HPAC Filmmaking Workshops

Beginning in 2017, Pentimenti has regularly offered documentary filmmaking classes at the Hyde Park Art Center through its adult education program, including single day bootcamps, videography workshops, and more. Pentimenti was proud to one of the first classes to be offered through HPAC’s Open Arts program, contribute-what-you-can tuition model, ensuring that economic status is not a barrier to high quality arts education. In 2023, we revamped our curriculum to revolve around two offerings: Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking, which provides participants with a primer on essential filmmaking practices such as pre-production, cinematography, and editing, and Making the Short Documentary, a class in which participants collaboratively craft a short documentary over the course of ten weeks. Intro classes typically occur multiple times a year throughout the spring and summer, while Making the Short Documentary usually takes place once during the fall — please see below for info on how to register, as well as detailed descriptions of each class. All proceeds from the workshops go to local organizations supporting artists of color. Past recipients include: Mezcla Media Collective, Sisters in Cinema, Prison & Neighborhood Arts/Education Project, Little Black Pearl, and Yollocalli Arts Reach.

How to Register

To explore and register for a filmmaking workshop, visit the Hyde Park Art Center's Course Catalog. Workshops fill up within minutes of registration opening, so please make sure to sign up day-of. Subscribe to Pentimenti and/or the Hyde Park Art Center’s newsletters for the most up to date info on future offerings.

Intro to Documentary Filmmaking

Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking is an eight session workshop covering the essentials of documentary filmmaking. This hands-on class will explore different phases of the production process, including pre-production, cinematography, and editing, as well as a documentary ethics and theory. Through illustrative examples from various films and a hands-on learning approach lead by working documentary filmmakers, participants will learn how to conceive of a compelling subject, shoot an interview, edit footage, and much more. This class will appeal to: first-time filmmakers looking for a crash course on production essentials, and artists and others professionals interested in using video for documentation and marketing purposes. All experience levels are welcome!

Making the Short Documentary

Making the Short Documentary offers participants the opportunity to conceive of and produce a short documentary film in collaboration with the instructors. Over the span of ten weeks, we collectively plan, shoot, edit, and premiere a short film. Building on HPAC & Pentimenti’s “Introduction to Documentary” class, this course exposes participants to techniques in documentary filmmaking, including pre-production, cinematography, sound, and editing. As a prerequisite, we ask that participants have taken “Introduction to Documentary” or have prior filmmaking experience. Your experience could be educational, professional, or self-directed. The class culminates in a public screening of the film, with a talkback featuring the filmmaking team. Making the Short Documentary classes have resulted in the creation of three short films, produced, directed, and edited by the participants: It Was Here Before, And It's Here  After: The Murals of Hyde Park, Beyond Boundaries, and Congregating Creativity.