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IFH Courses and Gil Bettman

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"By far, the best director and cinematography course on the Internet." - Nate Carroll

Want to learn how great directors create award-winning films? Want to learn how to become a working Hollywood director in Television or Film?

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Join over 30,000 Students who are learning from our courses.

"By far, the best director and cinematography course on the Internet." - Nate Carroll

Want to learn how great directors create award-winning films? Want to learn how to become a working Hollywood director in Television or Film?

In this online course you'll learn When to Move the Camera in your next film and video production. The key here is that camera movement must be invisible. It should serve the story without calling attention to itself. Next, learn How To Move the Camera most effectively by systematically fulfilling Five Tasks when designing each moving master shot. Finally, learn how a master of visual design like Zemeckis customizes his application of these Five Tasks to the unique demands of each scene.

They DON'T teach you this in Film School.

. I'm learning Thanks so much to Gil and Alex for putting this course together. I'm a director working on my first horror film, which has a bit of action in it, and this course is totally giving me rocket boots. If you have more courses from Gil, please let me know and - Colby R Rice

Excellent content. But you'd better pay attention or you will miss something. This course is packed with loads or useful and well explained stuff. - Mr Mick Farmer

Instructor is clearly in command of craft and engages with questions, simple explanations and familiar examples. Video and audio are excellent. - Bill Halford

Veteran film and television director Gil Bettman will teach you how to enhance drama and heighten action by using different lenses. This is the key to Lensmanship – the technique which Spielberg borrowed from Wells, Kubrick and others to transform the look of today's films.

Once you have grasped Lensmanship you are ready for the final lesson How to Shoot Action Sequences. Gil will show you how Kathryn Bigelow, John Woo and others ignite the screen by putting the camera in the right place and using the right lenses. Here's what will be covered in the course.

  • Why you must shoot with a moving camera

  • When to move the camera

    • Why all camera movement should be invisible

    • The three kinds of camera movement that are always invisible

  • How to move the camera – shoot the best moving master shot

    • The five tasks of a moving master:

      • Establishes geography and believability

      • Eliminates edits

      • Generates eye candy

      • Focuses the audience on the center of the drama

      • Picks up coverage

    • How to customize the five tasks to each scene

      • Examples: dailies from:

        • Movies for TV

        • Low budget features

        • Big budget features directed by Bob Zemeckis

  • Lensmanship

    • How the look of 3 different lenses is the key to understanding all lenses

    • The three ways that lenses change the look of a shot

      • Perspective

      • Field of Vision

      • Depth of Field

  • Shooting Action

    • The 3 key components to shooting action

      • Put the camera in the right place

        • Breaking down your shots

      • Put the right lens on the camera

        • How lenses affect motion in the frame

      • Get the right number of pieces

        • How coverage heightens energy

    • How to shoot a chase

    • How to shoot a fight

Very helpful. Adds depth to your understanding and intuitive insights which you surely had if you happened to play with video shooting and editing without doing any learning beforehand. It's enriching. The movie samples are great as the clarify the points. Love it. - Yosi Tsitsu

So what are you waiting for. Jump start your filmmaking career as a film director.

Enroll now

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What's inside

Learning objective

Direct a short film, feature film or any narrative content.

Syllabus

Shooting a Good Moving Master Shot
Intro
Trailer

Gil breaks down how to shoot a great moving master shot.

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Understand why Internally Generated Camera Moves Are Invisible

Gil discuss how to set up a great moving establishing shot

Gil shows you how infamous director Lars Von Trier breaks the rules

Gil breaks down Quentin Tarantino Great One'er

Five Tasks of a Good Moving Master

Gil shows you how to Establish Geography and Show Everything

Gil breaks downs how Oscar winning director Robert Zemeckis moves the camera in a moving master

Best Moving Shots Stay Focused on the Center of the Drama

At the Moments of Peak Drama the Best Directors Stop Moving the Camera

Save Time & Money. Pick Up Coverage In Your Moving Master Shots

Use the Moving Camera to Eliminate Edits Like the Great Directors Do

Mastering the Master Shot

Gil discusses patterns to look out for in a good moving masters

Customizing the Default Pattern to the Unique Needs of the Scene

Let's Analyze Robert Zemeckis Technique

Gil breaks down a scene from Robert Zemeckis' What Lies Beneath

How to Direct and Shoot Action

These are the building blocks of a great action sequence

As a director understanding lenses is imperative and it's easier than you think

The mystery of forced perspective is revealed

Depth of Field and Field of Vision Made Easy

Gil shows you how to amp up your shots by picking the correct lenses for the job

How to pick the correct lens for the shot, here's a guide

Storyboarding for Action Sequences

We go over how to storyboard an action sequence

Gil breaks down the Climactic Action Sequence of the film Never Too Young to Die

Storyboard break down of an action sequence from Never to Young to Die

We discuss Correct Camera Position Lens

Here is the Final Edited Sequence - Gene Simmons Ambushes John Stamos

How to Shoot a Chase Scene

Shoot a Great Foot Chase - Rule 1- No -Tie-In- Shots

The secret to a good action sequence

Learn how to compress the image for effect

Add humor takes your foot chase to a whole other level

How to Breakthrough as a Director

Just go out and make your film

BONUS: What DO You Want to Learn Next?
BONUS: Indie Film Hustle Podcasts
Why are Filmmakers Always Broke and What They Can Do to Fix It
How to Build a BlackMagic Camera Rig on the CHEAP!

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Explores advanced skills that are not taught in film school
Taught by seasoned filmmakers with decades of experience in the industry
Examines cinematography techniques used in award-winning films
Develops comprehensive understanding of camera movement, lensmanship, and action sequences
Provides step-by-step guidance on applying techniques to real-world projects
Includes practical examples from movies and TV shows to illustrate concepts

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Hollywood Film School: Filmmaking & TV Directing Masterclass with these activities:
Review 'Story' by Robert McKee
The book 'Story' by Robert McKee provides a strong foundation in understanding the key elements of storytelling.
Show steps
  • Read the book.
  • Take notes on the key concepts.
Summary of Key Film Concepts
To get the most from this course, one should begin by creating a summary of the knowledge they recall from prior experience with film, movies, cinema, and related terms and ideas.
Browse courses on Film
Show steps
  • In note format, write down the terms, definitions, and ideas that first come to mind in regard to film.
Review Elements of Film Theory
To best engage in this course, one should first review the key terms and concepts of film theory that this course is going to expand upon.
Browse courses on Film Theory
Show steps
  • Review notes, chapters, and other resources on the major elements of film theory
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Gather Filming Equipment
To get the most from this course, one should begin by gathering the equipment needed for shooting film projects.
Show steps
  • Make a list of needed equipment, including but not limited to camera, tripod, lighting, microphone, and editing software.
  • Purchase or rent the equipment.
  • Test the equipment to make sure it is working properly.
Camera Movement Exercises
To gain a better foundational knowledge in preparation for this course, one should complete practice drills in camera movement.
Show steps
  • Practice panning the camera.
  • Practice tilting the camera.
  • Practice zooming the camera.
  • Practice dolly shots.
Storyboarding a Film
To best prepare for the course, one should create a storyboard for a film.
Browse courses on Storyboarding
Show steps
  • Brainstorm ideas for a film.
  • Write a brief outline of the film.
  • Sketch out the storyboard.
Tutorial: Using Camera Lenses
To enhance learning, one should complete guided tutorials on the effective usage of camera lenses.
Show steps
  • Find a tutorial on camera lenses.
  • Watch the tutorial.
  • Practice using camera lenses.
  • Experiment with different lenses to see how they affect the look of your film, video or image.
Attend a Film Pitch Contest
For supplemental learning, one should attend a film pitch contest to gain new insights and ideas.
Show steps
  • Research film pitch contests in your area.
  • Attend a film pitch contest.
  • Take notes on the pitches that you hear.
  • Talk to the filmmakers after the contest.

Career center

Learners who complete Hollywood Film School: Filmmaking & TV Directing Masterclass will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

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