Online Film Course – Lights Film School

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Online Film Course – Lights Film School

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Well, we’ve created an interactive online film school that will lead you every step of the way. As trained and practicing filmmakers ourselves, many on the Lights Film School team have benefited from years of formal education at accredited institutions, including New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts:

We wanted to share our filmmaking training and experiences with everyone who wants to learn, so we built a custom educational platform from the ground up. It’s online film school for everyone, everywhere!

YOUR STUDIES, CENTRALIZED

Together, we’ve spent the better part of a decade creating a bespoke educational experience that’s more affordable and flexible than traditional film school; more guided and hands-on than free filmmaking resources around the internet.

Think of Lights Film School as a one-stop-shop for your filmmaking education. Students master filmmaking fundamentals and connect with a lively community of peers around the world, united by their shared passion and desire to learn.

Our online film school is the training you need to develop your technical skills, realize your unique creative potential, and pursue career opportunities knowledgeably and confidently. To join us is to jumpstart your journey toward becoming a professional filmmaker, whether you’re interested in narrative, documentary, or music videos.

IT’S A FILMMAKING EDUCATION THAT:

 Takes the guesswork and stress out of the learning process. Our curriculum’s logical progression guides and focuses your studies, so that you can spend time on what’s important.

 Adapts to your schedule. You’ll enjoy a flexible, outcomes-based approach that empowers you to work at your own pace.

 Connects you to other filmmakers. You’ll engage with a welcoming online community of teachers and peers from around the world.

 Provides genuine, personalized mentorship. You’ll benefit from our 10+ years of professional and teaching experience, with attentive support and individualized feedback.

 Doesn’t break the bank. Our tight-knit and passionate team strives to make a formal filmmaking education accessible to everyone, everywhere!

FREE SAMPLE VIDEO TUTORIAL

Naturally, we teach our students how to achieve professional studio production standards while retaining the creative freedom and artistic bravery that comes with being an indie filmmaker. “Indie” is not an excuse for laziness or poor quality content, and our filmmaking course fights against both, helping to hold the world of independent cinema to a higher standard.

Watch this 7-minute sample tutorial to get a sense of what we mean, and what you can expect, from your studies with Lights Film School.

FREE SAMPLE LESSON

Custom video tutorials are not the only thing our filmmaking training includes. You’ll benefit from a truly multimedia curriculum that weaves together engaging lecture notes, curated video essays, film clips, photographs, and much more throughout your studies. It’s a tremendous amount of content that’s thoughtfully presented in many different ways.

Want a taste of what it’s like? Subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll send you our epic screenwriting eBook as a sort of example lesson! Inside, you’ll find 9 hours of valuable filmmaking insights and case studies presented across 28 pages – a very, very small fraction of the full filmmaking course

SO WHAT’S INCLUDED, EXACTLY?

GETTING STARTED WITH OUR ONLINE FILMMAKING COURSE, COMMUNITY, & RESOURCES

You don’t need any prior knowledge. You don’t need any fancy filmmaking equipment, and you certainly don’t need to live in Hollywood! All you need is an internet connection, a camera with video capabilities, a computer with video editing software, and a passion to learn. We’ll provide the rest through our custom educational platform, including a comprehensive curriculum that grants access to the following 6 modules:

INTRODUCTION

Discover the Lights Film School community and your new online learning environment. We lay out our expectations and explain how everything works to ensure you start off on the right foot. As a part of your orientation, we also frame subsequent modules with a discussion of filmmaking basics, beginning with an examination of two fantastic films.

SCREENWRITING

A screenplay is the foundation of most successful films. We demystify story structure and explain how it’s relevant to both narrative and documentary projects. Expect to learn about western dramatic structure, “the hero’s journey” and character archetypes, how to construct and pace tension, how to balance action and dialogue, and much more.

DIRECTING

We equip filmmakers to direct their projects with proficiency, confidence, and tact. The director is the captain of the ship; it’s your vision that steers the film’s cinematography, performances, and more. The director is the leader, and you must know how to think creatively and communicate clearly. We’ll teach you how to navigate these waters.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Like screenwriting, cinematography requires an acute awareness of language. In our cinematography module, you’ll study the works of the masters while developing a visual vocabulary all your own. Explore three of the main components of cinematography – lighting, movement, and composition – and dive deep into shot types, shot continuity, color theory, and more.

EDITING

Learn the art and science of post-production. You’ll cover the paper edit, NLE software, file ingest, rough cuts, titling, color correction, and a vast range of editing theories and techniques, including project file organization and non-destructive editing. This module prepares you to “shoot for the edit” as you begin to brainstorm the production of your own short film.

SOUND DESIGN

The aural experience is 50% of a film, influencing an audience’s perception of its production value, and by extension, its quality. We discuss topics including microphone choice, sample rates, and space acoustics. We also explore editing and mixing questions of audio synchronization and processing effects like compression, equalization, noise reduction, and more.

THERE’S MORE.

OUR ONLINE FILM SCHOOL EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE CURRICULUM.

As a Lights Film School student, you’ll have access to community, resources, and additional features. For example, your studies also include:

PROGRESS TRACKING

Track your progress as you work through our online filmmaking course at your own pace. Students have one year from the date of enrollment to complete the course, but most finish in 3 – 6 months.

Progress tracking lets you see where you are in your learning, making it easy to pick up where you left off next time you login. When you complete the course, we’ll mail you a personalized 8×10 course completion certificate!

STUDENT HUB

You can enroll in our course from anywhere in the world! The Student HUB is the heart of our community, a place for us to connect regardless of geographic location. Here, you’ll be able to personalize your account – add a profile picture, your location, links to your websites, your film-related interests, and more.

As you progress through the course, you’ll make friends with students and teachers from all over the map. Post updates about your film projects, comment on friends’ posts, and send private messages. You’ll also be able to search for members by their geographic location. You might even be able to collaborate with a Lights Film School student living in your area!

LAB CHATS & ONLINE THEATRE

Tune into our Lab Chats, live two-to-three hour lectures led by our teachers, when you enroll at the Academic or Scholar level. They’re a great way to meet your fellow classmates and dive deeper into the subjects covered in the modules. In total, we offer a rotating roster of 20 hours of Lab Chats scheduled at different times every other month, so you’ll be able to attend regardless of what timezone you live in.

Our Online Theatre is a venue for screenings of independent films. We screen a film once a month as a group and break it down together, drawing on everything we’ve learned from the course materials so far.

learned from the course materials so far.

ONE-ON-ONE GRADING CENTER

As you work through the course, you’ll complete a series of five assignments, culminating in your very own short film. Our teachers will review your work and provide critical, in-depth coverage to help you improve and grow your abilities as a filmmaker along the way.

You’ll also have access to other students’ assignments and reviews. Identify peers with whom you might like to work and learn from both their successes and mistakes. Ultimately, the Grading Center is an open forum for constructive feedback and collective learning.

MEDIA LIBRARIES

As a Lights Film School student, you’ll have access to a script library, video tutorial library, stock music library, and sound effects library. The cost of these resources alone is more than the course’s enrollment fee. We include them as a part of our commitment to improving the production standards of your indie films.

INTERACTIVE EXERCISES

Our innovative “Mirror Program” provides cinematic audio and video files for you to download and work with as you practice the concepts covered in your lessons. For example, in the Sound Design module, you’ll use the audio files we provide to create and sweeten a soundscape according to our step-by-step instructions. By working virtually with us side-by-side, you’ll grow in confidence and ability.

Some lessons involve other types of “homework” – you might be asked to study a feature film we’ve handpicked, or break down a screenplay from our screenplay library.

ALUMNI PROGRAM

When you complete your studies, you’ll get invited to an exclusive community area for continued camaraderie in your filmmaking journey. Build longterm relationships with members of the Lights Film School community, even after your enrollment expires – for free.

It’s an opportunity for you to connect with filmmakers who’ve been vetted by Lights Film School’s intensive educational experience, benefit from ongoing inspiration and accountability, and keep track of future alumni perks.