Just wanted to thank you for your time and brilliant insight at the self-shooting workshop! The combination of practical camera tips and approach to storytelling was so useful! I really did learn more on camera and self-shooting in two days than four years at uni!  Thank you!

Anon

——-

George's training was personally tailored to our needs, and blending theory with hands-on activities to great effect. He has a wealth of knowledge from years of working in television, and was happy to share this knowledge with us. The advice and tips I learned have had an immediate impact on my abilities as a self-shooter.

Chris Kelly, NFTS Prime Video Trainee

——-

I learnt so much from George over just two days, going from a complete novice to feeling comfortable and confident behind the camera. I felt challenged and engaged, and a real highlight was shooting in sequence, outside, on the second day- and finding out that the work was both in-focus and properly exposed and colour balanced!

Rowan Douglas, Actor and Voice Artist

——-

George’s training is exactly what we need within the industry; practical, hands-on, and inspiring.

He worked closely with us to ensure the sessions were tailored to our production and asked the team to complete a questionnaire, which really helped to shape the training. The aim was to arm individuals with the skillset to film short, simple sequences and GVs. George understood this from the off and we provided examples of exactly what we were looking for.

The course yielded immediate results for our production and most of the team have either been out to film short sequences or GVs already. We know George’s training, and his collaboration, will benefit our production and help to develop a new generation of self-shooters.

 Jonny Wharton, Executive Producer, Raise the Roof Productions

——-

George‘s 1-1 course is excellent and is structured to cover all aspects of operating the camera. One major advantage is the ability to ask George questions at any time during the sessions. With his relaxed teaching style, no question is considered stupid. I left the course feeling very confident in using any camera by applying his key points to produce the best quality pictures. I highly recommend George’s course for camera operators at any level.

Ross J MacLean - Freelance

——-

As a lead tutor for the National Film and Television School Self-Shooting courses in Scotland, George consistently receives great feedback from new entrants and more experienced practitioners alike.

George is very thorough with his preparation and focus on tailoring each course we deliver to the experience level and needs of the individuals of the group. Professional yet approachable, he is very skilled at translating his experience as a working industry practitioner into the classroom, delivering relatable and relevant technical training with storytelling at its heart and preparing our groups to manage real world shooting scenarios in industry with increased confidence and understanding.

Abigail Howkins, Development Manager, NFTS

——-

George is a natural knowledge sharer and his courses are well structured, informative, practical and enjoyable.  He strikes the balance perfectly between theory and hands-on experience.  His impressive industry CV and years of employment across a wide range of genres make him the perfect trainer - he knows the production environment and has tips and advice that will serve well those embarking on projects from documentary and fact ent to formats and studio work - setting them in good stride for the challenges they are likely to face.  Our team have benefitted from camera training sessions with George and the results were instant - with a development in confidence, production standards, skills and competency.

Padruig MacCuinn - Mac TV

——-

I did two days of 1:1 self-shooting training with George to boost my confidence operating the camera after taking several years out of the industry to have children. The course was exactly what I was looking for, George tailored it to my needs and was flexible about adapting it as our time together evolved and he could see where I would benefit. I got to play with a huge variety of kit, both in the classroom learning environment, as well as outside on my own, as if in a shooting environment. George is generous with his knowledge and experience and set up thoughtful training exercises and explained tricky concepts clearly. I found him approachable and easygoing - exactly the kind of person I want to work with on location and so perfect in this environment too. George's experience as a PD on a huge variety of factual shows is also great as he always has real-world examples of situations or challenges. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a course with George to anyone.

Julia Moon - Freelance PD

——-

It was a pleasure working with George Cathro, Shooter and Director on An Introduction to Self-Shooting for Unscripted TV in Dublin recently.  The structure and practical hands-on nature of the course provided participants with key skills in all aspects of self-shooting and lighting.  George is extremely knowledgeable and generous in his approach to training, supporting and guiding participants throughout the training course.  

Críona Sexton, Skills Department, Screen Ireland.

——-

As a screenwriter, I generally pass my scripts on to others to bring the stories to the screen, but I’d held onto a few smaller projects that I wanted to do myself and the first step was to get a camera. I bought a Canon C300 - great image quality, easy to use controls and, it worked ‘straight out of the box.

But saying the camera has easy to use controls and works straight out of the box is like saying the car you’ve bought will drive straight out of the garage. You first have to know how to drive a car.

I searched for a while before I came across George’s name online in relation to a course he had run at the BBC. I got in touch and set up a two day 1-1 course. We used those two days with George patiently going over the camera’s controls and using it in a very hands-on practical way, as I hit him with a never-ending flood of questions. By the end of the two days, I had a confidence in using the camera that I didn’t have before.

 I would definitely recommend George’s course.

Ronnie Mackintosh - Writer / Director

——-

Working with George was such an enjoyable experience! The day comprised of a great balance between theory and practical. George navigated the different levels of experience within the group with ease, and everyone was able to take something new away with them. It was great to hear his own experiences, and give reason to the group about why to do things and what not to do. His delivery was professional and judgement-free, with the activities to help cement the new knowledge.

Amy Baddeley, New Entrant Training Manager, TRC

——-

The best kind of teacher is one who shares their experience and skills unreservedly and passionately. George Cathro does this and more.

He is patient, leaving no question unanswered, simple or complex. He has a genuine pleasure in passing on and infusing the student with his energy and love for his craft. I thought that I had prepared a little for our sessions by going online to look at tutorials but the information was one dimensional and colourless.

There is no comparison to the privilege of learning one to one and for that one to be a master in his field. As a photojournalist, I found the transition to video making challenging but rewarding.

There are similarities i.e. framing, angles and seeing a shot but telling a story in ‘continuous mode’ and envisaging the final project, means editing mentally and thinking ahead all the time, adapting as you go. Sound was a whole new exercise and one which is a craft on its own.

The best way of learning is by doing and that’s why these sessions work, giving the opportunity to try different ideas and exercises out. I loved George’s workshops and have benefitted 100%..it’s a skill that I will take forward and plan to merge into my own work.

Angela Catlin April 2023