GETTING STARTED WITH OUR FILMMAKING COURSE

You don’t need any prior knowledge. You don’t need any top-of-the-line 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, including access to the following six modules:

INTRODUCTION

SCREENWRITING

DIRECTING

CINEMATOGRAPHY

EDITING

SOUND DESIGN

PROGRESS TRACKING

Track your progress as you work through our online 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. They’re a great way to meet your fellow classmates and dive deeper into the subjects covered in the modules. In total, we offer 20 hours of Lab Chats scheduled at different times each 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.

ONE-ON-ONE GRADING CENTER

As you work through the course, you’ll complete a series of assignments, culminating in your very own short film. One of 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 studio-grade 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.