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TOOLS OF DIRECTING offer practical advanced professional skills:

After having delivered his popular advanced Tools of Directing Seminar in 5 English cities, Simon Phillips will be teaching the Master Workshop - we will invite a number of applicants to take part in a unique training week in London. Many directors who have trained with Tools of Directing have gone on to great success, including the recent ScandiNoir series THE KILLING and THE BRIDGE. The Guild is delighted to offer many filmmakers the same career changing opportunity as those taking part in the Tools of Directing UK Tour in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2013. | ![]() |

THE SEMINAR

In this popular seminar, aimed at professional directors at every stage of their TV and film-making career, Simon Phillips offers first insights into the Tools of Directing techniques, already widely employed in the UK and internationally. Attendees build on your existing experience as a director, distilling your current practice into clear principles that can be immediately applied to your work - from script development to planning the shoot.
Simon introduces you to a simple, practical method to develop and analyse the essential vision of your story; learn straightforward techniques to break down and plan how to shoot your script, problem-solve performance issues and to communicate more effectively with your writer, actors and DoP. Creatively empower yourself and your colleagues. You will take away the fundamentals of a new approach to making your story great.
After the first three seminars in March (Bristol, Newcastle and Sheffield), Simon headed to Manchester and Leeds for the last two seminars in the tour in May. Here is an overview of attendees' feedback from the seminars 2014.
THE MASTER WORKSHOP
14-18 July 2014, London
Applications have now closed | Training info
Click here to learn more about this year's participants
The
week-long Workshop with Simon Phillips is a combination of training,
mentoring and networking, focusing on developing participants’ skills
and confidence in using the Tools of Directing Actors, Casting, Script
Development and Directing Camera. This will be in the form of a Bursary
Scheme that brings up to 16 talented directors to London in the summer
for the full week Tools of
Directing Master Workshop. | ![]() |
- Deliver fresh, new thinking about screen fiction and the path from script to camera
- Enable you to clearly analyse and articulate the needs of the story to all involved
- Help you work quickly, creatively and effectively with writers, performers and technicians
- Give you the right tools to plan, action and evaluate your work
- Build networks and alliances with other professionals around the UK
ABOUT SIMON PHILLIPS
Simon Phillips is a Direction Coach for feature film and high level TV directors, including directors of the recent Scandinavian Series THE KILLING and THE BRIDGE; Oscar and EMMY award winning professional writers, directors and producers have worked with Simon’s unique approach.
PREVIOUS TOOLS OF DIRECTING PARTICIPANTS
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"Tools of Directing are concrete and not just anecdotes. The teacher is perfect, with own personal experiences and solutions that made us really think. All directors need this." Madeleine Ekman | Co-Producer THE HUNT (2012, Oscar Nominee 2014), MELANCHOLIA (2011), ANTICHRIST (2009) | |
![]() | "What is most extraordinary is how, in a couple of hours,
you can forge new directing skills and outgrow redundant bad habits. Paradigm shifting, practical, clear, hands-on, fun, revelatory and exciting." | |
![]() | "I feel as though I've been given the code to a new world. It makes you pull the experience out of yourself. Great training for keeping control on a directing job and having contractual agreements with people. It has given me a sense of the 'equations' that others take years to learn." Laura Graham | Director-Producer, participant Master Workshop 2013] | |
![]() | "Simon Phillips is an expert in his field" Linda Aronson | Scriptwriter, Playwright, novelist and expert on non-linear and ensemble script structure. Read Linda's article on the script aspect of Tools of Directing in Universal Film Magazine. |
CREATIVE SKILLSET
This scheme is supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, which is funded by the National Lottery via the BFI, and through the Skills Investment Fund (SIF) | www.creativeskillset.org