A Cinematography System: The Playbook Approach
A Technical Approach to Modern Imagery
This course explores the proprietary system I've developed for my own use as a working cinematographer.
The material included is a direct result of my years of trial and error on set condensed into an easy to follow system that will allow students to replicate my results.
Does every DP use this system?
Definitely not.
Does every DP use a system?
Absolutely (whether they can verbalize their personal system is irrelevant).
For the past number of years I have endeavoured to crystalize my exact process so that I could pass it on and produce consistent results.
What decisions are the most important to the end look of a project?
What key factors make the biggest impact to a production?
How do I work as efficiently as possible to allow the crew around me to perform at their best?
In time I began to notice patterns in the work which led to the development of a universal system that encompasses my personal approach to cinematography.
This course is the first time I am sharing this system publicly.
I've been a cinematographer since 2009 and have shot 100s of commercial projects over that time.
Throughout the course of landing, prepping, and shooting those jobs I have learned a lot about the different approaches a DP can take in their role.
And over the past few years, I've shared that knowledge of how to shoot commercials in over 300 episodes of The Wandering DP Podcast. Every week I receive emails from people who have found the podcast and immediately improved their work because of it.
During the course of my own career I discovered that while it may appear that there are countless different scenes and set ups, in reality, there are only a handful. When you can recognize these situations you can drastically increase your results because you know where the path leads.
If you know the final destination then you can work backwards and make decisions accordingly.
Working with a system can improve your results overnight no matter what situation you are in.
The goal of A Cinematography System: The Playbook Approach is to present the way I approach the work and show you why using a specific system will make you more effective as a DP.
I designed this course for anyone interested in maximizing their time spent learning cinematography. I use this system everyday I am on a job and even experienced DPs can benefit from seeing a different approach.
- Never Before Discussed System. I have shared a wide variety of techniques on the podcast and previous courses but this system has never been publicly shared until now.
- A Firm Foundation. You will learn why a system is important and we go over how I use the leverage a system provides to my advantage so you can do the same.?
- Instant Access. There are 8 unique modules with over 60 lessons (over 7 hours), from why a system is important to watching every decision on set as we deploy the plans.
- Lifetime Access There is an enormous amount of content in this course. You have lifetime access to the material so you are free to consume it at your own pace.
Across eight distinct course stages, you’ll learn all about:
- The benefits of having a system: Why have a system in the first place and how do you structure the decision tree to help maximize the effectiveness of your choices.
- Understand Inputs, Processes, and Outputs: To leverage the work we do on our own we need to realize the components that are key to our success.
- Knowing Your Options and more: I'll teach you how I breakdown scenes, look for areas that can contribute to a visual approach, and then put those ideas into practice on set.
- How to avoid disappointment: A cinematographer needs to know the options they have available to them and the more options we have to choose from the better we can adapt a scene to what our mind's eye can see.
You can spend years developing your own playbook for every scene, set up and location possible or you can enrol in this course today and immediately gain access to all my knowledge so you can get busy improving your results.
A Cinematography System: The Playbook Approach is designed for cinematographers looking to take their knowledge and efficiency to the next level.
Up until now the only real way to develop a system for cinematography was to do so on your own.
Through real world trial and error an individual could start putting together techniques and approaches for common situations. This limited learning because it put real world constraints on a person's time and energy.
This course is for people looking to build upon a proven system and take their work a step further.
Commercial cinematography has changed my life and allowed me to build a successful career creating images behind the camera. It has been incredibly rewarding and I know the experiences and tactics shared in this course will help you reach your goals in the filmmaking world.
This course walks you through my system for evaluating coverage, framing, and lighting opportunities in a given environment. Once you understand how the system is structured you can build on it to meet your own unique styles.
I look forward to seeing you in the course.