Filmmaking is like composing. Are you really going to start by writing a symphony? No, first you need to know the notes and perhaps study the great composers. Filmmaking is no different.

This course will teach you the fundamental notes of filmmaking. You will learn how to read film, how to study a frame so that you can clearly see the filmmakers intentions.  You will gain an understanding of tools that filmmakers have used for over a century to engage audiences and to tell stories.  You will learn why filmmakers use storyboards and how to create them. You will see why almost all films use the continuity style of editing and the critical importance of shot sequence. You will gain the skills and capacity to create short films using nothing more than a mobile device.

Content creators for YouTube or for online courses will benefit from this course. It will not only give you a solid foundation but also help you to think outside the box. How can you make your video content stand out from the crowd? A more fancy background? ....Nah. Well crafted content using established film language? Yes!

Alongside the practicalities of film, what makes us (the audience) continue watching? The language of film helps to explain how filmmakers engage an audience. You will learn about point of view. You will learn how filmmakers pose questions within a sequence of shots. You will learn why Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense.  You will learn how mise-en-scene works at a subconscious level to hold our engagement. You will learn that a modern understanding of neuroscience leads to the conclusion that suspension of disbelief is no longer the prevailing view of how our minds work with film.

I trained at the BBC, I have over 25 years in film education. I can help you make better films.