Learn to Make Short Films from Anywhere
The 2-Week Online Filmmaking workshop focuses on how a filmmaker writes, preps for, and directs short films. In this interactive workshop, students study remotely in an immersive environment and learn from our seasoned faculty of accomplished filmmakers and directors. Throughout the workshop, students participate in a series of lectures, discussions, and in-class screenings to further hone their understanding of the art and craft of directing. This workshop is broken up into two 2-week modules, allowing the students to continue from a beginner-level program into a more intermediate workshop.
Learn to Make Short Films from Anywhere
The 2-Week Online Filmmaking workshop focuses on how a filmmaker writes, preps for, and directs short films. In this interactive workshop, students study remotely in an immersive environment and learn from our seasoned faculty of accomplished filmmakers and directors. Throughout the workshop, students participate in a series of lectures, discussions, and in-class screenings to further hone their understanding of the art and craft of directing. This workshop is broken up into two 2-week modules, allowing the students to continue from a beginner-level program into a more intermediate workshop.
Workshop Description Workshop Name: 2-Week Online Filmmaking
Through a series of online lectures and guided exercises, the 2-Week Online Filmmaking Workshop covers the tools to help implement the Director’s vision in the unique narrative structure of the short films they write. Examined in depth, this course covers but is not limited to:
- The necessary elements that make a good scene/story
- How a director breaks down the written word into the visual language of cinema
- Getting the performances the scene needs from the actors
- Designing a visual strategy for their story
Students create two films in the program, one in each two-week module. These films are non-synchronous (no on-set audio and no dialogue). The second film can incorporate the use of sound to enhance their visual storytelling. Students edit their projects using DaVinci Resolve and will spend an additional five to ten hours a week on the production of their film projects. These hours will vary from student to student.
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
2-Week Filmmaking Module I
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.
Cinematography:
This course is designed to introduce students to the art of cinematography, thus enabling the film director to make informed creative choices when it comes to the visual style of their work. In addition to introducing the students to the principles of photography, it will also cover fundamental lighting techniques.
Editing:
This area of study presents students with multiple aesthetic approaches to editing moving images. Beyond being a purely technical course, instruction will also cover the psychological and emotional effects of editing on the overall story.
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.
2-Week Filmmaking Module II
Director’s Craft:
Upon successful completion of this portion of the course, students will be able to create a floor plan, shot list, and shooting schedule. They will also be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the components of designing a shot and creating and directing the dramatic beats in a script.
Additionally, this course will include a session on sound design, emphasizing the importance of sound in cinema.
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:
Building on what was taught during the first two weeks, this course focuses on cutting for continuity, learning how each shot informs the next and builds momentum throughout each scene.
Also covered in this course is titling, simple color correction, and sound mixing.
Screenwriting:
This class is designed to help students develop concepts and then, ultimately, scripts for their projects. It focuses on the fundamentals of visual storytelling and provides students with constructive analysis and support as they take a story from an initial idea, treatment, and step outline to a rough draft and, finally, a shooting script.
Also included in the course is writing a treatment and logline, developing plot lines, screenplay format, and creating believable characters with complete narrative arcs.
Times and Breakdown by Week
This workshop consists of two 2-hour classes per day Monday-Friday, for each of the weeks.
Module I: 20 hours
Module II: 20 hours
Weekly Breakdown:
2-Week Filmmaking Module I
Week 1: Intro to the Language of Cinema and Cinematography
- Practicum: Mis-en-scene
Week 2: Post-Production and Critique
- Editing the Mis-en-scene
2-Week Filmmaking Module II
Week 1: Continuity & Shot Design
- Practicum: Continuity Film
Week 2: Intermediate Post Production & the Rewrite
- Practicum: Editing for Continuity
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 2-Week Online Filmmaking Workshop, students complete dynamic projects that may include a Mis-en-scene and Continuity Exercise. Projects are subject to change.
