1 Year Filmmaking Course

Production Specialisation

Prague Film Institute > Production Specialisation
learn from film masters

1 Year Production Course

Our 1 Year Production 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 all you need to know to produce festival-worthy films of high production value. It includes internship on a film set and production management of up to 40 short final films shot on high-quality filmmaking equipment (RED cameras, Alexa Amira or Sony F55). You will be required to learn all the basics of 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. You will be required to learn all the basics of 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 production specialisation is given mostly during practical workshops and shootings.

You will internship on a film set and learn all you need to know to produce high-production value films.

COURSE FEATURES

Type: Hands-On Training

Dates:
5 Feb 2024 – 5 Jan 2025
Only for EU applicants: 4 Sep 2023 – 30 Jun 2024

Application Deadline:
30 Sep 2023
Only for EU applicants: 15 Aug 2023

Timetable: Mon – Fri (9AM – 5PM) 

Qualification: BTEC Level 4 HNC in Creative Media Industry (Film)

Study Mode: Full Time

Tuition: see Price List

Language: English

Students: Small Group (10-15 people)

our value proposition

course highlights

Create a Competitive CV/Portfolio

At the end of the course you will be a production manager of up to 40 short films of different styles which can give you a competitive edge while searching for work in the filmmaking industry

Produce Festival-worthy Films

Develop the production of festival-worthy films, shot with cinema cameras such as Red Gemini, Alexa Amira or Sony F55, from the script breakdown till completed film. Explore industry standard softwares and tools, i.e. Movie Magic.

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

Your main focus during the academic year will be to produce festival-worthy final films in cooperation with your classmates shot on the professional filmmaking equipment at the value of more than 90 000 USD. During the study you will invest most of the time developing films, which will have higher production value compared to average school films. Through guidance of your tutors, you will prepare your films on the same level as a professional film production.

what you will study

film 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. You will manage all departments of the film projects from script breakdown to screening of the film and organise all necessary aspects of filmmaking. At the end of the semester you will get a credit as production manager by organising projects by professional film industry standards. The curriculum of the 1 Year Cinematography Course is identical to the first year of the 2 Years Filmmaking Degree Course.

Film Crew: Roles and Responsibilities

Line Producing

Business of Film

Film Financing

Project Planning

Location Management

Business Development

Line Producing

Master Classes

Learn directly from professionals from the film industry by listening to their personal experiences as filmmakers.

Consultations with Teachers

You will have consultations with your teachers in order to get best possible guidance for your final film.

Project Development

Production Management of Festival-worthy Films

You will produce festival-worthy final films of your classmates in which you will go through all the phases of the film production as follows.

  • Location Scouting
  • Casting
  • Production Design
  • Cooperation with Director
  • Cooperation with Cinematographer
  • Shooting on the Film Set
  • Editing in Software DaVinci Resolve
  • Color Grading in Software DaVinci Resolve

Talent Management

Marketing & Distribution

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

Drone Cinematography

Cinematography

Post-production

  • 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
  • Consultations with Teachers for the Final Film

Action Scenes

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

Czech Language Course

Underwater Filmmaking

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

qualification

After finishing 1 Year Filmmaking Course with production specialisation, you will receive qualification BTEC Level 4 HNC in Film. You can decide to start working in the film industry or continue your studies to the second year.

coure details

Entry Requirements
What to Bring?
What’s Included
Not Included

Entry Requirements

AgeMinimum age to enter the course is 18 years.
EducationNo prior filmmaking experience is required.
EnglishCommunicative level.
DocumentsCopy of passport, curriculum vitae (CV), example of creative work / motivational letter.

What to Bring

We recommend that all new Prague Film Institute students purchase their own personal laptops 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. 

ComponentMinimum RequirementRecommended Requirement
CPUIntel COre i7 or AMD Ryzen 7Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9
RAM16 GB32 GB+
GPU4 GB VRAM8 GB+ VRAM
Media StorageSSD or RAIDSSD, Direct Attached RAID or NAD RAID (10 GbE)

What is Included

We understand that by choosing to study with us you are making a big financial commitment. The tuition fee of this course is 20  250 USD. We want to make sure you understand exactly what your tuition fee will cover when you decide to become a Prague Film Institute student.

  • Production of several films of high production value
  • Internship on a film set 
  • Lectures, workshops & master classes
  • BTEC Level 4 HNC in Creative Media Industry (Pathway Film)
  • Field trips to industry partners
  • Access to editing room
  • Teaching materials
  • Showreel
  • Filmmaking equipment 
  • Discounts at our industry partners
    • 50% discount in Fundus of Barrandov Studios
    • up to 2 000 USD free rental of weapons & props at Three Brothers production company 
    • up to 70% discount of filmmaking equipment at LS Lumination Pictures

What is Not Included

  • Air fare
  • Visa fee & health insurance
  • Living expenses (housing, food, transportation)

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

 

about us

our facilities

Our film school is situated in a building with award-winning directors, film equipment rental-house and professional post-production facilities. You will be surrounded by film professionals and have a chance to peek in the production workflow of the real film industry.

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