George Cathro, the Edinburgh based documentary producer / director has developed, in conjunction with Scottish Screen, a 'Camera Directing on DV' course. The course is flexible and can be tailored to individual and group needs.

George formed Hand Pict in 1987 and since that time has made over 100 broadcast programmes. Over the past six years he has specialised in making documentary series in an observational form on DV. Hand Pict has 'pioneered' the use of DV in arts programming, documentary, multi-camera performances and have invented systems to allow for true broadcast quality sound to be recorded with small cameras.

Using a smaller camera than a 'full-sized' one can give you access to more sensitive subjects. Participants will relax more, even forgetting that the camera is there but if you aren't going to be comfortable watching your programme go out on air with your participants sitting next to you then there is something wrong.

DV is a liberating technology for programme makers but it does benefit from disciplines which users should be aware of. There is a big gap in the understanding of using DV technology, which along with its 2nd generation successors will be used more and more for programme acquisition in the future. It's easy to get hold of a second hand DV camera and a pirate copy of Final Cut or Avid DV Express and think 'job done'. It is as accessible as that but also as easy to create fundamental problems for editing, audio dubbing and transmission. There have been too many horror stories of directors dropping off boxes of unmarked and unlogged DV tapes with their editor and expecting it all to miraculously get sorted out. It is easy to think that DV is always a cheaper alternative - it can be, so long as you treat it with some respect.

Sound is one of the biggest issues with DV. Sony have all but admitted on a users message board in America that the audio circuitry in small DV cameras is designed to be bad to discourage people from using them for broadcast work - pointing them towards the bigger and more expensive cameras.

It is easy for people to take sound for granted -  and to forget  that most television is made up of  pictures cut to sound. One of the downsides of DV is recording sound properly on location - just because you can hear everything clearly dosen't mean it is being recorded that way. In the worst cases the sound is unsaveable even in the best sound dubbers hands - I have seen whole programmes being subtitled just because the speech is unintelligible. None of our own I might add!

George's company have used DV cameras and technology since it first became available and have added to and adapted their cameras and edit suites to enhance the results for their documentary work.

The impetus for the course comes from George's work with Kay Sheridan and the New Entrants Scheme - twice running an intensive four-day course in DV production, which resulted in the New Entrants producing one-minute 'films'. Many people commented that it was a shame that such a course was not more widely available. So now it is!

The new course running teaches the principals of DV production, from the technical constraints of the medium to the moral issues of working with small cameras.  It is aimed at people who either do or will use DV cameras as part of the research for, or acquisition of television programmes from recces to programme rushes. Whilst the course is primarily devised for researchers, directors and camera operators, no prior DV knowledge or experience is either required or expected.

For further information about the course and how to apply please contact Hand Pict on 0131 246 1111