 
Take any 3 or more classes and receive $10 off the price of each!
*IFP Certification available.
Introduction to Video Production – Learning the Techniques*
Instructor: Rachel Raimist
6 sessions: Wednesdays, April 16–May 21, 6:30–9:30pm
Reg. deadline: April 9
Tuition: $235/$195 members
Max. enrollment: 12 students
This section is designed for all skill and interest levels - beginners, video enthusiasts and more experienced students needing a refresher course. Students will learn about aspects of production from camera, lighting and sound, to editing strategies, film festivals and distribution. There will be screenings, discussions and exploration of various film forms and genres, and an examination of stylistic images. Students will learn the basics of filmmaking through in-class exercises and have the opportunity to develop, shoot and edit short projects individually or as a group. Tuition includes camera rental and editing time in IFP’s edit suite (iMovie or Final Cut) for use outside of class time.
Advanced Video Production – Shooting the Short Film*
Instructor: Rachel Raimist
6 sessions: Wednesdays, May 28–July 2, 6:30–9:30pm
Reg. deadline: May 21
Tuition: $235/$195 members
Max. enrollment: 12 students
This course is designed for students with some filmmaking experience who have the desire to produce a short film. Students should have some experience with camera, sound and lighting equipment. You’re encouraged to come to class with a short script (up to 8 pages of narrative, documentary or experimental) that will be used for the duration of the course. You’ll learn how to revise scripts, prepare production materials (budget, storyboards, shooting scripts, etc.), cast actors, and other aspects of pre-production. We’ll study directing the camera, directing actors and creating visuals that communicate the director’s vision. Students will select scripts to collectively shoot as a group or proceed with individual projects. Students will crew shoots, act as production teams for one another and edit projects using Final Cut or iMovie.
We’ll conclude the course by screening our work. Students are issued editing time to be used in IFP’s editing suite outside of class time to help ensure project completion by the end of the session. Students are expected to provide their own portable external hard drives for storing their projects. Tuition includes equipment rental and editing time.
Introduction to Editing with Final Cut Pro 6
Instructor: Paul Bernhardt
Section 1: Saturday–Sunday, April 5–6, 10am–4pm
Section 2: Saturday–Sunday, June 7–8, 10am–4pm
Reg. deadlines: Section 1–March 29; Section 2–May 31
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 5 students each section
This course covers basic non-linear editing techniques with Final Cut Pro 6 software through demonstrations and hands-on instruction and footage provided by the instructor. Topics include using the interface to cut and rearrange media, organizing your browser, applying transitions, achieving a competent audio mix, titling, capturing/importing video and other media, exporting/compressing your project, setting scratch discs and taking charge of media management. Previous Macintosh experience is required. There will be a lunch break each session. Space is limited – register early!
Intermediate Editing with Final Cut Pro 6
Instructor: Paul Bernhardt
2 sessions: Saturday–Sunday, June 21–22, 10am–4pm
Reg. deadline: June 14
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 4 students
In this two-day workshop you'll continue to explore digital editing and learn some of the more advanced features of Final Cut Pro 6. Topics include animating stills by setting keyframes and creating motion paths, troubleshooting your audio mix, and color correcting footage. Basic Final Cut Pro experience is required to attend this workshop. There will be a lunch break each session. Space is limited – register early!
Beginning Adobe After Effects CS3*
Instructor: Nicholas Bochek
4 sessions: Tuesdays, April 8–29, 6:30–9:30pm
Reg. deadline: April 1
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 4 students
In this introductory course, you’ll learn through lecture, demonstration and hands-on practice all the basic tools and skills necessary for creating fantastic, realistic digital effects for your creative endeavor. The course focus will be on creating specific practical effects in Adobe After Effects, a powerful compositing and animation program in the filmmaker’s toolbox. Any level of filmmaker who has basic Photoshop and Final Cut Pro experience will be able to complete the course assignments.
So the next time you want an action scene in your movie where twelve mobsters are having a shoot-out in a dark alley in the middle of the night in an urban city, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to make that happen – safely and without the need for insurance or a certified 1st AD! Adobe After Effects will help you reduce your budget while increasing your project’s vision! Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro is required. Space is limited - register early!
Advanced Adobe After Effects CS3*
Instructor: Nicholas Bochek
4 sessions: Thursdays, June 5–26, 6:30–9:30pm
Reg. deadline: May 29
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 4 students
This course will bring you to the next level of creating amazing motion graphics and is designed for people who have a working knowledge of After Effects and would like to delve deeper into the finer features of the program. You'll learn how to utilize tools such as the Puppet Tool, building graphics in a 3D platform, 3D lighting and expressions.
Introduction to DVD Production
Instructor: Eric Weidmann
2 sessions: Saturday–Sunday, April 19–20, 10am–4:30pm
Reg. deadline: April 12
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 5 students
This course covers the basics of DVD encoding and authoring utilizing Compressor and DVD Studio Pro. Topics include compression techniques, DVD design, menu creation, button navigation, custom chapters, special features and alternate audio tracks. Each student will produce a fully functional DVD through hands-on coursework. Previous Macintosh experience is required and Photoshop experience is recommended. There will be a lunch break each session.
Basics of DV Cinematography
Instructor: Brady Kiernan
2 sessions: Saturday–Sunday, May 31–June 1, 10am–3pm
Reg. deadline: May 23
Tuition: $180/$145 members
Max. enrollment: 12 students
Good cinematography begins with knowing your camera inside and out. This two-day workshop covers the basic principles of cinematography for digital video and provides a comprehensive overview of the Panasonic HVX200 HD P2 camera, plus the Panasonic DVX100, Canon XL2 and GL2 MiniDV cameras. You’ll learn how to utilize cameras, light, space and subject in order to maximize results. Some basics of HD and DV post-production workflow will be covered. There will be a lunch break each session.
Documentary Storytelling
Instructors: Susan Marks & John Dehn
4 sessions: Thursdays, May 1-29 (no class May 22), 6:30-9:30pm
Reg. deadline: April 24
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 15 students
In the early stages of a documentary project or stuck somewhere in the middle? Not doing a doc per se, but working on reality or testimony-based projects? All are welcome! This course is an intensive program for independent documentary filmmakers of all levels interested in getting it done and getting it done right.
We will cover:
• Getting started even if you don’t have funding
• Developing your documentary style
• Creating the story you want to tell from your interviews and footage
• Narration vs. no narration
• Music – where to use it and what works best
• Making use of stock music and footage
• Intellectual property issues
• Hands-on learning during a documentary shoot
• Strategies and techniques for getting the good interview
• The delicate balance between the technical and soft side of the interview process
• Overcoming the biggest hurdle every project faces
• Examples of editing interview footage, graphics, music and b-roll
Students will have the opportunity to share any footage they have, workshop documentary concepts, work with production equipment, conduct an interview and participate in an editing session.
Creating a Dynamic Documentary Trailer
Instructors: Matt Ehling & Emily Goldberg
1 session: Saturday, June 14, 1–5pm
Reg. deadline: June 7
Tuition: $90/$65 members
Max. enrollment: 10 students
The course will cover the principles of editing documentary sample reels for fund raising and grant applications. Topics include sample reel structure, how to deliver effective, compelling stories in a short format, and how to create written fundraising materials that integrate with video samples. Instructors will also discuss using the sample reel as the first step in the editing process of the full documentary, allowing you to evaluate the material you have collected and further hone your story and concept. Students are encouraged to bring raw footage (on MiniDV, DVCAM, BetaSP or VHS) for evaluation and discussion.
Digital Storytelling for Women
Instructor: Rachel Raimist
2 sessions: Saturdays, June 14 & 28, 9am–6pm
Reg. deadline: June 7
Tuition: $235/$195 members
Max. enrollment: 4 students
Storytelling is a tool for preserving memory and history, learning, entertainment and healing. It is in the telling of our stories that we discover our connections with others and the world. Our stories reveal truths about ourselves and our community; they reflect our experiences and point of view. We are the stories that we tell.
This workshop gives women the tools to tell their stories using digital media (video, still images, sound and artwork) edited on a computer. Students will individually produce a short video (5 minutes and under). Through the process we’ll examine modes and power dimensions of storytelling, and topics like truth, authenticity and responsibility. This class is perfect for women who are creative writers, filmmakers, photographers, visual artists or creative thinkers.
This is a hands-on, Mac-based computer intensive workshop. Students do not need to know how to use particular editing software but do need be comfortable using computers. There will be a lunch break each session.
The Logistics of Conducting Auditions
Instructor: Lorie Marsh
1 session: Saturday, May 3, 10am–5pm
Reg. deadline: April 26
Tuition: $145/$110 members
Max. enrollment: 20 students
You have the script. You know what camera you’re going to use. You’ve exhaustively story boarded your script and devised your shot list. Fantastic! Now, how about actors? For this film, casting only your game and wonderful friends and family members isn’t going to cut it. You need real actors to breathe life into your characters. How do you get the word out to them about your project and auditions? Where can you conduct casting? How much will it all cost? How do you audition actors? Should they prepare monologues or plan to do “cold readings” from your script? Should it be an open call or scheduled appointments? What about auditioning children? Who do you need with you to help you?
This course will address these questions and more, and provide you with multiple handouts of sample audition materials: cast breakdown sheets, press releases, sign-in sheets, examples of good and poor audition scenes, etc. We’ll also discuss audition and acting etiquette and ways to give direction during auditions, with some role-playing to follow. There will be a lunch break.
Writing the Business Plan for Your Indie Feature
Instructor Lorie Marsh
1 session: Saturday, June 7, 10am–5pm
2 optional practicum sessions: Sat., June 14 & 28, 10am–5pm
Tuition: June 7 workshop only: $145/$110 members
Workshop plus 2 practicum sessions: $235/$195 members
Reg. deadline: May 31
Max. enrollment: 6 students
This class is for the writer, director and/or producer who is ready to look at his/her script for its funding and business prospects. Producing an independent feature film necessitates a commitment of several years, at a minimum. And, since so many people will work on it in good faith, and your prospective investors will expect your project to meet its goals, you need to have a good idea of your likely destination(s) before you get in the car, so to speak. Films are one of the riskiest investment vehicles there are. You need to demonstrate with your plan that you’re knowledgeable about your film’s prospects and sufficiently prepared to make the best attempt at its success.
We’ll address in detail all the components of a business plan for an independent feature film: the plan’s purpose, your film’s audience, comparable titles, the current state of the market, distribution outlets, investment structures, risk statements, projected returns, budget top-sheets and appendices. We’ll also discuss fundraising strategies, targeting and soliciting prospective investors, and costs associated with selling and/or distributing your film. Finally, we’ll talk about where and how to gather research and background data. There will be a lunch break.
In the optional two practicum sessions, participants will work on drafting business plans specific to their own scripts, with guidance and feedback from the instructor.
Principles of Editing
Instructor: Christopher Mick
2 sessions: Saturday–Sunday, June 21–22, 10am–4pm
Reg. deadline: June 14
Tuition: $205/$175 members
Max. enrollment: 15 students
Why does 2001: A Space Odyssey have the greatest jump cut of all time? Why are “L” cuts a better option for your film than a straight cut? What is “fractured time” anyway? And can someone please explain “montage” to me? Many believe that editing is the singular aspect that makes film an art form distinct from any other. This two-day immersion into the world of editing will provide an invaluable resource for both beginning and continuing filmmakers. We’ll examine editing strategies from pre-production through post. The use of sound design, camera blocking and actor placement will be just a few of the approaches that will be analyzed and broken down. The class will explore editing approaches based on subject matter, psychological conditions, thematic elements and mood. We'll analyze specific films and directors for an understanding of a consistency of visual language and presentation. Students are encouraged to bring in their current or future project ideas to help them develop a successful editing strategy. There will be a lunch break each session.
AUDIO
Film Scoring for Filmmakers
Instructor: Brent Michael Davids
1 session: Saturday, May 17, 10am–2pm
Reg. deadline: May 10
Tuition: $120/$90 members
Max. enrollment: 20 students
Film Scoring for Filmmakers is an intensive workshop designed especially for producers, directors and editors, rather than musicians. Instruction includes decoding the basic film music vocabulary and film composer jargon, and a detailed examination of the basic types of film scoring. Instructor Brent Michael Davids (Stockbridge Mohican) is one of America's most celebrated American Indian composers, whose career spans thirty years with features on ABC, NBC, CBS, NPR, PBS and NAPT.
The workshop covers the four basic types of film scoring:
• Scoring the action—composing music that reflects the on-screen action
• Scoring the cuts—composing music that shifts with the film’s edits
• Underscoring the mood—composing the emotional subtext of a scene
• Underscoring against the action—composing contrary to the film action
Mr. Davids will show both good and poor examples of film clips for a comparison-contrast type of examination. This method provides a comprehensive overview that producers, directors and editors can truly benefit from, by seeing actual music scoring examples back-to-back, with commentary provided for each. Near the end of the workshop, a “spotting session” will be conducted with workshop participants by screening a film clip with the music removed; then together, participants will take a detailed look at the clip for scoring purposes. Participants will learn the basics of spotting a film for music and how to identify the musical shifts and changes within a film scene to accommodate the on-screen subject matter.
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