Build Introductory Skills in Filmmaking
The One-Week Online Filmmaking Workshop is an intensive instructional program in filmmaking. In one short week, students are instructed in the basics of writing, directing, cinematography, and digital editing. Each student writes, directs, shoots, and edits a short film project.
Workshop Description Workshop Name: 1-Week Online Filmmaking
The fast-paced one-week workshop was designed to serve the needs of a variety of students. Through online classes and exercises, aspiring filmmakers and content creators can gain an understanding of the requirements and rigors of filmmaking, as well as experience the exhilaration of seeing a completed project.
All students enrolling in the One-Week Online Filmmaking Workshop should be aware that this is an introductory course. The limitations of a one-week course should be apparent, given that many people spend years studying film and perfecting their craft. While the One-Week Online Filmmaking Workshop is not meant to substitute for longer-term programs, many students have made excellent projects and decided to enroll in longer programs.
Prerequisites – Because all short-term filmmaking workshops start at the introductory level, no prerequisites are required, nor is any prior experience expected.
To learn more, request more information.
Class Details
Director’s Craft:
The core of this Filmmaking Program, Director’s Craft, introduces students to the fundamentals of directing a film. As directors, students will focus on the essentials of visual storytelling. They will learn concepts to help achieve maximum psychological impact by studying the director’s decisions in camera placement, blocking, staging, and visual image design.
The Directing Actors session serves as an introduction to one of the most important skills any director needs, the ability to communicate with actors to get the performance the film needs.
Upon successful completion of this portion of the course, students will be able to create a script breakdown, floor plan, and shooting schedule.
Cinematography:
This course is designed to introduce students to the art of cinematography, enabling film directors to make informed choices. In addition to introducing the students to the principles of photography as applied to the moving image, it will also cover fundamental lighting techniques. Students learn how to support the story with appropriate lighting choices. This includes the use of practical lighting sources such as lamps, flashlights, and china balls in a safe and creative manner.
Editing:
This area of study presents students with multiple aesthetic approaches to editing moving images. Not purely technical, this course will also discuss the psychological and emotional effects of editing on the overall story.
Additionally, students will learn to operate DaVinci Resolve editing software that they will use to edit their own exercises.
Screenwriting:
The Screenwriting portion of the course adheres to the philosophy that good directing cannot occur without a well-written script. The course is designed to lay the foundational understanding of dramatic structure, which is essential to writing an engaging script.
Times and Breakdown by Week
In the one-week workshop, students will take two 2-hour classes per day Mon-Fri, followed by time allocated for physical production on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The workshop concludes with a 2-Hour Screen & Critique late Saturday afternoon.
Total Course Hours = 22
2 x 2-Hour classes Mon-Fri, 2hrs of screening on Saturday = 22
Week Breakdown:
Week 1: Intro to the Visual Language of Cinema
This introductory week-long course serves as an introduction to filmmaking. A film director uses the image to communicate a story, making choices about camera placement, movement, and lenses. While Director’s Craft is the spine of the workshop, all effective directors must also be familiar with the other disciplines that go into the craft, such as cinematography, writing, acting, and editing, all of which are introduced in this program.
Discussion topics include breaking a script down into shots, directing the performance your film needs, creating a visual style, pacing in storytelling, and how a director prepares in advance of a shoot.
Program and Software Requirements
This course requires the following software and equipment:
- DaVinci Resolve (free download)
- Laptop or desktop computer with minimum specs for editing with DaVinci Resolve 16
- Smartphone with a camera
- FiLMiC Pro App for mobile cinematography (approximately $14.99)
Suggested Resources
As students in the filmmaking classes work with large files and software that may require minimum technical specifications, we ask that all incoming students review our recommended resources:
- External hard drive (optional, costs $30-$200)
Students will join this class remotely. To get the best experience from our online workshops, we recommend that students have a reliable computer, external hard drive, strong internet connection, and a quiet place to work.
In the 1-Week Online Filmmaking Workshop, each student writes, directs, shoots, and edits a short film project.
