Film Production
Online Certificate Courses
Grow your skills. Gain experience in film production.
In our online certificate courses, you will get direct experience in film production and be challenged to bring your creative ideas to life.
We welcome enthusiasts, high school students, mature students, and anyone looking to make a career change. When you finish an online certificate course at Vancouver Film School, you will receive a digital certificate of completion confirming your experience.
Explore the certificate courses:
* Upon successful completion of this CONNECT course, the cost can be deducted from any full-time Advanced Production program tuition at VFS. Only one discount may be applied. Contact a VFS Advisor for eligibility.
**Students must confirm they are at least 16 years old at the beginning of the workshop in order to register.
***Please note that courses may be cancelled at any time due to low enrolment. Upon cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund.
To meet your industry instructor(s), click here.
If you have any questions, please contact: industryworkshops@vfs.com
Introduction to Cinematography (online)
Cinematography is the art and technique of camera and lighting in the making of a motion picture film. It involves technical concerns related to camera, lenses, and accessories, as well as various lighting instruments, in order to tell the story in visual terms. Good cinematography enhances storytelling and works hand-in-hand with other visual aspects of the film. In this seven-week course, you will explore the role cinematography plays in film, and you will delve into its fundamentals. By the end of this course, you will apply what you learned to enhance how you tell a simple story in a project of your own.
- Learn about the four factors that change the exposure of an image – light level, sensitivity, shutter speed, and aperture.
- Understand aspect ratios and appreciate the emotional and aesthetic impact of placement of a subject within a frame.
- Identify the different types of lenses and focal lengths.
- Expand your knowledge of composition to employ more advanced techniques to create mood and emotion.
- Understand the elements and properties of lighting, and apply these to create images that enhance the scene.
- Understand image resolution and how framerate and playback speed interact.
- Understand the role cinematography plays: an enhancement to the story, not a substitute or distraction.
- Be able to give and to take constructive criticism to better yourself as a filmmaker.
- Apply your knowledge by completing a simple story either as still frames or moving images.
- Computer, microphone, and camera (optional)
- Any video capturing device (cell phone or other)
- Not required but recommended: video editing software of your choice
- Stable Internet connection
Students are not required to have any previous training or experience.
Course Details:
Dates: May 8 to June 19, 2024
Duration: 7-week course, one online class per week
Time: Wednesdays, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. PST
Cost: $950
Introduction to Directing (online)
In this seven-week course, students will get a taste of some of the key roles and responsibilities of the working director. From script analysis to blocking actors and camera, you will learn to tell a story cinematically, using the camera and actors as your tools. Assignments will be reviewed during class and directors will receive feedback on the effectiveness of their approach from both instructor and peers.
- Understand the key roles and responsibilities of the working director.
- Learn how to tell a story cinematically, using the camera and actors as tools.
- Explore the relationship between the director and their team.
- Understand script analysis and use it to guide your directorial choices.
- Understand how to plan character movement that emphasizes the psychology of the scene in an efficient manner.
- Explore the emotional power and narrative intent of camera placement, lens choice, shot content and composition.
- Computer, microphone, and camera (optional)
- Any video capturing device (cell phone or other)
- Video editing software of your choice
- Stable Internet connection
Students are not required to have any previous training or experience.
Course Details:
Dates: May 9 to June 20, 2024
Duration: 7-week course, one online class per week
Time: Thursdays, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. PST
Cost: $950
**lesson 5 will be from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m..
Introduction to Producing (online)
Being a producer means wearing many different hats and navigating a wide range of relationships. This eight-week course is designed for film enthusiasts looking to better understand the world of film and TV production. You will delve into the role of the screenwriter and how to get that initial idea out there, as well as what to expect when working with producers. By the end of this course, you will be able to grasp the important role that producers play from the beginning to the end of a visual media project, from script breakdown to copyright, marketing, and distribution of your film or television project.
- Identify the roles and responsibilities of the producers in film and TV.
- Understand the role of the screenwriter and how to get started in getting your ideas out there.
- Explore what to expect when working with producers.
- Understand drama and how to structure your story.
- Break down a script to assess production logistics.
- Explore what copyright is, and what types of contracts producers need to negotiate to get the rights to make a project.
- Be introduced to managing set, crew, and production issues.
- Explore necessary leadership skills for producers.
- Learn about film marketing and audience building.
- Identify and understand the two primary models of distribution.
- Computer, microphone, and camera (optional)
- Any video capturing device (cell phone or other)
- DramaQueen software (available for download here)
- Not required but recommended: video editing software of your choice
- Stable Internet connection
Students are not required to have any previous training or experience.
Course Details:
Dates: August 6 to September 24, 2024
Duration: 8-week course, one online class per week
Time: Tuesdays, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. PST
Cost: $950
Matthew Kowalchuk
Instructor
Matthew Kowalchuk is a director, writer, and producer whose first feature "Lawrence & Holloman" won the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Feature, while garnering "Must See" mentions on the international Film Festival Circuit. At the Vancouver International Film Festival, Matthew won the BC Emerging Director Award, quickly followed by Best Canadian Feature and the Rising Star Filmmaker Award from the Edmonton International Film Festival. The film went on to capture over a dozen major awards while playing across North America, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and in far off locales such as Cannes, Perth, St. Petersburg, and Shanghai.