very start.
It’s the sort of framework that stops a film turning into a vague “let’s see what happens” shoot, and instead gives you a clear sense of what you’re actually trying to prove, test, challenge, or reveal.
You’ll come away with a sharper instinct for story, tension and meaning, plus a simple set of principles you can keep returning to when you’re on location and everything feels a bit messy, which it always does.
What Makes Col Spector Worth Learning From
Col Spector has one of those careers that sits in the sweet spot between craft and practicality. He began directing in non fiction at the BBC, then moved into commercials through Ridley Scott Associates, and has written and directed narrative features including Someone Else, Honeymooner, and I’m Not in Love.
Alongside his directing work, he runs a long established documentary consultancy and teaches documentary courses at places including the National Film and Television School and Raindance.
What that means in plain terms is this, he’s not teaching documentary as a vague academic “enquiry”, he’s teaching it as filmmaking, with structure, conflict, change, and a reason for the audience to care.
Who This Course Is For
This course is a good fit if you are:
- Starting a documentary and want to get it right before you shoot weeks of unusable footage
- Sitting on a strong topic but struggling to find the actual film inside it
- Confident with kit but less confident with story, direction, and structure
- Planning a self funded documentary and want to reduce risk before you spend money
Already in the edit on a project and realising it needs a clearer shape (you’ll still benefit, you’ll just make braver decisions sooner)
Dates, Price And Location
- Dates: Five consecutive Saturdays: 30 May, 6 June, 13 June, 20 June, and 27 June 2026
- Times: 10 am – 5:15 pm
- Price: £650 per person
- Location: Kindfame Productions Office, Wallington (full address and joining details provided on booking)
Booking
To book your place, use the pay button below. If you want to ask any questions contact us via our contact page and mention the “Directing A Documentary Saturday Course With Col Spector”.
