This week I’ve been talking a lot about career momentum.
Not theory.
Not inspiration.
Momentum.
And being the person I am, I’m not going to just talk about it.
I’m building it.
So I’m officially reopening Saturday Film School at Raindance, and this time, I’ve added something I’ve never offered before.
Here’s what you need to know:
Saturday Film School consists of hands-on, step-by-step training designed to help you stop “planning your film career” and actually start building one.
Whether you’re a writer, director, producer, or actor — this is about learning how to:
- Develop ideas that are actually producible
- Make films at the budget level you’re realistically operating at
- Build repeatable story engines (not one-off passion projects)
- Circulate your work instead of waiting for permission
You do not need an agent.
You do not need £1 million.
and: You do not need to “break in.”
You need a system.
Inside Saturday Film School, we focus on exactly that — how to move from idea → execution → audience → income without waiting five years between projects.
My goal is simple.
By the end, you’ll know:
- What kind of film you should be making right now
- What budget level makes sense for you
- How to structure it so it’s finishable
- And how to position it to festivals, platforms, or audiences
This isn’t film theory. It’s film practice.
And this time I’m adding something new.
If you join by Sunday at midnight, I’ll personally review your film concept before you move into development.
You send me:
- Your logline
- Your rough budget level
- Your intended format (feature, short, vertical, series)
And I’ll tell you honestly:
- If it’s viable
- How I’d reposition it
- What I’d cut
- What I’d lean into
And where it realistically sits in today’s market
Most filmmakers don’t fail because they can’t create.
They fail because they build the wrong thing.
I’m removing that guesswork.
There are only a handful of these personal review spots available. Once Sunday midnight hits, they’re gone.
And this is the lowest price Saturday Film School will ever be offered at. After April 19th, the price increases.
If you’re serious about stopping the “one day” cycle and actually making something this year, join us below:
[Join Saturday Film School and get your project personally reviewed]
That’s my pitch.
I’d love to see you inside, and more importantly, I’d love to see your film finished.
Stop waiting.
Start circulating.
— Elliot
P.S. This is for you if:
You’ve been “developing” for too long
You’ve made one project and stalled
Or, you’re unsure what budget level you should actually operate at
You want clarity before you invest months of your life
P.P.S. The personal project review disappears Sunday at midnight. After that, it’s standard enrolment only.
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand.It started as a rebellion — film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global — Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, Brussels — because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
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