A Bit About Us

The F-Stop Academy is run by Den Lennie and is dedicated to educating Aspiring and Enthusiast Film Makers and Photographers migrating to HD DSLR Video. Den has been in the Film & TV industry for over 20 years as a DOP, Editor and Lighting Cameraman and he is a Leading Expert on Lighting, D-SLR Video and file based Production Workflow in the UK, frequently speaking at major industry events and working closely with major UK Film & TV production Companies.

Examples of Den’s work includes:-
    •    Guest Speaker on 3 consecutive days at WEVA 2009, Florida.
    •    European Sony Independent Certified Expert.
    •    Conducting workshops/classes on Lighting and Workflow in London, across Europe and in the USA.
    •    Created and Fronted CVP-TV in the UK
Den also had an Extensive Shooting Career at the BBC, Reuters, ITV and other major UK Networks, he has filmed in over 40 countries worldwide and on 5 Continents.

Den has in-depth knowledge of film making techniques and has been specialising in this field for over 20 years. He trained at The Scottish Film School, Edinburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Photography, Film & Television graduating back in 1993.

Despite attending Film School, Den maintains that the best part was working on short films solidly for 2 years. He worked as a runner, camera grip, Boom Op, Clapper/Loader 2nd AC, 1st AC, Camera operator then DOP; often shooting on film.

Den’s approach is to communicate clearly and concisely the practical tools of Low Budget Film Making to empower the Aspiring film maker creatively. He is confident and articulate in manner with a high level of enthusiasm for the work. Den understands the uniqueness of each film makers abilities and challenges and genuinely seeks to bring out their full potential.    

Some Personal Stuff About Den

Den is married to his beautiful wife Sam, who also works at The F-Stop Academy. You will probably deal with Sam when you make an enquiry with us.
Den lives in The UK with Sam and her 2 children Ollie & Barney, a cat and 3 chickens. His favourite pastime is playing Drums. In fact, Den nearly became a professional drummer in his teens before discovering Photography and then of course, Film Making.

His favourite DOP's are Janusz Kaminski, Roger Deakins, Anthony Dodd Mantle and Conrad L. Hall. Favourite Films include: Cry Freedom, O' Brother Where Art Thou, The Matrix Trilogy, Schindlers List, The Last King of Scotland. And it’s no coincidence that they all contain Incredible Cinematography!

About The F-Stop Academy

Den Lennie and D-SLR Video Pioneer Philip Bloom with Film Making Students on Location

What We Do

We take an in-depth approach. We don’t just direct you on how to get the right kit and use it (although the right tools will help you immensely), but we seek to develop your inner talent.
We steer you away from imitating simply what you see online and focus on allowing you to develop your own inner confidence when out shooting - bringing substantial depth and believability to your work. And learning how to tell stories.

What We Expect of You

Only one thing – The Right Attitude. It may seem a simple request, but we have found that the right attitude alone can move mountains.

How We Work

We take a personal and individual approach to teaching. You don’t just become one of the numbers in class; we take a personal interest in your development as an film maker. Every film maker is unique, after all and brings their own personal make up to film making, which we seek to understand. We then provide approaches to enhance your strengths and overcome your filming blocks.

What We Provide

We provide an in-depth and diverse range of training programmes offering professional courses for those serious about entering the profession. We also provide vital information to help you grow your ability and advance your film making as a passionate hobby.

What Makes Us Different

As professional film makers ourselves, we know our way around the industry. This means that we understand the needs and objectives of our students. This understanding, together with our film making expertise and appreciation of what makes ‘outstanding’ moving images and multi-media films, enables us to provide teaching that is both artistically fulfilling and industry aware.

What Makes Us Better

Our experience: Den and his Specialist Coaches have extensive experience within the industry and are expert Photographers, Editors, DOP's and Film Makers. Their combined experience covers working in high-profile feature Films, TV and On-Line projects with prominent directors and actors.

Our creativity

Enabling a film maker to use their own personal experience to fuse with their own vision for the story they want to tell. All of which are some of the creative approaches we use to unleash the film makers’ potential.