FilmSkills

FilmSkills is an online filmmaking school for aspiring and working filmmakers who want to learn how professional film and television productions are made. Its homepage describes "professional online filmmaking courses developed by Academy Award and Emmy-winning filmmakers," and promises to teach "the complete workflow used on professional productions," from development and directing to cinematography, sound and post-production. The homepage pitches it as film school without the debt, saying FilmSkills delivers "the knowledge of a four-year film education for less than the cost of a single semester."

The founder is Jason J. Tomaric, whom the About the Founder page describes as "an Emmy, Telly, and CINE Award-winning director and cinematographer" of internationally distributed feature films, dozens of national commercials and music videos, and the author of 8 books. That page says he launched FilmSkills in 2010, combining a large film training video library "with his proprietary learning management system," and that it was "Adopted by 47 universities within the first year." The homepage says FilmSkills is "Used by over 125 film schools and film commissions."

What a student gets

The curriculum is large. The homepage lists "330+ Comprehensive Lessons" and "150 Hours of On-Set Video Tutorials" shot on Hollywood sets, "Chapterized for easy access." Alongside the videos come "Hundreds of Illustrated Articles" with behind-the-scenes photos, hundreds of DIY projects and exercises ("Whether you are working with an iPhone or Alexa"), and "Hundreds of Downloadable Resources," including real documents from TV and movie sets plus blank templates for a student's own productions. Learning is self-guided: "Engaging videos, illustrated lessons, and quizzes let you learn online anytime and anywhere you want."

The homepage lists the subject areas, from film industry career skills, story development and screenwriting to producing, scheduling and budgeting, casting, production design, directing, shot lists, cinematography, lighting, grip and rigging, safety, on-set audio, locations, documentary filmmaking, editing, sound design, music licensing, and marketing and distribution.

The lessons page shows the depth inside each area:

• Career Skills covers the realities of the industry, working freelance, moving to and living in Los Angeles, getting a first job, networking and making money in Hollywood.
• Screenwriting follows a feature screenplay from idea to green light: marketable ideas, the 7 plot types, three-act structure (a 39-minute lesson), protagonists, antagonists and dialogue, treatments, formatting, rewrites, and marketing a script to agents and managers. A section teaches Final Draft software, and FilmTalks cover television writing and comedy.
• Producing covers the studio system, business plans, packaging, forming a production company, raising money, tax incentives, hiring crew, unions and guilds, SAG-AFTRA and production insurance.
• Scheduling and Budgeting walks through script breakdowns, shooting schedules, call sheets and budgets.
• Crew Positions is a 23-part series on below-the-line departments, from assistant directors and script supervisors to camera, electric, grip and art departments.
• Cinematography spans focus, focal length, f-stops and T-stops, shutter, frame rates, sensors and ISO, exposure tools, depth of field and green screen.
• Lighting moves from tungsten, HMI, Kino-Flo and LED fixtures to soft light, shaping and reducing light, color temperature, three-point lighting and a 9-part on-location series of kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms by day and night.
• Directing covers prep, shot lists, coverage, storyboards, continuity, casting, auditions and directing actors and extras.
• Production on Location, Production Life, Audio Recording and Documentary Filmmaking round out the set work, from film permits and set etiquette to boom operating, lavalier mics and documentary interviews.

Lesson lengths are printed next to many titles, such as 7:10 for LED Lighting and 43:01 for How to Become a Hollywood Writer.

The site keeps adding material. Recent additions named on the homepage include new producing and development lessons, a 10-lesson series on cinematic composition, and an all-new Safety Training program that, the site says, "integrates OSHA standards with on-set safety requirements to meet California IATSE guidelines." It adds that "FilmSkills Unlimited members receive these updates for free… for life!"

The instructors

The homepage says students learn "from over 150 Hollywood filmmakers, who have been honored with over 70 Academy Award and Emmy wins or nominations," and the instructors page says they have won or been nominated for awards including Academy Awards, Emmys, BAFTAs, SAG Awards and a Peabody Award. Named instructors include Rob Bowman, who directed The X-Files movie and was executive producer of Castle; Josh McLaglen, producer of Avatar and first assistant director on Titanic; two-time Emmy-winning director Mary Lou Belli; Academy Award-winning cinematographer David Stump, ASC; Jeff Ulin, former head of worldwide distribution for LucasFilm; Steve Skrovan, Emmy-winning executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond; Andrew Davis, director of The Fugitive; and Bethany Rooney, credited with over 150 episodes of prime-time network shows. MovieMaker Magazine is quoted on the homepage: "You know you're in reliable hands because the experts imparting their wisdom are actually industry professionals."

Courses, access and free training

FilmSkills sells its lessons as courses, with each lesson group listing the courses it belongs to, and also offers a FilmSkills Unlimited option. The site's menu also lists online certification courses and reference books, including the second edition of a cinematography textbook. The homepage describes "flexible professional online filmmaking courses designed for every interest level and budget." No prices appear on these pages.

There is plenty to try first. The free training page streams previews and full lessons, such as How to Shoot a Scene, How to Shoot Green Screen and How to Use a Microphone Boom. A free 1-hour course, sent by email after registration, teaches "10 techniques to make your content more professional," plus how to build a career and make money in what the site calls a "$14 billion/year industry." Support is by email.

FilmSkills Academic

For schools and organizations there is FilmSkills Academic. The site addresses it to "a film educator, film commission, studio, or production company" and says they can "Build your own branded online training academy to deliver FilmSkills training to your learners."

Who it suits

FilmSkills suits people who want to understand filmmaking as the industry practices it: film students, self-taught filmmakers, and crew members moving into a new department. Its breadth suits someone who wants the whole process in one place, from screenplay and financing through lighting and sound to distribution. Testimonials on the homepage stress the practical angle; one viewer writes, "Really appreciated the details. This wasn't about a name brand type of light or piece of equipment but meat and potatoes filmmaking." Educators who want to run their own film training program have FilmSkills Academic.