Ultimate Filmmaking Course

The course is structured to be completed in 10 weeks, with each week providing a focused lesson and assignment, including the creation of five short films. The student is expected to devote 15-20 hours each week to the course. During this time, students will gain practical experience in all stages of filmmaking—from the development of a director’s treatment to shooting and editing the final project. The pace is intense but manageable, offering a lot of valuable learning within a short timeframe.

Each of the five films builds the student’s knowledge and ability to make films.  The foundation of composition, storytelling, lighting, camera movement, and color theory, along with the practical aspects of film production will give them the knowledge they need to launch them towards being a working director.  The 5th film will really be their calling card if they do it correctly and really put in adequate effort.

The nuts and bolts of the course include:

• Storytelling & Director’s Treatment: Writing a Director’s Treatment that includes loglines, color themes, inspirational visuals, and story themes.
• Technical skills: Working with lenses, lighting patterns, camera movement, and editing techniques to tell a visually compelling story.
• Collaboration: Students will learn to collaborate with a team, taking leadership in directing and managing each department (e.g., lighting, wardrobe, props, casting).
• Marketing & Distribution: By the end of the course, students will also create key art for their films (like posters and trailers) and develop a marketing strategy for film festivals, gaining exposure and preparing for professional distribution.

The final result is a well-rounded filmmaker with hands-on experience in all aspects of filmmaking. A filmmaker who knows how to communicate their ideas, network, manage a team, make deadlines, understand marketing and the “business” of the film business which is ultimately how they will make their dream come true.

Yes, part of the course includes guidance on film festival submissions. We will guide them in creating their own marketing materials like posters, trailers, and press kits. This ensures that students are not only creating their films but are also positioning them to get noticed by industry professionals, festival programmers, and potential collaborators. The students need to know submitting to festivals costs money. The 5th film is the one they will focus festival distribution efforts on and we will help them to select the right festival for their film.

Our 10-week course offers several advantages over traditional film schools: Its real-world relevant experience taught by pros at a fraction of the cost of film school.

• Focused, practical approach: Students create five complete films over 10 weeks, which is much more hands-on than many other programs that focus more on theory.
• Rapid development: The course is designed to build skills quickly. Students go from learning concepts to creating films in a short amount of time, helping them develop an industry-ready portfolio by the end of the program.
• Direct mentorship and feedback: Students receive supervision and guidance from experienced filmmakers who will be actively involved in the teaching and critique process.
• Business side of filmmaking: Unlike many programs, we also teach marketing, promotion, and film festival submissions, ensuring students understand how to get their films seen and sold.  This is the big differentiating game changer.  Talent is important but without business savvy and marketing strategy it doesn’t go far.
• Award-winning experience: The course includes insights from award-winning films, giving students access to industry-leading knowledge and techniques that other schools may not be able to provide.

Our course addresses several key gaps that many traditional film schools don’t cover:  most importantly we give them what they want-directing, producing, writing, hands on experience from people they can trust.

• Industry-ready skills: We provide students with the hands-on experience and technical knowledge needed to immediately step into the film industry. This practical experience in creating films sets us apart from schools that focus mostly on theoretical knowledge.
• Film festival strategy: Other schools may overlook the importance of getting your work seen. Our course includes dedicated lessons on how to market, distribute, and submit films to festivals—key skills that can help a student’s career get off the ground.
• Creative and flexible production: Students are not locked into just one type of film—our course allows them to work across multiple genres, whether it’s fiction, documentary, or music videos, giving them the chance to explore various storytelling styles.
• Mentorship from award-winning filmmakers: With access to footage and experiences from award-winning films (over 77 awards- having worked with Oscar nominated actors and grammy award winners), students are learning from real-world success stories, gaining insights they would not typically receive in a traditional film school setting.
• Comprehensive curriculum:From the Director’s Treatment and pre-production to lighting, camera techniques, and post-production, our course provides a full range of filmmaking skills while keeping the focus on real-world application.  When they complete this course, they can apply these same techniques to any professional paid project they will do.