Video Production Course Online (Self-Paced)

Course syllabus

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.