Filmmaking: Write, Direct and Distribute Your Feature Film

Name: Filmmaking: Write, Direct and Distribute Your Feature Film
Rating: 4.4 (742 reviews)

Make Your Dream Come True by Filming Your Movie and Distributing It Around the World

(742 ratings)

3,930 students

Created by Paul Bright

Last updated 11/2020

English

English [Auto]

What you'll learn

Write a screenplay
Schedule and organize the entire film production
Raise funds to pay for making the movie
Find the cast, locations, costumes and props
Film the movie using lighting and camera angles that tell the story
Understand the basics of film editing
Choose the right distribution options for releasing the movie

Requirements

You need to have access to a computer with basic writing software.
You will need access to an HD camera. (You could even use your cell phone.)
You will need to download video editing software to your computer.

Description

This is an all-encompassing guide for making an independent feature length movie. By the end of this course you will have the information you need to successfully make a feature film that you can distribute around the globe to be seen by possibly millions of people.

I'm sharing with you my experience as a veteran screeenwriter, director, producer and editor of 11 feature films. Normally film students pay a lot of money to learn this information at universities, and often all they really learn is cinema theory.

These videos tell you what you need to do and how to do it to make your movie.

This course covers:

the basics of screenwriting
turning your screenplay into a shooting script
organizing and scheduling your film shoot
tips on saving money
calculating your budget
fundraising
contracts you'll need with cast and crew*
basic tips for filming, lighting and recording audio
basic film editing instruction and concepts, along with tips to make the editing easier
tips for finishing the film to give it the professional look
thorough review of distribution options for your movie
and tons and tons of details about all the steps in between

The videos include lectures, demonstrations and examples illustrating the information I'm sharing.

This course also includes sample spreadsheets, contracts, and a list of additional resources. You will get all the forms and resources I use to make a movie.

*** A special bonus video (Lecture 53) is included on filming with Covid-19 Safety Precautions. During the global pandemic it is possible to continue making films safely. The 24 minute video explains the basics of how filming adapts to safety precautions and how we can keep everyone healthy on our indie film productions.

I LOVE filmmaking. I LIVE to make movies. If you have a story you want to tell, this course gives you the tools to do it.

*I'm not a lawyer. These sample contracts are not legal advice.

Who this course is for:

Anyone with a burning desire to make movies.

Featured review

Germaine M.

7 courses

5 reviews

2 years ago

I've honestly searched high and low for an affordable course that could get me to where I needed to be within the movie industry and I'm so glad that I stumbled upon this! Paul Bright is as easy to listen to as the Bob Ross series on Netflix. He breaks everything down so simply and provides all the information that I knew that I needed to hear but never did. He just needs to zero in on some of these topics and make more courses! :D

Paul Bright

Feature Film Writer, Producer, Director

4.3 Instructor Rating
742 Reviews
3,930 Students
1 Course

I work outside the entertainment industry's studio system creating truly independent feature films for niche audiences who are not being served by the major corporations which dominate Hollywood.

I am a writer, director, producer and editor and make a new feature film in a year. I have ten feature films in global distribution, another film in post-production and three more features in development.

My movies have been translated into dozens of languages and seen by millions of people. I've sold my films at the European Film Market in Berlin, Germany. In addition to film festivals, I've been flown to private screenings hosted by film fans and funders. Screenwriters hire me as their script doctor to make their stories 'work.' Filmmakers hire me to schedule and budget projects.

In addition to feature films, I've also produced web series, short films, and documentaries.

I started my career working as a union actor in Hollywood for seven years before learning how to produce and direct my own films. I still perform in front of the camera and record audiobooks because it's fun. My primary career is producing and directing feature films.

I love teaching new filmmakers about this incredibly exciting, fulfilling craft. I've guest lectured at UCLA Film School and helped students from NYU, Columbia, School for Visual Arts in New York, and the film program at the University of Texas, Austin.