Top 10 Online Film Courses & Masterclasses In 2022
There is no right or wrong way to be stranded at home. While some people may seek distraction and escape by viewing movies and television shows, others may prefer to use this time to further their personal development.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of excellent courses and resources available on the internet for people wishing to hone current talents, create new ones, or simply learn something new for the sake of learning. Furthermore, many professional sites have been gracious enough to offer their content free in light of the present COVID-19 problem.
Here's a selection of creative courses and platforms for cinephiles and filmmakers to make the most of their tight downtime, from professional masterclasses to live lectures to structured workshops.
YouTube Channel CrashCourse’s Film Series
CrashCourse, a YouTube channel, takes you on a quick tour of a variety of topics ranging from philosophy to psychology through a series of short, entertaining films. Despite their briefness, they provide a thorough review of a wide range of topics and manage to cover a lot in manageable bite-sized bits. Personally, I think their film history, film criticism, and film production programmes are excellent. Check out MIT's free video lecture series on cinema history for a more in-depth, scholarly experience.
The Sundance Institutes Free Filmmaking Masterclasses
The Sundance Institute, which hosts one of the world's most prominent film festivals, provides a variety of online filmmaking workshops on topics ranging from Documentary Filmmaking to Web Series Production. Each masterclass is a three-hour video that is led by industry experts. The institute has graciously offered to make all masterclasses free in light of the current COVID 19 dilemma. All you have to do is create an account on the website. You can also look through their extensive video library for shorter tutorials on everything from casting to character creation.
Filmmaker Satyanshu Singh’s Cinema Lectures For Charity
Satyanshu Singh, a National Award-winning filmmaker and professor of cinema best known for founding the AIB First Draft screenwriting school, is hosting a series of online film lectures to help those affected by the present crisis. To participate, all you have to do is enrol and donate to one of his shortlisted charitable funds.
The interactive online lessons are held on Zoom to a group of up to 60 students, and he presently holds up to five each week on topics including writing dialogue and film directing. To be added to the mailing list, all you have to do is fill out this Google form. You may also find out about his upcoming courses by following him on Twitter.
Mark Cousin’s 40 Days To Learn Film
Mark Cousins, a film historian and director, has posted a two-and-a-half-hour lecture titled 40 Days To Learn Film to assist budding filmmakers and cinephiles. You can view it on Vimeo, and it's more of a visual-essay style lecture than a conventional film course.
Coursera
Coursera, one of the world's most popular online course systems, is best known for its partnerships with top educational institutions. They also provide a variety of online degree programmes and certificates from prestigious universities. While many courses are available for free, you will need to pay if you want to get certification. Why not take one of their intriguing free courses, such as Modern Art and Ideas at the Museum of Modern Art or Writing A Feature Length Script For Film at Michigan State University?
edX
edX, which was founded by Harvard and MIT, is another platform that offers courses and online degrees from major colleges. Many are free, but if you want certification and access to graded assignments, you'll have to pay. The University of Hong Kong's Hong Kong Cinema through a Global Lens, The Smithsonian's The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture, and The University of Pennsylvania's History of Hollywood are among the free film courses that attracted my eye.
FutureLearn
FutureLearn is another excellent resource that offers a wide range of premium and free online degrees and courses from prestigious universities across the world. Introduction To Screenwriting from the University of East Anglia and Connecting Films With Audiences from the Film Distributors' Association both look promising and are also free.
The Open University
The Open University, one of the UK's most prestigious online universities, includes a free part called Open Learn that offers a diverse choice of courses across disciplines. Why not enrol in Pinewood Studios' 12-hour The Business Of Film course, which covers the fundamentals of film production and financing? All you have to do now is create an account.
MZed
MZed, an online platform for filmmakers and creative professionals, has made a number of their video tutorials and masterclasses available for free; all you have to do is register. From movie sound to script writing to a range of cinematography courses, there's something for everyone.
The Hurlbut Academy’s Cinematography Masterclass
The Hurlbut Academy has made their entire cinematography masterclass The Illumination Experience online for free, with over 5 hours of video lectures on everything from blocking to the many types of lighting.