Full-Time Study

2 Months Cinematography Course

Our intensive 2 month cinematography course is designed to give you a hands-on experience and overall introduction to the craft of filmmaking. The course is suitable for applicants with little or no experience, as well as for those who wish to learn how to operate on high-end filmmaking equipment (this course covers Blackmagic and RED cameras). The main focus of this intensive course is cinematography, however, screenwriting, directing, editing and sound are as well covered.

Tutors of Prague Film Institute will lead you from story idea to finished film. Each student will present their idea for a short film during pitching and the best prepared projects will be shot during the course with the involvement of all students. The course will be taught in English in small group between 10-15 people.

our value proposition

course highlights

Datově zdroj 47

High-end Equipment

Cinematography lessons will be taught in a fully equipped industry professional rental house located on school premises. You will get in touch with the most popular cinema cameras such as Red Monstro, Alexa Amira or Sony f55.

Datově zdroj 40

Pitching to Industry Professionals

At the end of the course you will screen your film in a public cinema and get evaluated by a panel of industry professionals. It will give you a chance to get connected and ignite your career in the filmmaking industry. 

Datově zdroj 70

Specialized Lessons

The course offers specialized lessons such as Shooting on film stock, Drone Cinematography and Action Scenes shooting, which will give you a unique opportunity to enhance your portfolio.

what will you learn?

Cinematography - Camera

  • Principles of Camera & Lens
  • Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Filmmaking Equipment
  • Roles in Camera Department
  • Combining Equipment

Cinematography - Lighting

  • Working Principle of Different Types of Lights
  • Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Lighting Equipment
  • Safety Protocol and Responsibilities of Lighting Team

Sound Recording

  • Introduction to Sound Equipment
  • Recording at Exteriors
  • Recording in Interiors
  • Dialogue Recording
  • Action Scene Recording
  • Recording Folley
  • Location Mixers

Basics of Filmmaking

  • Directing
  • Editing

Shooting on Film Stock

  • The history and evolution of film
  • Making good technical choices
  • Proper handling of the materials
  • Experiment with various shooting conditions 
  • Why shoot on film stock? 
  • Post-production workflow and results

Action Scenes Shooting

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

Drone Cinematography

Shooting of Film

  • Shot-lists
  • Production of  final short film (shoot your own film or to be in the crew for 2-3 films of your classmates)

Specialized Lessons

Drone

Drone Cinematography

Drone operation lessons are included in the course. Get the best ariel shots for your film.

Arri film camera

Film Stock

Gain appreciation for the origins of filmmaking by shooting on 16mm Kodak film stock with industry-standard cameras, Arri and Aaton. 

Realistic special effects

Action Scene Shooting

Learn action scenes shooting and stunt coordination from the president of Czech Stunt and Fighters Association.

program details

What To Bring?

To get the most out of the program, we recommend that all students bring:

  • Portable external drive (minimum 2 TB)
    To safely store and back up your film projects, you’ll need a portable drive with at least 2 TB of storage capacity.
  • Laptop for editing and independent work

    You’ll be doing a lot of post-production on your own device. Your laptop should ideally meet or exceed the following specifications:

    • CPU: Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7, M1 (minimum)
      Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9, M2, M3 (recommended)
    • RAM: 16 GB (minimum) / 32 GB+ (recommended)
    • GPU: 6 GB VRAM (minimum) / 8 GB+ VRAM (recommended)
    • Media storage: SSD or RAID (minimum) / SSD, Direct Attached RAID or NAD RAID (10 GbE) (recommended)

    If needed, you’ll also have access to the school’s computers and software.

  • Final film budget (approx. 2–5 000 CZK)
    As part of our hands-on approach, students are expected to fund their own film projects. We provide filmmaking equipment and a transportation van, but all other production costs are your responsibility. Choose or write scripts that match your available resources — being creative on a budget is part of the learning.
  • Personal liability insurance (approx. 1 600 CZK)
    To protect you in case you accidentally damage equipment or property during your studies, the school will arrange a personal liability insurance policy on your behalf. The approximate cost is 1 600 CZK per year, which should be brought in cash at the course of the program. 

  • Security deposit (5 000 CZK)
    All students are required to bring a refundable security deposit of 5 000 CZK. This amount will be held by the school throughout the duration of the program and may be used to cover intentional or negligent damage not covered by liability insurance, fines for breaking school rules, damage to school property, equipment misuse, parking violations or similar incidents. The deposit acts as an additional layer of responsibility and is fully refundable at the end of your studies, minus any deductions if applicable. 

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
  • Prague Film Institute Certificate 
  • 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
  • Discounts at our industry partners

Not Included

  • Air fare
  • Visa fee & health insurance
  • Living expenses (housing, food, transportation)
  • Production cost for your film (such as locations, props, 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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