Lessons
Practical, no-jargon walk-throughs for getting into the craft. Real-world technique from working professionals, made for the next generation of filmmakers.
Lighting7
Lighting
Lighting a single subject
Three-point lighting for interviews, demystified
Lighting
Color temperature, white balance, and matching your lights
Why everything looks orange or blue when something is off
Lighting
Negative fill and shaping shadows
Why subtracting light is often more powerful than adding it
Lighting
Lighting for green screen
How to light chroma key so the keyer in post actually has a clean signal to work with
Lighting
Natural light cinematography
Working with the sun, sky, and what you find — without lighting kits
Lighting
Mixing practicals with cinema lights
Making in-frame lamps, windows, and sconces work in concert with your fixtures
Lighting
The grip department’s toolkit
Flags, nets, silks, and the geometry of shaping light
Camera & rigging5
Camera & rigging
Understanding depth of field
How to get the cinematic look — intentionally, not by accident
Camera & rigging
Building a camera rig that doesn’t fight you
Handheld, shoulder, and gimbal — what to build for what shoot
Camera & rigging
Multi-camera shooting
Matching color, syncing time, and managing the crew when you're running more than one camera
Camera & rigging
Camera movement: when each tool fits
Tripod, dolly, slider, jib, Steadicam, gimbal — what each does and the storytelling reason to choose one
Camera & rigging
Shooting log and color managed workflows
What log gamma actually is, why ACES exists, and the post pipeline that makes it all worth it
Lenses3
Lenses
A practical lens primer
Prime vs. zoom, focal length, T-stops, and what each one is actually for
Lenses
Anamorphic shooting
How 2x squeeze, oval bokeh, and lens flares add cinematic character — and what you give up to get them
Lenses
Lens character: bokeh, flare, breathing, and MTF
Why two 50mm lenses can produce wildly different images
Audio2
Post-production3
Post-production
Sound design for video
Layering dialogue, music, effects, and ambience into a mix that actually serves the story
Post-production
Color grading: primary, secondary, and your first LUT
A working approach to grading footage so it looks like a film, not a phone capture
Post-production
The DIT and data wrangler workflow
Card backup, color, and the safety net that keeps a shoot from disappearing
Business & freelance3
Business & freelance
Showcasing your work online
A reel that gets calls back, a portfolio site that works, and the basics of being findable
Business & freelance
Breaking into freelance
Rates, contracts, and finding your first paid gigs without losing your shirt
Business & freelance
Bidding a commercial job
How working freelancers and small production companies price, scope, and win paid work
On set5
On set
On-set etiquette and crew positions
The unwritten rules that mark you as someone worth hiring again
On set
Working with talent
Directing actors, hosts, and real people on camera — without being awkward about it
On set
Tools you’ll find on a real film set
An illustrated tour of the gear cart for newcomers
On set
Reading a script as a DP
Breaking down a scene into shots, beats, and visual decisions before a single light is hung
On set
Focus pulling: the craft of the 1st AC
What a focus puller actually does, and how to think about pulling like a pro