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Semester Directing Course

Semester directing course is hands-on, full-time, suitable for beginners and taught in English on our campus in Prague, the Czech Republic. This study program will teach you the basics of directing and includes the directing of up to 20 short films as well as a high production value film at the end of the course. You will also be required to learn the basic principles of 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 directing specialisation is given mostly during practical classes.

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You will learn the basics of directing and direct your own high production value film.

our value proposition

course highlights

Film Shooting Every Week

During the course, you will practice your directing skills on up to 20 short films of different styles.

High Production Value Film

You will direct a high production value final film shot on the most popular cinema cameras such as Red Monstro, Alexa Amira or Sony F55.

Showreel

From all the materials shot you will make an industry-standard showreel and present it to the panel of film professionals in a public cinema.

High production value film

Your main focus during the semester will be to direct your final film at the end of the course. During the semester you will invest most of your free time developing your final film, which will have higher production value compared to average school films. Through guidance of your tutors, you will prepare your film on the same level as a professional film production. Your movie will be shot with the professional filmmaking equipment at the value of more than 90 000 USD.

what you will study

directing module

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 create your final film and industry-standard showreel. The curriculum of the Semester Directing Course is identical to the first semester of the 1 Year Filmmaking Program.

Basics of Mise-en-Scene Studies

Learn about everything that appears before the camera and the arrangement of composition, sets, props, actors and lighting.

Working with Cinematographers

Experience first hand the process of filmmaking as a director and closely collaborate with cinematographers through the entire process from pre production to post-production.

Principles of Directing Actors

Explore the processes on how to get the best possible performances from actors for your film.

Basics of Film Theory

Learn how to analyse films and get a deeper understanding of how to direct your own film.

Basics of Film History

Go through the basics of film history and understand how the pioneers of cinema created films.

Essentials of Mood Boards

Create your own style in order to differentiate yourself in the competitive environment of filmmaking.

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.

Practical Workshop

During the course you will be constantly improving your directing skills by directing up to 20 short films of different styles. You will be also allowed to use the video content for creating your high-quality showreel.

Directing of High Production Value Film

You will direct your own high production value final film in which you will go through all the phases of the film production from director’s point of view as follows:

Location Scouting
Casting
Production Design
Cooperation with Cinematographers
Directing on the Film Set
Post-production

OTHER FILMMAKING MODULES

Cinematography

Principles of Camera and Lens Use in Cinematography
Basics of Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Cameras and Lenses
Practical workshop with Students of Cinematography
Compositional Theory of Cinematography
Features of Lighting in Cinematography in Creating a Visual Language
Different Approaches to Lighting

Scriptwriting

From Concept to Final Draft

Production

Film Crew: Roles and Responsabilities
Introduction to the Business of Film
Basics of Line Producing
Project Planning
Pitching
Casting
Basics of Movie Magic Scheduling Software

Post-production

Usage of Editing Techniques for Different Production Contexts
Types of Shots
Emotional Curve of the Scene
Timing and Pace
Editing for Different Genres
Editing in Da Vinci Resolve Software
Color grading in Da Vinci Resolve Software
Postproduction of Sound

qualification

After finishing the Semester Directing Course, you can choose to continue to 1 Year Filmmaking Course and become eligible for the BTEC Level 4 HNC in Film.

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.

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)

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 11 200 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.

Lectures, workshops & master classes
Access to editing room
Teaching materials
Filmmaking equipment
High production value final film
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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