Filmmaking is storytelling! It is the most important aspect of filmmaking. Our brains evolved to hunger for stories...when they don't exist, we'll even make them up. Don't give that burden to your viewer. Purposeful storytelling is the true art of filmmaking. Every technique should be used to create and enhance your story and move it forward. Every time you put on a lens, choose a camera movement, or make a cut it all leads back to the point of your story. We will teach you what is important and what is not; how to see the story before you start shooting, and how to create the intrigue necessary to keep the viewer watching.

This is goal #1. If a viewer feels differently after they've watched your film, you've succeeded. This isn't done by luck of the draw. There are ways to create and enhance specific emotions in your viewer. We will teach you how to use individual techniques and combine them in a synchronized way to accomplish the task of making the viewer feel what you intend for them to feel.

Many photographers refer to “camera stabilization.” While avoiding that shaky footage is a consideration, we want you to think in terms of camera movement. The way your camera moves specifically tells the viewer how to interpret the scene. Choosing the wrong movement at the wrong time can make a viewer interpret a scene differently from what you intended them to. This will impact your storytelling ability. We'll break down the movements for you and show you what each one means. Then we'll show you how to use it to enhance your story.

Photographers know when to use what lens to create a single image. However, in filmmaking, several lenses will be used during the course of showing a single scene, and each lens will have a different effect on the overall story. We're going to teach an in-depth lesson on what lens to use, when to use it, and why. We'll take the guesswork out of selecting your glass and turn it into a science. Good lens selection will enhance your ability to create emotion.

There's a reason audio comes before visual when people say "audio/visual." Good audio is the foundation of any good film. Recording clean audio is vital so you can correctly utilize dialog, background sound, and music—all of which are essential to your story. We will teach you how to record your audio properly and how to mix it in post production so viewers are paying attention to your story and not being distracted by an imperfect soundtrack. The quality of your audio should match the quality of your footage…we take it just as seriously.

Telling your story involves a dynamic journey that begins with your mental concept, moves into capturing your vision with cinematography and good audio recording, and ends with the assembly process of editing. Each of the pieces needs to be seamlessly integrated into a compelling final finished product. We'll let you in on filmmaking's best-kept secret: editing is easy; all you need is a little instruction. We will teach you cut points, transitions, lining up audio, adding text and graphic elements, basic motion enhancements, color correction, and adding a music soundtrack.

• YouTube is the #2 search engine on the web.
• Online video ad spending will swell from $1.97 billion to $4.71 billion in the next three years
• Viewers watched 75% more videos online in December 2010 than in December 2008
• By 2013, 90% of all internet traffic will be video