Filmmaking is not rocket science. Everything about filmmaking is extremely easy to learn. Anyone can do it if they wish.
The challenge of learning filmmaking
The challenge is filmmaking requires learning a huge number of skills. If you want to be an independent filmmaker or film editor, you must learn the equivalent of 20 different careers.
The complete picture
That is why it takes a huge amount of knowledge to understand everything you need to know to create a motion picture.
Preparatory school
Wikiversity Film School is a preparatory school for budding filmmakers who plan to go to film school.
We teach the things that film schools expect you to know before you get to film school.
Each year, USC receives 800 applicants to fill just 50 undergraduate positions. So prepare now.
Courses in Narrative Film Production
Filmmaking
Course #01 - A beginning course in pre-production.
How to make a short motion picture. Begin learning filmmaking by formatting the script using the free demo version of Final Draft or CeltX. Your instructor is Robert Elliott.
Course #02 - Film scoring for filmmakers (non-musicians)
Film scoring introduction for filmmakers - Lessons for filmmakers who are not musicians yet want to learn to make music for motion pictures. This class shows you that music is used to create the proper mood in a motion pictures. Therefore, simple musical sound effects is often all you need. And with programs like GarageBand with Jam Pack:Symphony Orchestra, this is easy. Your instructor is Robert Elliott.
Course #04 - Hands-on editing of feature films and television dramas
The fundamentals of narrative film editing - Of all the post production skills, film editing is the most important. The best place to start is learning how to edit dramatic scenes from motion pictures and television dramas. Your instructor is Robert Elliott.
The Storyboard Artwork Project creates artwork for Tux Paint so that kids can quickly and easily create storyboards. If you use Poser or DAZ Studio, you can help. We also need artists who like to draw human figures. The co-ordinator for this project is Robert Elliott.
A fun paint program for kids. It has the added advantage of using rubber stamps and creating matte paintings easily. Has the unique feature of doing rough storyboards with special storyboard artwork. Also useful for learning about matte painting at Wikiversity Film School.
A simple and fun artistic painting program. Feels very natural. Extremely useful. If you need any kind of digital painting with traditional artist materials, this is your first choice. This is the free version which is fully working but more limited than the full version which is also very inexpensive.
This is the most educational program for filmmakers. A simulation of a movie camera and a movie set with digital actors. Teaches you all about lenses and image composition for motion pictures. The demo version is almost fully working for 20 uses. Highly recommended. (So far, no one has downloaded this. Is there a problem?) 20 uses.
An interesting program because if the extremely high quality orchestra sounds it produces. Requires you to know notation. No manual! (I ran out of time before I had completed the review of this program.)
For posing and rendering Poser figures. At times, the human interface is stupidly awkward. More like a beta version. But a good way to learn about digital puppets. This program (or Poser 7 which is not free) will be required for the 3D animation course to be offered next winter. Also an useful alternative for doing 3D storyboards using Poser figures.
A paint program comparible to Adobe Photoshop. Surprisingly mature program but not to the level of Photoshop. Requires X-11. If you do not have Adobe Photoshop 4 or later, this program is absolutely necessary for some of the classes at Wikiversity Film School.
A illustration program. Surprisingly mature program. Requires X-11. If you do not have Illustrator or Freehand, this program is useful. Only the text features are weak.
Very interesing. Very challenging. For anyone who wants to sketch in 3D. To be revieweg. This is the free version of the new Pro version of Google SketchUp.
This is a paint program which works with motion pictures. Used in film studios but still too awkward for use at Wikiversity Film School. Look at GIMP instead.
GarageBand is free with all new Macintosh computers. Otherwise, it is sold in the bundle called iLife. Very basic, mostly simple, extremely useful for filmmakers who need to create film scores. Needs orchestra sounds (such as Jam Pack:Symphony Orchestra.)
Required for the first editing lesson at Wikiversity Film School. This is not free but you can pay for this with the points you earn at Wikiversity Film School.
Required for the second editing lesson at Wikiversity Film School. This is not free but you can pay for this with the points you earn at Wikiversity Film School.
Required for the third editing lesson at Wikiversity Film School. These disks are not free but you can pay for them with the points you earn at Wikiversity Film School. To be reviewed shortly. Note: Currently, these disks are the only digitized unedited scenes ready for practicing dialog editing.
Some lessons are still under construction.
