Three film-workshop evenings in Abu Dhabi: arrive with a question

CMA lists three remaining Behind the Scenes with MFM evenings at Creative Lab, Yas Creative Hub, Abu Dhabi: brand integration on 13 October, screen action on 14 October and script development on 15 October. The series is in English, for adults aged 18 and over, with no previous experience required. Individual sessions are an option. Here is a practical way to choose one and leave with something more useful than a full notebook.

Check the session-level timetable. The 13 October workshop is listed for 6–8pm; 14 and 15 October run 6–9pm. The page’s general time block says 6–8pm, so confirm your chosen session’s finish when registering. The page currently says applications are open and gives 15 October as the deadline. That does not establish remaining seats for each evening, a fee or permission to arrive without confirmation.

For brand integration, bring a simple story problem: a character needs an everyday object to complete a task. Ask how the scene changes if that object carries a recognisable brand. Does the object help the story move, or make everyone stop to admire it? A useful example needs a character and a purpose; a shopping list of products is less revealing.

For the screen-action evening, arrive with questions about how an action is planned and communicated, rather than a move to try. Ask how the camera, editing and performers share the work of making a sequence convincing. Follow the instructors’ directions about participation. Watching a technique is not a qualification to reproduce it independently.

For script development, write a short premise before you go: someone wants something, an obstacle intervenes, and a choice changes the situation. Keep it small enough to explain in a few sentences. Bring one specific difficulty, such as an unclear motivation or a scene that has no consequence. “How do I fix this choice?” gives a discussion somewhere to start.

Use a three-column note: the idea explained, the example that made it clear, and one question still unanswered. After the session, choose a modest follow-up task you can do safely, such as rewriting a short scene or analysing a film sequence. A workshop can give direction; the next draft is where you discover what you understood.

Before travelling, use CMA’s registration page and confirm your place, session timing, any fee and arrival instructions. Ask about equipment rather than bringing a camera kit by assumption. These preparation prompts are SIBRIS editorial suggestions, not an official exercise list or a promise of admission.

Cover: an original AI-generated conceptual illustration of an imaginary film-learning pavilion. It is not a photograph of Creative Lab, the venue or the MFM workshops.