# Video Production Course Online (Self-Paced) Canonical URL: ## Overview Learn to shoot professional video without a studio or expensive cinema gear. Using your own smartphone with the free Blackmagic Camera app and an affordable scene kit, you'll build practical skills in pre-production, casting, manual camera operation, lighting, audio, composition and coverage, and directing. You'll work through documentary, commercial, and narrative production while also learning the paid local work videographers get hired for, including live events, real estate video, and music videos. AI is woven throughout the workflow for script breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, teleprompting, transcription, captions, and platform repurposing. Instructors review every project and provide constructive feedback as you build a polished, portfolio-ready video. ## What you'll learn - Plan a shoot from a finished script by creating script breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, schedules, budgets, and other pre-production documents. - Operate a smartphone camera with manual control of exposure, shutter, ISO, frame rate, white balance, focus, ND filters, and Log capture using the Blackmagic Camera app. - Compose strong shots and capture effective coverage using intentional framing, shot sizes, camera angles, movement, continuity, cutaways, and b-roll. - Light scenes using three-point lighting, natural and available light, modifiers, and practical techniques for controlling contrast, shadows, and color temperature. - Record clean professional audio using wireless lav and shotgun microphones, proper placement, monitoring, room control, and AI-assisted audio cleanup. - Direct interviews and talent, assemble and deliver finished video, and apply your production skills to paid local work including live events, real estate listings, and music videos. ## Curriculum #### Module 1 · Story, Pre-Production & Releases - **Story and message:** hooks, narrative arc, and message-first planning, working from a finished script (documentary, commercial, or short narrative scene). - **Breakdown:** break the script into scenes, locations, cast, and gear needs. - **Shot lists and storyboards:** plan coverage shot by shot, using AI to draft shot lists and real storyboard frames. - **Releases and rights:** talent and location release forms, where you can legally shoot, and music-licensing and copyright basics. #### Module 2 · Casting - **Finding actors:** friends, classmates, Backstage, Actors Access, Craigslist, Facebook groups, and local theater programs looking for reel material. - **Auditions and self-tapes:** running simple in-person auditions or reviewing recorded submissions, and what to look for beyond line delivery. - **Directing in the room:** giving adjustments, reading adaptability, and keeping the environment relaxed. - **Chemistry and callbacks:** imagining actors together, pairing them in callbacks, and communicating your vision once the cast is set. - **Releases and agreements:** standard talent releases, union vs. non-union considerations, and what actors and crew expect before they step on set. #### Module 3 · Location Scouting - **Finding spaces:** starting with what you already have, plus platforms like Peerspace and outreach to local businesses for off-hours access. - **Sound assessment:** listening for traffic, HVAC, appliances, and background noise that competes with dialogue. - **Light, power, space, and consistency:** evaluating and controlling existing light, outlet access, room for camera and crew, and locking access for the full shoot. - **Releases and permits:** location release forms, permit requirements, noise ordinances, and liability basics. #### Module 4 · Budgeting - **Food and crew:** why feeding people matters, and how to think about compensating collaborators — in cash, food, or portfolio credit. - **Equipment costs:** buying, borrowing, or renting — factored into your plan before it becomes a surprise expense. - **Location, transportation, and delivery:** free spaces vs. hourly rentals, travel costs, storage and backup, and delivery from hard drives to streaming platforms. - **Financing a project:** self-funding, crowdfunding, investor pitches, production loans, and grants. #### Module 5 · The Phone as a Pro Camera - **Manual control, one app in depth:** shutter, ISO, aperture equivalents, frame rate, and white balance in the free Blackmagic Camera app. - **ND filters, the 180° shutter rule, and Log:** holding cinematic motion blur in daylight, and shooting flat/Log for more control in post. - **Lensing and movement:** focal length, depth of field, and steady, intentional moves — handheld, on a fluid-head tripod, and with a gimbal. - **Setup, rigging, and reliability:** the mic/light/ND kit on a phone cage, managing storage, battery, and heat on a long shoot — and the craft you'll add on a bigger camera. #### Module 6 · Composition & Coverage - **Composition:** rule of thirds, leading lines, headroom, and frame balance. - **Shot sizes and angles:** wides, mediums, close-ups, cutaways, height, Dutch, and POV. - **Coverage and continuity:** shooting enough angles, holding the 180-degree line, and capturing the b-roll that lets a scene cut together without gaps. #### Module 7 · Lighting Fundamentals - **How light behaves:** the inverse square law, hard vs. soft light, modifiers, and light sources from LED to practicals. - **Three-point lighting:** key, fill, and back light, and how each shapes the subject. - **Natural and available light:** mixing window and practical light with your kit, plus simple modifiers and bounce. - **Mood and problem-solving:** shaping shadows, controlling contrast and color temperature, exposure tools, and fixing color casts. #### Module 8 · Audio: Capture, Monitoring & AI Cleanup - **A real mic system:** a wireless lav (or two) for dialogue and a shotgun mic for scene coverage. - **Placement and levels:** mic distance and positioning, setting gain, and avoiding clipping for close, clean dialogue. - **Monitoring and room:** monitoring on headphones so you never record blind, plus controlling echo and noise and recording room tone. - **AI audio cleanup:** rescuing takes with Adobe Enhance Speech, Descript Studio Sound, or Krisp — and the limits of what cleanup can fix. #### Module 9 · Interviews & On-Camera Production - **Interview setup:** clean backgrounds, lighting and framing an interview subject, two-camera and single-camera setups, eyelines, and question flow. - **Directing talent:** getting natural performances from non-actors and clean, usable answers. - **On-camera presenting:** delivery to camera, plus an AI teleprompter to stay on script. - **Continuity and pickups:** matching takes and capturing the pickup shots that save the edit. #### Module 10 · Production Workflow, Assembly & Delivery - **File management:** ingest, naming, folder structure, and reliable backups. - **Assemble one scene from your coverage:** the test that reveals coverage gaps, crossed eyelines, and missing cutaways while you can still reshoot. - **Light assembly, color, sound, and captions:** a clean cut, basic color correction, an audio mix, titles and lower thirds, and AI captions in DaVinci Resolve or CapCut. - **Export, archive, and client review:** platform export presets, archiving projects you can reopen years later, and a professional review-and-revision workflow. #### Module 11 · Crew Roles & Responsibilities - **Above the line:** executive producers, producers, line producers, showrunners, directors, and writers — and how creative and money decisions get negotiated. - **On set:** the camera and lighting departments, sound, art and wardrobe, and the AD department that keeps a set running on time. - **Post-production roles:** editors, colorists, sound designers, foley artists, composers, and the post supervisor. - **You are the crew:** mapping every role to the skills you've built, how crews scale as budgets grow, and which role to hire first (it's sound). #### Module 12 · Expanding Your Services: Live Events, Real Estate & Music Videos - **The working videographer:** finding local clients, pricing (day rate vs. per-deliverable), simple proposals, and managing scope. - **Live events:** planning from a run-of-show, multicam coverage with no second takes, clean audio from the sound board, and highlight-plus-program deliverables. - **Real estate:** the stabilized walkthrough, wide framing, exposure against bright windows, and a repeatable listing package with fast turnaround. - **Music videos:** the treatment, playback and sync on set, full-song performance coverage across setups, and cutting to the track. - **Packaging client work:** deliverables per gig, one-page agreements, testimonials and referrals, and a portfolio that wins the next job. #### Module 13 · Content for Digital Platforms - **The platform landscape:** how content-sharing platforms evolved, the major players today, and which platforms reach which audiences. - **Format and aspect ratio:** horizontal, vertical, and square, and framing to support all three from one shoot. - **Platform craft and professionalism:** hooks, pacing, captions-on viewing, thumbnail-friendly framing, and why Vimeo signals a different audience than YouTube or TikTok. #### Module 14 · AI in the Workflow & Responsible Use - **AI foundations:** a brief history of AI, the difference between large language models and generative image and video models, and choosing the right tool for each stage. - **Plan and produce with AI:** script development, shot planning and storyboard frames, plus the AI teleprompter on set. - **Post, repurpose, and generate:** transcription and captions, one-to-many platform cuts with AI-drafted titles and chapters, and generative b-roll — with a clear-eyed view of where that line sits. - **Use AI responsibly:** AI-content disclosure and labeling (YouTube, Meta, TikTok, C2PA), caption accuracy for accessibility (ADA / WCAG), and verifying AI-drafted facts before you publish. ## Instructors ### Michael Venzor — Instructor Michael Venzor is a multi-disciplinary filmmaker, video editor, and motion graphics artist with over twenty years of professional experience across television and short films, commercial projects, and educational media. His background spans the full post-production pipeline, including editing, animation, visual storytelling, and workflow design. A dedicated educator and mentor, Michael has spent years teaching video editing and animation to students of all experience levels, helping them build both technical proficiency and creative confidence. His teaching style emphasizes real-world workflows, thoughtful problem-solving, and clear communication, empowering students to develop skills they can immediately apply in professional environments. ### Stephen MacGillivray — Instructor Stephen teaches classes in the Motion Graphics and Video Editing Certificate programs. In addition to his work with Noble Desktop, Stephen teaches Nonfiction and Fiction Video Production, Motion Graphics, and Introduction to Film Production to grades 9-12 at LREI, a private K-12 school in New York’s Greenwich Village. In addition to teaching media classes, he runs his own production company, Indian Summer Media. Through ISM he works as a freelance producer, specializing in documentary style films. Stephen holds a B.A. in Classics from Concordia University in Montreal and an MFA in Screenwriting from Columbia University. While an accomplished professional his most beloved project has been raising his two young daughters, Margaret and Grace. ## FAQ ### Is this course open to beginners? Yes. The course assumes no prior video experience — it starts with story and planning and builds every craft from the ground up. You'll need a smartphone (iPhone or Android) and basic comfort installing and using apps. ### What equipment do I need to buy? You shoot on the smartphone you already own, with the free Blackmagic Camera app. For real scene work we recommend an affordable kit: a wireless lav mic system, a shotgun mic, a three-light LED kit, a clip-on ND filter, and a fluid-head tripod. A single clip-on lav and good window light are enough to get started. ### Is this an editing course? No — deliberately. This is a shooting course. You'll do light assembly, captions, and platform exports in a free editor (DaVinci Resolve or CapCut), which is enough to deliver finished work. For deep editing and motion graphics, we point you to the dedicated AI for Video Editing & Motion Graphics course. ### Is the course really entirely online? Yes. There is no studio, no rental kit, and no in-person component. The course is self-paced and instructor-guided: every lesson opens with a short instructor video, and instructors review your projects and give constructive feedback throughout. ### Will these skills transfer to a real camera? Yes — that's the design. The fundamentals of exposure, lensing, lighting, composition, and audio transfer to any camera. The camera-specific craft you add later (true shallow depth of field, interchangeable lenses, focus pulling) is named as you go, so nothing surprises you when you step up to a mirrorless or cinema camera. ### What do I finish with? A polished, portfolio-ready video — the real credential in this field — plus a Certificate of Completion you can share on LinkedIn, and a 45-document sample library covering six complete productions to reuse on your own shoots. ### Can I make money with these skills? That's the goal of Module 12. You'll learn the three gigs working videographers actually get hired for — live events, real estate listings, and music videos — along with pricing, proposals, one-page agreements, and packaging work that wins the next job. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $2995