Content creators going deeper
You shoot YouTube or TikTok but want to tell real stories — not just document moments.
Online filmmaking course · New York directors · cohorts of max 10
Direct your first film.
A two-level online filmmaking course taught by working New York directors. Learn screenwriting, directing, and editing from scratch — or go deeper with actor direction, producing, and hands-on film production. Both levels end with a short film you directed yourself.
Apply now
Next cohort: July 13 · 10 spots
Who is this for
Film school teaches theory. We teach practice — hands-on, from day one.
Aspiring indie filmmakers
You've had the idea for years. This program gives you the tools and accountability to actually make it.
Photographers moving to video
You understand light and composition. Now learn how to add time, motion, and story.
Complete beginners
A smartphone is enough. No prior experience needed — just the desire to make something real.
Behind the Camera
Curriculum
Two levels. One finished film.
Both levels cover Directing, Editing, and Scriptwriting — but Intermediate isn't a continuation, it's a different depth. Where Beginner builds your foundation, Intermediate breaks down the craft: advanced actor direction, complex editing principles, world-building in the script, and a full Producing track covering budgets, locations, and production logistics. Each level ends with a finished short — yours to keep, to submit, to build a portfolio around.
Level 01 — foundations
Beginner
A foundational programme for anyone who wants to start making films. 11 modules across directing, screenwriting, and editing — from first observations to your own short.
- Directing
- Editing
- Scriptwriting
Level 02 — going deeper
Intermediate
An advanced programme for directors who have the basics. 13 modules including actor direction, pitching, production scheduling, editing, and short-film budgeting.
- Directing
- Editing
- Scriptwriting
- Producing
The full programme
Beginner + Intermediate
The full programme — from your first exercise to a finished short-film script. All 24 modules — both levels in one purchase, with a discount versus buying separately.
- Directing
- Editing
- Scriptwriting
- Producing
What's included
Everything to finish the film.
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Live Lectures
Weekly Zoom sessions across three parallel tracks — Directing, Editing, Scriptwriting. Real-time Q&A and group critique.
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A Full Cycle Every Session
Each session opens with a review of your submitted work — specific notes, timestamps, what worked and why. Then new material. Then consolidation. Then your next assignment. You arrive with work, you leave with more. Real director notes, not automated responses.
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Final Film Review
Dedicated 1:1 session reviewing your finished short film with detailed critique.
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Course Workbook
Templates, directing scripts, budget breakdowns, and a filmmaking glossary. Yours to keep and use on every future production.
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Session Recordings
All live sessions recorded and available for the duration of the cohort, so you can rewatch on your own schedule if you miss one.
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Cohort Community
Private group chat with your cohort. Share work, find collaborators.
Instructors
Taught by working directors.
Vladimir Popov
Director · Screenwriter · Editor
Vladimir started making media before he could drive — reporting for local television and hosting his own film program on radio as a teenager. He holds a film degree in directing and completed his graduation project as a feature-length film, shot for a thousand dollars. It earned top marks — and proved the principle he now builds every class around: craft matters more than resources. His work spans music videos, narrative short film, and large-scale commercial production. Since moving to the US, he has been teaching filmmaking hands-on — and knows exactly what a beginner needs to hear to stop waiting and start shooting.
Anastasia Zasypkina
Director · Producer · Editor
Anastasia holds a film degree in directing and built her career from the inside out — working as First Assistant Director on television series, short films, and commercial productions before stepping fully behind the camera. Her short films have placed at international film festivals. She specializes in two things most filmmaking courses skip: the director's script as a working document, and the psychology of directing actors — how to build trust on set and get a real performance out of a real person. In the US, she teaches film and theater, bringing the same approach to every class: precise, human, and practical.
From Our Films
After the program
You leave with more than a film.
Here's what else you walk away with.
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A film portfolio — and your first festival submission
You leave with a finished film for your portfolio and personal guidance on where to submit it — which festivals to target, how to write your synopsis, and what the selection process actually looks like.
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A working vocabulary
You'll speak the language of the set — and understand what's happening on any production you step onto.
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The confidence to go again
The hardest part is the first film. After that, you know you can do it — and you know how.
Pricing
Simple, transparent pricing.
Beginner
$399
11 modules · 13 lessons · $399
- Cohort-based · up to 10 students
- 2 sessions/week
- 10 sessions with instructor
- Personal review of every assignment
Intermediate
$499
13 modules · 17 lessons · $499
- Cohort-based · up to 10 students
- 2 sessions/week
- 13 sessions with instructor
- Personal review of every assignment
Best value
Beginner + Intermediate
$749
24 modules · 30 lessons · $749
- Cohort-based · up to 10 students
- 2 sessions/week
- 23 sessions with instructor
- Personal review of every assignment
Common questions
Is this based in New York?
The course is fully online — study from anywhere. Your instructors are working New York directors, so you get the same craft they bring to NYC productions, without relocating. Sessions on Zoom, work submitted asynchronously.
Is this fully online? What time are sessions held?
Yes, fully online via Zoom. All sessions are scheduled in Eastern Time (ET). If you're in a different timezone, all sessions are recorded so you can watch on your own schedule and submit assignments at your own pace.
Do I need any prior film experience?
No — Beginner is designed for complete newcomers. A smartphone is enough. Intermediate is for students who have completed Beginner or have equivalent hands-on experience.
What camera do I need?
A smartphone is completely fine. The focus is on thinking and storytelling, not expensive equipment.
How much time per week?
Around 3–5 hours: sessions across three parallel tracks plus weekly assignments. Designed to be manageable alongside school or a full-time job.
What is the final project?
In Beginner: a short film shot, edited, and submitted by you — reviewed personally by both instructors. In Intermediate: a festival-ready short film with a dedicated review session and guidance on where to submit it.
Ready?
Make your first film.
Applications reviewed within 48 hours. Cohorts fill quickly — max 10 students per group.
Apply now
Next cohort: July 13 · 10 spots