A FROME documentary filmmaker is hoping to inspire a new generation of filmmakers with the launch of his own online film school.
Sebastian Solberg – who moved to Frome with his partner earlier this year – has a whole host of filming credits under his belt, including his own award-winning short film, One Breath, about a freediving couple attempting to set a new world record, which won best documentary at the Wimbledon Shorts Film Festival and was also selected for the Oceans Film Festival.
And throughout his career, he has travelled the world, travelling to places like the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, working closely with a nomadic Kazakh family when filming The Eagle Huntress; Istanbul to film a Canon commercial with Parkour (freerunning) athletes; and most recently, the Serengeti in Tanzania.
He also worked with the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller, and filmmakers including the cinematographer of Harry Potter, the editor of Mission Impossible, and a cameraman for David Attenborough’s wildlife series.
For his online film school – Documentary Film Academy, which launched this week – Sebastian promises to share all his experiences – both the highs and the lows of his career – with anyone wanting to learn more about how to make a powerful documentary.
“Documentary Film Academy is an online course and community designed to empower aspiring filmmakers, and anyone who has an important story to tell, to make powerful documentary films,” explained Sebastian talking to Frome Times. “It teaches everything you need to know from storytelling to cinematography to marketing.
“My aim is to help make filmmaking more accessible and affordable and fast-track my students’ learning curve so that anyone who has an important story to tell, can. I’ve loved creating the course and have realised how much I enjoy teaching so am excited to see where this leads over the next few years.
In Tanzania, Sebastian was filming wildlife for an exciting project with US-based media company, Radical Media.
“I can’t talk too much about the project, as it hasn’t been released yet,” said Sebastian, “but we were filming all sorts of incredible wildlife from leopards and lions to chameleons and flamingos.
“The landscapes and wildlife in the Serengeti and Lake Natron are just so vast and beautiful, it’s like another world. It was a real privilege to be there and film there, and it felt like a glimpse into what the Earth was once like with wildlife roaming the savannah before humans took over.
“For me, it really hit home how much of an impact we’ve had on this planet in such a short time and how we need to work with nature, not try to control it and tame it. We’re custodians of this planet and need to do everything we can to allow it to thrive and be in sync with it.”
About his and his partner’s move to Frome this year, Sebastian said, “We’re loving it! Frome has a real heart to it and so far everyone I’ve met has been so welcoming and friendly.
“I really enjoy popping into all the shops and hearing all the independent shop owners’ stories of why and how they set up their businesses. There’s something so lovely about the personal touch, and how the shops are owned by the local community rather than big corporate companies.
“With such a strong sense of community, Frome feels like a wonderful place to meet other creatives and find inspiration for documentary ideas.”
As for what’s next, Sebastian told Frome Times, “As well as working on the Documentary Film Academy, at the moment I am working on developing a film about the threat to the ancient culture of the Sami people in Sweden and am planning a YouTube series on overcoming your fears as a creative. Both of these are collaborations with other filmmakers, which I’m really excited about.”
For more information about Sebastian’s Documentary Film Academy, visit the website: www.docfilmacademy.com
