5 Months Production Course | Prague Film Institute

Semester production course is practical, full-time, suitable for beginners and taught on our campus in Prague, the Czech Republic. This study program will teach you the basics of film production and includes the production management of high-quality short films. You will also be required to learn the basic principles of filmmaking to make you understand the entire process from pre-production to post-production, which is crucial for kick-starting your career in the film industry.

our value proposition

course highlights

Industry Standard Practises

Develop the production of film projects from the script breakdown till completed film. Explore industry standard softwares and tools, i.e. Movie Magic and learn how to produce films professionally.

High Production Value Films

Produce high-quality final films shot on the most popular cinema cameras such as Red Monstro, Alexa Amira or Sony f55.

Create a Competitive CV/Portfolio

At the end of the course you will be a production manager of a number of high production value short films which can give you a competitive edge while searching for work in the filmmaking industry.

High production value film

Your main focus during the semester will be to produce final films of your classmates. During the semester you will invest most of the time developing film, which will have higher production value compared to average school films. Through guidance of your tutors, you will prepare your films on the same level as a professional film production. Your film projects will be shot with the professional filmmaking equipment at the value of more than 90 000 USD.

what you will study

production module

Below you can see the basic topics which you will complete on the course. You will turn into practice all knowledge acquired in the classroom. You will manage all departments of the film projects from script breakdown to screening of the film and organise all necessary aspects of filmmaking. At the end of the semester you will get a credit as production manager by organising projects by professional film industry standards. The curriculum of the Semester Production Course is identical to the first semester of the 1 Year Filmmaking Program.

Film Crew

Film Crew: Roles and Responsibilities

Basics of Line Producing

Introduction to Business of Film

Introduction to the Business of Film

Basics of Film Financing

Essentials of Project Planning

Introduction to Pitching

Basics of Project Development

Location Management

Principles of Business Development

Foundations of Talent Management

Basics of Marketing & Distribution

Production Management of High-Quality Films

You will produce final films of your classmates in which you will go through all the phases of the film production as follows.

Location Scouting
Casting
Production Design
Cooperation with Director
Cooperation with Cinematographer
Shooting on the Film Set
Editing in Software DaVinci Resolve
Color Grading in Software DaVinci Resolve

OTHER FILMMAKING MODULES

Directing

Basics of Mise-en-Scene Studies
Directing Actors
Film Theory
Basics of Film History
Mood Boards

Scriptwriting

From Concept to Final Draft

Cinematography

Principles of Camera and Lens Use in Cinematography
Basics of Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Cameras and Lenses
Practical workshop with Students of Cinematography
Compositional Theory of Cinematography
Features of Lighting in Cinematography in Creating a Visual Language
Different Approaches to Lighting

Post-production

Usage of Editing Techniques for Different Production Contexts
Types of Shots
Emotional Curve of the Scene
Timing and Pace
Editing for Different Genres
Editing in Da Vinci Resolve Software
Color grading in Da Vinci Resolve Software
Postproduction of Sound

program details

What To Bring?

We recommend that all new Prague Film Institute students purchase their own:

Portable external drive with minimum storage 2 TB
Laptop for self guided learning and post-production practice. Our goal is to teach students how to use their own computer for high quality results. Make sure that you choose a laptop which meets the minimum recommended specification. However, for tasks which requires specialist software tools, you will be also allowed to use Prague Film Institute’s computer equipment.

Component	Minimum Requirement	Recommended Requirement
CPU	Intel COre i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 or M1 PRO	Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 or M2, M3
RAM	12 GB	32 GB+
GPU	6 GB VRAM	8 GB+ VRAM
Media Storage	SSD or RAID	SSD, Direct Attached RAID or NAD RAID (10 GbE)

Budget for your films – our school emphasizes the importance of practical learning by making films. Unlike standard classroom education, the cost of practical filmmaking can vary a lot depending on your script and the vision of the director and cinematographer. For teacher-led workshops the school will cover all or most production costs. However, for shooting of your own films you and your classmates must pay yourselves. As part of our curriculum we will teach you how to be resourceful when it comes to production expenses. Even with clever budgeting, we estimate that you will need approximately 5 – 10 000 CZK per semester for shooting your projects and on top of it a budget for your final films at the end of each semester. The school will provide for you a bundle of filmmaking equipment and a transportation van, but all other production costs will be your responsibility. We encourage you to plan carefully about the budget of your short film. Write or choose a script that matches the funds you have available to produce it.

What is Included

We understand that by choosing to study with us you are making a big financial commitment. We want to make sure you understand exactly what your tuition fee will cover when you decide to become a Prague Film Institute student.

Lectures, workshops & master classes
Teaching materials
Prague Film Institute Certificate
Equipment (see more here)
- Industry standard cinema cameras & equipment
- Full editing suite with post-production software
- Individual licence to Premiere Pro/Da Vinci/AVID Pro Tool
- School car for student projects
Green-screen and cinema room on-site
Field trips to industry partners
Discounts at our industry partners

Not Included

Air fare
Visa fee & health insurance
Living expenses (housing, food, transportation)
Production cost for your films (such as locations, actors, fuel)

Hovewer Prague is still cheaper than many European cities. The capital offers very safe living environment with high rating in housing and healthcare.

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