6 Online Resources to Help You Brush Up on Your Filmmaking Skills
The media landscape is changing, and your portfolio should reflect that. A third of all online activity is now spent watching videos and that’s projected to grow to 80% of all consumer internet traffic by 2019. This means if you want to stand out as a top-notch freelancer, it’s crucial that you stay up-to-date with filmmaking trends.
Here are six online resources packed with helpful tutorials, reviews, and industry insights to help you stay on top.
1. Vimeo Video School
Vimeo curates a community-based video production educational series. Their selection of lessons range from telling your story on film to interframes and live video compression. Vimeo constantly expands their ‘school’ to keep up with the latest techniques in filmmaking. They even have an entire section dedicated exclusively to 360° video production.
2. Lynda
With nearly 23,000 video production tutorials, lynda.com offers detailed lessons for all skill levels. The service is subscription based, but you can test it out with their 30-day free trial. All of the courses are video-lessons, covering specific tasks like color correction in Final Cut Pro X or creating a time-lapse with a DSLR in-motion.
3. No Film School
No Film School is a blog that encompasses the entire spectrum of filmmaking. They cover the techniques used to achieve the effects in the latest Radiohead music video, as well as reviewing the world’s fastest transcoding app. They share their content with insight and humor, making it a fun site to learn from, such as this write-up about the gear you should have in your noob filmmaking kit.
4. Philip Bloom Reviews and Tutorials
Cinematographer Philip Bloom, who has worked with Lucasfilms, Discovery HD, and the BBC, shares his expertise with behind-the-scenes tutorials and gear reviews. His short videos are great for gaining knowledge about the field from an industry professional. If you want more from Bloom, he also offers an eight hour cinematic masterclass.
5. Grip Tips
This YouTube channel is dedicated to grips and gaffers looking to improve their skills. They delve into the nuanced aspects of lighting tools. Be it the advantages of the preemie stand or when to use loop knots, Grip Tips teaches you how to standout on set. The creators of the videos relate their lessons to experiences they’ve had on jobs, providing you with useful insight.
6. Reddit University
Reddit University is another open source education platform. If you’re looking for user-generated threads about sound, shooting, and special effects or editing in post-production, this is the right place for you. You can also use the comments as a forum for getting useful tips, resources, or answers to your questions.
What other online courses do you use to learn more about filmmaking? Let us know in the comments!
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By Jordan M. Rapaport, Storyhunter Writer
