# Video Production Course Online (Self-Paced) Canonical URL: ## Overview Make professional video without a studio or an expensive cinema rig. You shoot with the smartphone you already own, the free Blackmagic Camera app, and an affordable scene kit, and you build real skill in planning a shoot, casting, working the camera manually, lighting, recording sound, framing and coverage, and directing. You will work across documentary, commercial, and narrative pieces, and you will also learn the paid local work videographers actually get hired for: live events, real estate video, and music videos. AI threads through the entire workflow, handling script breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, teleprompting, transcription, captions, and repurposing a piece for each platform. Instructors review every project and give you constructive feedback while you finish one polished video for your portfolio. ## What you'll learn - Break a finished script down into a shoot, producing shot lists, storyboards, schedules, budgets, and the other pre-production documents a crew works from. - Work a smartphone camera by hand, setting exposure, shutter, ISO, frame rate, white balance, focus, ND filters, and Log capture through the Blackmagic Camera app. - Compose shots that hold up and shoot coverage that cuts, using shot sizes, camera angles, movement, continuity, cutaways, and b-roll with intent. - Light a scene with three-point setups, daylight and available light, and modifiers, controlling contrast, shadow, and color temperature as you go. - Get clean professional audio from wireless lav and shotgun microphones through smart placement, monitoring, room control, and AI-assisted cleanup. - Direct talent and interviews, cut and deliver the finished piece, and put those skills to work on paid local jobs like live events, real estate listings, and music videos. ## Curriculum #### Module 1 · Story, Pre-Production & Releases - **Story and message:** hooks, narrative arc, and message-first planning, working from a finished script (documentary, commercial, or short narrative scene). - **Breakdown:** break the script into scenes, locations, cast, and gear needs. - **Shot lists and storyboards:** plan coverage shot by shot, using AI to draft shot lists and real storyboard frames. - **Releases and rights:** talent and location release forms, where you can legally shoot, and music-licensing and copyright basics. #### Module 2 · Casting - **Finding actors:** friends, classmates, Backstage, Actors Access, Craigslist, Facebook groups, and local theater programs looking for reel material. - **Auditions and self-tapes:** running simple in-person auditions or reviewing recorded submissions, and what to look for beyond line delivery. - **Directing in the room:** giving adjustments, reading adaptability, and keeping the environment relaxed. - **Chemistry and callbacks:** imagining actors together, pairing them in callbacks, and communicating your vision once the cast is set. - **Releases and agreements:** standard talent releases, union vs. non-union considerations, and what actors and crew expect before they step on set. #### Module 3 · Location Scouting - **Finding spaces:** starting with what you already have, plus platforms like Peerspace and outreach to local businesses for off-hours access. - **Sound assessment:** listening for traffic, HVAC, appliances, and background noise that competes with dialogue. - **Light, power, space, and consistency:** evaluating and controlling existing light, outlet access, room for camera and crew, and locking access for the full shoot. - **Releases and permits:** location release forms, permit requirements, noise ordinances, and liability basics. #### Module 4 · Budgeting - **Food and crew:** why feeding people matters, and how to think about compensating collaborators — in cash, food, or portfolio credit. - **Equipment costs:** buying, borrowing, or renting — factored into your plan before it becomes a surprise expense. - **Location, transportation, and delivery:** free spaces vs. hourly rentals, travel costs, storage and backup, and delivery from hard drives to streaming platforms. - **Financing a project:** self-funding, crowdfunding, investor pitches, production loans, and grants. #### Module 5 · The Phone as a Pro Camera - **Manual control, one app in depth:** shutter, ISO, aperture equivalents, frame rate, and white balance in the free Blackmagic Camera app. - **ND filters, the 180° shutter rule, and Log:** holding cinematic motion blur in daylight, and shooting flat/Log for more control in post. - **Lensing and movement:** focal length, depth of field, and steady, intentional moves — handheld, on a fluid-head tripod, and with a gimbal. - **Setup, rigging, and reliability:** the mic/light/ND kit on a phone cage, managing storage, battery, and heat on a long shoot — and the craft you'll add on a bigger camera. #### Module 6 · Composition & Coverage - **Composition:** rule of thirds, leading lines, headroom, and frame balance. - **Shot sizes and angles:** wides, mediums, close-ups, cutaways, height, Dutch, and POV. - **Coverage and continuity:** shooting enough angles, holding the 180-degree line, and capturing the b-roll that lets a scene cut together without gaps. #### Module 7 · Lighting Fundamentals - **How light behaves:** the inverse square law, hard vs. soft light, modifiers, and light sources from LED to practicals. - **Three-point lighting:** key, fill, and back light, and how each shapes the subject. - **Natural and available light:** mixing window and practical light with your kit, plus simple modifiers and bounce. - **Mood and problem-solving:** shaping shadows, controlling contrast and color temperature, exposure tools, and fixing color casts. #### Module 8 · Audio: Capture, Monitoring & AI Cleanup - **A real mic system:** a wireless lav (or two) for dialogue and a shotgun mic for scene coverage. - **Placement and levels:** mic distance and positioning, setting gain, and avoiding clipping for close, clean dialogue. - **Monitoring and room:** monitoring on headphones so you never record blind, plus controlling echo and noise and recording room tone. - **AI audio cleanup:** rescuing takes with Adobe Enhance Speech, Descript Studio Sound, or Krisp — and the limits of what cleanup can fix. #### Module 9 · Interviews & On-Camera Production - **Interview setup:** clean backgrounds, lighting and framing an interview subject, two-camera and single-camera setups, eyelines, and question flow. - **Directing talent:** getting natural performances from non-actors and clean, usable answers. - **On-camera presenting:** delivery to camera, plus an AI teleprompter to stay on script. - **Continuity and pickups:** matching takes and capturing the pickup shots that save the edit. #### Module 10 · Production Workflow, Assembly & Delivery - **File management:** ingest, naming, folder structure, and reliable backups. - **Assemble one scene from your coverage:** the test that reveals coverage gaps, crossed eyelines, and missing cutaways while you can still reshoot. - **Light assembly, color, sound, and captions:** a clean cut, basic color correction, an audio mix, titles and lower thirds, and AI captions in DaVinci Resolve or CapCut. - **Export, archive, and client review:** platform export presets, archiving projects you can reopen years later, and a professional review-and-revision workflow. #### Module 11 · Crew Roles & Responsibilities - **Above the line:** executive producers, producers, line producers, showrunners, directors, and writers — and how creative and money decisions get negotiated. - **On set:** the camera and lighting departments, sound, art and wardrobe, and the AD department that keeps a set running on time. - **Post-production roles:** editors, colorists, sound designers, foley artists, composers, and the post supervisor. - **You are the crew:** mapping every role to the skills you've built, how crews scale as budgets grow, and which role to hire first (it's sound). #### Module 12 · Expanding Your Services: Live Events, Real Estate & Music Videos - **The working videographer:** finding local clients, pricing (day rate vs. per-deliverable), simple proposals, and managing scope. - **Live events:** planning from a run-of-show, multicam coverage with no second takes, clean audio from the sound board, and highlight-plus-program deliverables. - **Real estate:** the stabilized walkthrough, wide framing, exposure against bright windows, and a repeatable listing package with fast turnaround. - **Music videos:** the treatment, playback and sync on set, full-song performance coverage across setups, and cutting to the track. - **Packaging client work:** deliverables per gig, one-page agreements, testimonials and referrals, and a portfolio that wins the next job. #### Module 13 · Content for Digital Platforms - **The platform landscape:** how content-sharing platforms evolved, the major players today, and which platforms reach which audiences. - **Format and aspect ratio:** horizontal, vertical, and square, and framing to support all three from one shoot. - **Platform craft and professionalism:** hooks, pacing, captions-on viewing, thumbnail-friendly framing, and why Vimeo signals a different audience than YouTube or TikTok. #### Module 14 · AI in the Workflow & Responsible Use - **AI foundations:** a brief history of AI, the difference between large language models and generative image and video models, and choosing the right tool for each stage. - **Plan and produce with AI:** script development, shot planning and storyboard frames, plus the AI teleprompter on set. - **Post, repurpose, and generate:** transcription and captions, one-to-many platform cuts with AI-drafted titles and chapters, and generative b-roll — with a clear-eyed view of where that line sits. - **Use AI responsibly:** AI-content disclosure and labeling (YouTube, Meta, TikTok, C2PA), caption accuracy for accessibility (ADA / WCAG), and verifying AI-drafted facts before you publish. ## FAQ ### Is this course open to beginners? Yes. The course expects no prior video experience at all. It starts with story and planning and builds each craft from the ground up. You need a smartphone (iPhone or Android) and enough comfort with apps to install one and use it. ### What kit do I need to buy? The camera is the smartphone you already own, paired with the free Blackmagic Camera app. For real scene work we recommend an affordable kit: a wireless lav mic system, a shotgun mic, a three-light LED kit, a clip-on ND filter, and a fluid-head tripod. You can start with nothing more than a single clip-on lav and good window light. ### Is this a video editing course? No, and that is a deliberate choice. This is a shooting course. You will do light assembly, captions, and platform exports in a free editor such as DaVinci Resolve or CapCut, which is plenty to deliver finished work. For deep editing and motion graphics, we send you to the dedicated AI for Video & Motion Graphics course. ### Is the whole course online? Yes. No studio, no rental kit, and nothing in person. It is self-paced and instructor-guided at the same time: every lesson opens with a short instructor video, and instructors review your projects and give constructive feedback throughout. ### Will these skills work on a real camera? Yes, which is how the course was designed. The fundamentals of exposure, lensing, lighting, composition, and audio apply to any camera. The camera-specific craft you add later, such as true shallow depth of field, interchangeable lenses, and focus pulling, is named along the way, so nothing surprises you when you move up to a mirrorless or cinema camera. ### What do I end up with? A polished, portfolio-ready video, which is the credential that counts in this field. Alongside it you get a Certificate of Completion you can share on LinkedIn and a 45-document sample library spanning six complete productions that you can reuse on your own shoots. ### Can I get paid for this work? Module 12 is built around exactly that. You will learn the three gigs working videographers really get hired for, which are live events, real estate listings, and music videos, together with pricing, proposals, one-page agreements, and how to package the work so it wins you the next job. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $2995