Anyone with a smartphone can make a movie. But if you know how to scout some great locations, where to place the camera, and how to work with actors then you can make a great movie.

Sanford Bookstaver has worked as a director and producer in film and television for over twenty years on shows like: Dexter: New Blood, House MD, Power, Chicago Fire and many others. As a USC alum, he’s excited to share his industry experience with aspiring filmmakers and demonstrate how to use creativity in lieu of professional resources.

Guiding you through the entire process of production, students will learn how to prepare a script for filming, assemble a highly collaborative team and utilize readily available tools to pull off a successful shoot. Students will then learn how to use those tools to capture classic types of coverage and essential shots to bring their script to life. After shooting, students will learn how to navigate the post-production process to bring all of the parts together for an edited final cut.

By the end of the filmmaking process, students will earn a certificate of completion, engage in creative exercises, hear from industry experts and get inspired from film clips and real-world examples of movie-making in action. At the culmination of the course, students will have completed a short film.

Featured Topics

• Pre-production
• Actors and Casting: Bringing Your Characters to Life
• Production Part 1: Preparing Your Scenes
• Production Part 2: Using Your Tools
• Post-production

Learning Outcomes

This course guides students through the entire filmmaking process from the early logistical stages of pre-production to successfully executing a film shoot and editing that footage. Through strategically using easily accessible tools and equipment, students will learn how to make a short film as professionally as possible with any budget.

Following the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Build a collaborative film team, scout locations and prepare sets
• Conceptualize a script through creating a storyboard, shot list and schedule
• Audition, rehearse, and prepare actors to get the performances you need
• Understand professional filmmaking tools and how to use alternative DIY equipment
• Execute the most classic types of coverage to capture a master shot
• Use different camera movements, lighting setups, filters and lens to achieve a range of cinematic styles
• Undergo post-production to assemble footage, edit, apply elements of sound design and music to arrive at a final cut

Format and Course Length

The course consists of recorded lectures and demonstrations, film clips, industry connections and discussions. Each topic provides context for key elements of creating a short film from pre-production to post. Students will engage with creative exercises to generate and revise work in order to complete the course with a final cut of a short film.

Combined coursework of recorded lectures, readings, and assignments is approximately 20-25 hours to be completed at the student’s own pace. Students are expected to complete the course in four-weeks but have 90-days of access if more time is needed.

Sanford Bookstaver

Being a Director is the best job in the world.

Sanford Bookstaver has worked as a director and producer in film and television for over twenty years on shows like: Dexter: New Blood, House MD, Power, Chicago Fire and many others. He fell in love with movies at an early age and throughout his career has collaborated with some of the most creative and talented people in Hollywood.

He enrolled in the School of Cinematic Arts at USC and began his journey towards becoming a director. He paid his dues working as an assistant at DreamWorks for Jeffrey Katzenberg and while working there co-wrote and directed his short film Scriptfellas, a parody on Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas. He shared this film with Katzenberg who later shared it with Spielberg and one week later his lifelong dream would become a reality as a director on the NBC show The Others.

Bookstaver has been nominated for several awards for his directing talents and has also lent his time to teaching other aspiring young filmmakers whenever he can.

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants who submit a completed application can expect an admission decision within 3 – 5 business days.

• Include basic contact information from you and your parent(s) or guardian.
• Tell us why you want to take the course and a little about yourself through a short-answer essay.
• Share a piece of writing, video or social media content that reveals something about yourself (optional).
• Submit the $35 application fee.
• Participants must be at least 14 years old or older.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

In addition to the requirements listed above, international applicants are expected to be proficient in English. International students who successfully complete an online course will receive a digital Certificate of Completion and by request a USC Online Certificates Program transcript at no additional cost.

ELIGIBILITY

Participants must be at least 14 years old or older.

APPLICATION FEE : $35

SCREENWRITING TUITION : $1990
Access to online course and materials for (3) months.

SCREENWRITING + DIRECTING TUITION : $3880
Access to both online course and materials for (6) months.

Application fees are nonrefundable. All course cancellations requests must be made in writing to certificates@usc.edu. Any tuition paid to the university will be refunded, not including fees, if requested no more than three (3) days past the course start date. Requests to drop the course more than three (3) days after the start date will not be eligible for a refund.

The university will not refund tuition for USC Online courses for students who are removed from the program due to a violation of our Letter of Understanding for Online Participation and our Student Code of Conduct.