1 Year Filmmaking Course

Postproduction Specialisation

Our 1 Year Postproduction Course is hands-on, full-time, suitable also for beginners with no experience and taught on our campus in Prague, the Czech Republic. The program ends with qualification BTEC Level 4 HNC in Creative Media Production (Film) which is equivalent to the first year of bachelor’s study. This study program consists of two semesters and will teach you essentials of professional filmmaking and post-production techniques. It includes internship on a film set, every week post-production practising on short films as well as editing up to 20 festival-worthy films shot on high-quality equipment (RED Gemini, RED Dragon, Alexa Amira or Sony F55) by our classmates. You will be required to learn general filmmaking to make you understand the entire process from pre-production to post-production, which is crucial for kick starting your career in the film industry. The emphasis on post-production specialisation is given mostly during practical workshops and shootings.

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Requirements

Price List

our value proposition

course highlights

Up to 20 short films

During the course, you will practice your editing skills on up to 20 short films or scenes of different styles, create industry- standard showreel and present it to the panel of film professionals in a public cinema.

Be Mentored by Film Practicioners

Small class sizes means more time with tutors and individual guidance on your projects. Our teachers are actively involved in the film industry and can offer tips on the latest trends in filmmaking.

Edit Festival-worthy Films

You will edit your own 2 festival-worthy films shot on the most popular cinema cameras such as Red Gemini, Alexa Amira or Sony F55. For postproduction you will be using software Da Vinci Resolve.

Internship on a Film Set

You will get a chance to take part in filmmaking internship on a professional film set. The internship will grow your network of all-important contacts and set yourself apart in a very competitive career field.

festival-worthy films

During the study you will invest most of the time practising post-production on up to 20 short films. You will get access to our school post-production station. The films you will be working on will be shot on high-end filmmaking equipment at the value of more than 90 000 USD and with help of on-site located green screen and lighting studio. Through guidance of your tutors, you will practise post-production on the same level as a post-production studios.

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what you will study

post-production specialisation

Below you can see the basic topics which you will complete on the course. You will turn into practice all knowledge acquired in the classroom. During practical exercises, you will equip yourself with key skills needed to edit festival-worthy films of high production value and create your own industry-standard showreel. The curriculum of the 1 Year Post-production Course is identical to the first year of the 2 Years Filmmaking Degree Course.

Usage of Editing Techniques for Different Production Contexts
Terminology and Different Movie Parts
Types of Shots
Continuity Editing
Parallel Editing
Montage/Jump Cut
Emotional Curve of the Scene
Timing and Pace
Bridging Scenes with Music
Cut by Color and Contrast
Cutting Dialogues
Editing for Different Genres
Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve Software
Sound Post-production
Basics of Visual Effects
Masterclasses
Consultations with teachers
Practical Workshops

OTHER MANDATORY FILMMAKING MODULES

Directing

Basics of Mise-en-Scene Studies
Working with Cinematographers
Directing Actors
Film Theory
Basics of Film History
Mood Boards
Master Classes
Consultations with Teachers
Practical Workshops

Scriptwriting

Writing to Theme
Writing Characters
Utilizing the Story Framce
Dramatic Dialogue
Classic Narrative
Alternative Story Structures
Working with Genre
From Concept to Final Draft
Consultations with Tutors for the Final Film

Assistant Director

Movie Magic Software
Script Breakdown
Create Shooting Schedule According to Shot List
Call Sheets
Communication Between Departments
Problem Solving
Track Daily Progress Against Production Schedule

Color Grading

Data Management
Post-Production Workflow
DaVinci Resolve 1
Colour Theory
DaVinci Resolve 2
Practical Exercise

Production Design

Introduction to Production Design
Visualization Basics
Narrative and Décor
Shot Design, Style and Atmosphere
Mise-en-scene Project
Color Theory
Visual Language
Design Style
Props
Locations
Mood Boards
Story Boards
Set Design
Set Construction

Documentary Filmmaking

Research in Documentary Filmmaking
Still photos, footage newspapers, online articles
Letters, Journals, diaries
Archival Research
Government Documents
Production process
Observational Documentary
Character-Driven Documentary
Interview Style Documentary

Lighting

Features of Lighting in Cinematography in Creating a Visual language
Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Lighting Equipment
Presentation of Dailies/Rushes Demonstrating Different Approaches to Lighting

Cinematography

Principles of Camera and Lens Use in Cinematography
Basics of Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Cameras and Lenses
Roles & responsibilities in Camera Department
Combining Equipment
Compositional Theory of Cinematography
Consultations with Teachers for the Final Film

Drone Cinematography

Production

Film Crew: Roles and Responsibilities
Basics of Line Producing
Introduction to the Business of Film
Film Financing
Project Planning
Line Producing
Project Development
Location Management
Business Development
Talent Management
Marketing & Distribution

Action Scenes

Security of action scenes
Specifics of shooting preparation
Stunt coordination
Directing shooting
Editing
Special Effects (SFX)

Czech Language Course

We provide foreign students with lessons in the basics of the Czech language.

Underwater Filmmaking

Theory of Underwater Filmmaking
Underwater Filmmaking equipment
Shooting in a Swimming pool
Editing and Colorgrading of Underwater Footage

program details

What To Bring?

We recommend that all new Prague Film Institute students purchase their own:

Portable external drive with minimum storage 2 TB
Laptop for self guided learning and post-production practice. Our goal is to teach students how to use their own computer for high quality results. Make sure that you choose a laptop which meets the minimum recommended specification. However, for tasks which requires specialist software tools, you will be also allowed to use Prague Film Institute’s computer equipment.

Component	Minimum Requirement	Recommended Requirement
CPU	Intel COre i7 or AMD Ryzen 7	Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9
RAM	16 GB	32 GB+
GPU	4 GB VRAM	8 GB+ VRAM
Media Storage	SSD or RAID	SSD, Direct Attached RAID or NAD RAID (10 GbE)

Budget for your films – our school emphasizes the importance of practical learning by making films. Unlike standard classroom education, the cost of practical filmmaking can vary a lot depending on your script and the vision of the director and cinematographer. For teacher-led workshops the school will cover all or most production costs. However, for shooting of your own films you and your classmates must pay yourselves. As part of our curriculum we will teach you how to be resourceful when it comes to production expenses. Even with clever budgeting, we estimate that you will need approximately 5 – 10 000 CZK per semester for shooting your projects and on top of it a budget for your final films at the end of each semester. The school will provide for you a bundle of filmmaking equipment and a transportation van, but all other production costs will be your responsibility. We encourage you to plan carefully about the budget of your short film. Write or choose a script that matches the funds you have available to produce it.

What is Included

We understand that by choosing to study with us you are making a big financial commitment. We want to make sure you understand exactly what your tuition fee will cover when you decide to become a Prague Film Institute student.

Lectures, workshops & master classes
Teaching materials
Qualification BTEC HNC Level 4 in Creative Media Industry (Pathway Film)
Equipment (see more here)
- Industry standard cinema cameras & equipment
- Full editing suite with post-production software
- Individual licence to Premiere Pro/Da Vinci/AVID Pro Tool
- School car for student projects
Green-screen and cinema room on-site
Professional film internship for high-achieving students
Field trips to industry partners
Discounts at our industry partners

Not Included

Air fare
Visa fee & health insurance
Living expenses (housing, food, transportation)
Production cost for your films (such as locations, actors, fuel)

Hovewer Prague is still cheaper than many European cities. The capital offers very safe living environment with high rating in housing and healthcare.

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