The Reel Connections Learning Hub
The Reel Connections Learning Hub
The Reel Connections Learning Hub is an online learning programme specialising in film and music theory courses.
The hub offers a unique programme of competitively priced courses and workshops, created and led by highly experienced tutors and practitioners.
Our aim is to produce fun and informal courses, with excellent content and development opportunities, that offer opportunities to meet and study with a small group of like-minded people.
The hub programme is current closed booking. Find out more about the programme below, and sign up to our mailing list for updates.
Our courses are for everyone, whether you’re a film and music aficionado, or want to learn something completely new.
Our hub programme features a range of structured, scheduled online courses that mean you can study along with a group and receive regular feedback and tailored guidance from our tutors. The flexible, online offer means you can learn with us wherever you are based and in your own time.
All of our courses are also suitable for professionals who want to develop their skills, and build social connections between other creatives. Our scheduled courses are limited to a small group size meaning you’ll receive a much more tailored learning experience.
Take a look at our courses below.
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Courses
Making a Scene: How to Write a Successful Film Scene
Have you always wanted to work on a movie script? Are you curious about how film scenes draw you in and make you want to keep on watching?
Why not join award-winning author and creative writing tutor Ian Nettleton on this twelve-week course. You’ll discover the essential techniques and devices for writing a successful screenplay. All you’ll need is a love of film and the enthusiasm to learn how to write one great scene.
Course dates: This course is currently closed for enrolment and will open again in autumn 2024.
Cinefeels: Exploring Film through Emotions
Cinefeels: Exploring Film through Emotions
Have you wondered why and how different films can make you feel joy, tension, or grief? How other viewers feel about the same scenes?
This eight-week online course takes an audience-centred approach to the study of film as, through tutor presentations, film clips, and discussions, we examine how films make us feel.
Led by film and media studies teacher and researcher Dr Anna Blagrove.
Course dates: This course is currently closed for enrolment and will open again in autumn 2024.
Classic Albums in Close Up
Join us on this eight-week course where we will consider what exactly defines a ‘classic’ album as we explore four seminal rock albums in depth.
With plenty of opportunities to share your thoughts with other music enthusiasts, on this course, we will look at each record’s historical context, production and critical reception, as we aim to get to the heart of why a particular record has stood the test of time. This course has developed from our popular, and growing network of Record Clubs, and will be led by our Record Club facilitator Guy Martin.
Course dates: This course is currently closed for enrolment and will open again in autumn 2024.
How it works
Our online Reel Connections Learning Hub courses are hosted by Thinkific, an easy-to-use online learning platform.
Scheduled content will be created and released every two weeks of the course, along with plenty of opportunities to post questions and chat with students and tutors between sessions in the course forum.
We limit group sizes to a maximum of 25 participants, this means you’ll receive a much more tailored learning experience and feedback, and have an opportunity to get to know your fellow students.
Scroll down the page to view our courses FAQ, and if you have any further questions you can contact us here. You can also find our terms and conditions here.
Meet the tutors
Ian Nettleton
Ian Nettleton is an award-winning writer who has worked as a lecturer in creative writing for over twenty years. He has taught screenwriting locally in his hometown of Norwich, and to undergraduate students for the Open University. He also teaches on the MA in Creative Writing for the Open University and for the National Centre for Writing.
He has written and presented for BBC Pebble Mill (Front Room), appeared on Open Book on Radio 4 and had short stories and flash fiction published in a number of anthologies. He was runner-up in the Bath Novel Award 2014 and the Bridport Prize for Novels Award 2014 and his novel, Out of Nowhere, was winner of the Bath Novel Award 2023.
Ian will be teaching our Making a Scene: How to Write a Successful Film Scene course, find out more.
Image Credit: Martin Figura
Guy Martin
Reel Connections founder Guy has worked in the film and media education sector for over 30 years, devising and delivering education and audience engagement projects with schools, colleges and adult learners in both the East of England and London.
A music and vinyl enthusiast, Guy leads on our Music on My Mind Record Clubs, designing and facilitating community-focused music listening and discussion sessions across Norfolk. In 2018 Guy received the Norfolk Arts Award for Education and Community work.
Guy will be teaching our Classic Albums in Close Up course, find out more.
Image Credit: Katherine Mager
Dr Anna Blagrove
Anna has been teaching and researching film and media studies since 2009. Since 2020, she has been a Lecturer in Animation and Visual Effects at Norwich University of the Arts where she teaches film language and theory, media roles and practices, as well as research and study skills. She attended the University of East Anglia where she completed her film audience research PhD and MA in Film Studies. She is a Director of Reel Connections (CIC) and enjoys working with community groups using film, music, and the creative arts. Before this, Anna was an Education Officer in the cinema exhibition industry for over ten years.
Anna will be teaching our Cinefeels: Exploring Film Through Emotions course, find out more.
Image Credit: Katherine Mager
Courses FAQ
When do the courses run?
You can find the course dates in the courses section above, or on each course page. The course content will be released every two weeks, giving you plenty of time in between to complete any tasks.
When can I access the course content?
You’ll be able to access the first session on the start date of the course, and then new sessions will be released every two weeks for the duration of the course.
Do I have to attend at a specific time?
No, even though this is a scheduled course you can do the modules in your own time, with new content released every two weeks as pre-recorded videos and accompanying resources.
What level are your courses?
All of our courses are designed for a range of abilities, from beginners to those with a bit more experience. Our courses are suitable for ages 18+
If you are unsure and want to ask us, or the course tutor, a question please contact us at info@reelconnections.co.uk
Is there tutor interaction?
Yes, on all of our scheduled courses your tutor will be available on the discussion boards (as part of the Thinkific platform) to answer any questions and provide feedback. They will aim to do this at least once a week.
Each course has its own dedicated discussion board under each session, where you can share questions and your work with other participants – although this is not compulsory!
How many other participants will there be on the course?
One of the benefits of our scheduled courses is we limit group size to a maximum of 25 participants, this means you’ll receive a much more tailored learning experience and feedback, and have an opportunity to get to know your fellow students.
Can I join in from anywhere in the world?
Of course! Even though Reel Connections are based in the UK, we welcome international participants – this is one of the benefits of learning online.
Course payment is set in GDP, but when you pay it will convert to your own currency.
How do I access the courses?
Our online courses are hosted by Thinkific, this is where you will go to sign up, and you’ll receive all the information you need ahead of the course’s scheduled start date.
You will also get lifetime access to the course, so you can return to sessions and information at any time. Please note our tutors will only be available for feedback for the duration of the scheduled course.
How long should I expect to spend on the course each week?
We would suggest setting aside 2 hours a week as a minimum, but there will be opportunities to spend more time on each session or task.
What format are the courses delivered?
The course content will be released as videos, and accompanying written content and reading materials, as well as other audio and video based resources. This will be released via the Thinkific platform. Find out more about the Thinkific student experience here.
What internet connection or technology will I need?
To get the most out of the sessions you will need to have a good and reliable internet connection – Thinkific recommends a broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 5Mbps.
You will access the Thinkific platform (and course) via a web browser. The platform is fully mobile responsive – so you will be able to access your course from any phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer that is connected to the internet.
We recommend making sure your browsers are up to date, and these are the browsers which are supported…
Desktop: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge
Mobile: iOS Safari, Chrome, Samsung Internet
Please note that Thinkific does not currently support Internet Explorer. Find out more here
Do you offer refunds?
Course bookings can be refunded up to 14 days after payment has been processed, unless the course begins within this 14 day period.
After these 14 days, we cannot offer refunds unless we are able to fill your course place through a waiting list. If there are extenuating circumstances as to why you cannot do the course please contact us to discuss at info@reelconnections.co.uk.
You can find our full Terms & Conditions here.