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CLASS 310: Filmmaking 101: Boot camp for filmmakers
Spring Quarter 2012

This class meets on Saturday afternoons, so it has free parking
When: Saturdays, 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m., April 21-May 12 (four meetings)
Course fee (tuition): General Public: $150
UW Students with current ID: $145
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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Want to learn the basics of filmmaking, but not ready to spend $30,000 for film school? This class will teach you what you need to know, at a tuition you can afford. You'll learn how movies are made (the three stages of production, and what needs to be done during each stage); the differences between standard and high def camcorders, consumer, prosumer and pro models, and how to find a camcorder that has the features you need, at a price you can afford; all about camera angles, including closeups, medium shots, and how to use them to tell your stories; how to record high quality audio, and avoid common audio problems; how to get your movies into film festivals; and more.

To visit the instructor's IMDB (professional film credits) page, click here

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Nils Osmar has made his living in the arts since the 1980s, and has taught both accredited and non-accredited classes in Seattle for over twenty years, through the University of Washington's ASUW Experimental College, Antioch University's Heritage Institute, Shoreline Community College, the Wonder School, and Classesandworkshops.com. He began making movies in 2001. He has taught filmmaking classes in Seattle since 2003. His films have played at major international film festivals. Nils Osmar home page - Nils Osmar's movies

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
1) Is Filmmaking 101 a hands-on class, or is it lecture/discussion?
Answer: It's both. The lectures cover the fundamentals you need to know to go out and start making movies. The hands-on exercises (some in-class, some in the form of homework exercises between class sessions) give you practical experience applying what we're learning in class.

2) What's the difference between this class and your other film class, Let's make a movie?
Answer: In Filmmaking 101, you learn how to make movies. It's an information-based class, aimed at giving you the key basic information you need to start going out and making your own films. (A large number of the students who take Filmmaking 101, actually go out and make their own movies, and have gotten them into some major film festivals).

In Let's make a movie, we jump in right from the first class meeting and start filming one. The students choose a script, cast it, and actually film it. (And students can act in the movie if they want to.) Because we're racing the clock to finish filming it by the end of the quarter, there's no time to sit around chatting about things like types of camcorders, all of the different lighting setups, types of microphones, types of contracts and release forms, types of camera angles and their uses, etc. So we started the Filmmaking 101 class to give us a place to cover all of those things.

If your goal is to make your own movies, and have them turn out well enough that you can submit them to film festivals, you should take both classes. Taken together (either the same quarter, or in subsequent quarters) they'll give you both theory you need to make high qualitym ovies, and a chance to apply it working on an actual film.

STUDENT COMMENTS:
The instructor is professional and well organized and had patience for questions from beginners. I will recommend the class to my friends. - R.W., Seattle

I took your class and I finnnnnnnally know what a best boy is!! Plus a million other things I was wondering about. Thanks for all the fun and helpful info. - Megan R., Seattle

I took your advice about how to camcorder for "free" - it was a win-win situation - worked great! - Neil G.

I learned exactly what I have been wanting (and needing) to. - Chris L., Seattle

Thanks for showing us how to make a low budget movie look great. - H.T., Seattle

You took me from doing amateurish films to making the kind of movies I had been trying to. Thank you for all of your help. - Jerry W. Kent

... just to say thank you for the class Nils. I feel like I'm on track now to make more professional movies and actually start getting them into film festivals. - Alan D., Bellevue

Watch the instructor's movies online

Classes starting soon:

ACTING CLASSES
CLASS 110: Beginning Acting
CLASS 300: Let's Make a Movie
CLASS 120: Actors workshop: Auditioning

ART CLASSES
CLASS 210: Drawing for Absolute Beginners
CLASS 220: Figure Drawing
CLASS 225: Drawing clothing and drapery
CLASS 230: Drawing Faces and Portraits
CLASS 240: Perspective drawing for artists
CLASS 250: Acrylic Painting for Beginners
CLASS 270: Cartooning for fun and profit
CLASS 290: Drawing in pen, brush & ink
CLASS 295: Exploring charcoal

FILM AND VIDEO CLASSES
CLASS 300: Let's Make a Movie
CLASS 310: Filmmaking 101
CLASS 320: Documentary Filmmaking
CLASS 550: Start writing your screenplay

SOFTWARE CLASSES: PHOTOSHOP
CLASS 400: Photoshop for Beginners

WRITING CLASSES
CLASS 510: Writing fiction & short stories
CLASS 550: Start writing your screenplay