Multi-Session Workshops

Northwest Film Forum classes and workshops are designed to instruct filmmakers on both the mechanical skills required in current filmmaking technology and the artistic application of tools to explore the critical and emotional range of the cinematic experience. Classes and workshops are taught by working artists: filmmakers, writers, producers and editors.

Explore filmmaking by doing it. We do not want you to make a commitment you are uncomfortable with; we offer a wide range of classes and workshops that can be taken at whatever pace you prefer. Whether you are new to the art and plan to plunge into filmmaking as a career or you have purchased your own equipment and wish to drop in on a few certifications to learn more, our classes are for you. NWFF's curriculum offers a complete education in nearly all aspects of filmmaking. Multi-session classes meet weekly and offer in-depth, hands-on experience with filmmaking tools, while one-day workshops offer both insightful lectures and practical techniques on current filmmaking topics.

This schedule is updated regularly.  Please check back for new classes, or email dave @ nwfilmforum.org to ask about our annual class offerings.

 

Bookmark and Share

 

Introduction to Flash

Introduction to Flash
Four Wednesdays, Sep 8, 15, 22 & 29, 6:30–9:30pm 
Instructor: Bryan Schaeffer 
Tuition: $290/WigglyWorld members, $320/general 
Max Attendance: 5
Prerequiste: Basic knowledge of Photoshop and a vector-based drawing program (Illustrator, Freehand)

Flash is the premiere software for animating different media formats-photography, line art, sound and video-for the web. Learn the basic skills of Flash's robust animation tools to incorporate in the interactive environment of a website. With hands-on learning in class and between class assignments, you'll learn how to create animations starting from storyboards and a project plan, navigate the Flash environment, determine the best production methods, and put into motion your most creative ideas. During the class, students will each develop individual projects under the guidance of the instructor, and by the end of this introduction, you will feel comfortable with Flash's comprehensive set of tools to really begin exploring new realms of animation and interactivity.

Register for Introduction to Flash

 

 

After Effects Basics

 

After Effects Basics
Four Tuesdays, Sep 14, 21, 28 & Oct 5, 6:30–9:30pm 
Instructor: Joe Garber 
Tuition: $280/WigglyWorld members, $310/general 
Max Attendance: 5

AfterEffects is a powerful animation and compositing tool, with a wide range of applications. Commonly used for film, television and multimedia, this program can be difficult to crack at first. Once the basics are mastered, it offers a rich and nearly unlimited range of creative possibilities. We’ll be learning from the ground up how to animate typography, as well as combine and manipulate footage and other elements to create effects and motion graphics.

 

 

Basic Videography

 

Basic Videography
Saturday & Sunday, Sep 11 & 12, 10am–4pm 
Instructor: Erik Vilinskas 
Tuition: $250/WigglyWorld members, $280/general 
Max Attendance: 10

Learn how composition, lighting, and depth of field interact to create memorable images. This class will cover basic videography skills and provide the opportunity to operate NWFF’s Canon GL1, Panasonic AG-DVX100, and HVX200. We will discuss the differences between video and film and the benefits and pitfalls of some of the more popular video formats currently in use. We will also address the basics of lighting for video, as well as how to record good field audio using a shotgun microphone and boom. Hands-on sessions will demystify the buttons and menu functions common to most consumer and professional video cameras. This class will give you a solid foundation for your video projects, whether you plan to use the Film Forum's cameras or your own.

 

 

Screenwriting 101: The Eight Week Screenplay

 

Screenwriting 101:  The Eight–Week Screenplay
Eight Tuesdays, Sep 14–Nov 2, 7–9pm 
Instructor: Walter Dalton 
Tuition: $230/WigglyWorld members, $260/general 
Max Attendance: 8
 
Whether you want to pitch your film to Hollywood or make your independent feature, students will learn the substance of a good screenplay. With his decades of experience writing (as well as acting) for television and films, Walter will lead frank discussions about character development, plot structure and themes. Expect to talk about your ideas and receive regular feedback as you make progress in your writing. Students will work towards completing a feature-length screenplay in eight weeks. Students should come to class with an idea for a feature film, and will benefit from reading about proper screenplay formatting techniques before attending class. 

Register for Screenwriting 101
 

Beginning Editing with Final Cut Pro

 

Beginning Editing with Final Cut Pro
Sections to choose from:
Three Mondays, Sept 13, 20 & 27, 6–9pm
Three Mondays, Oct 11, 18 & 25, 6–9pm
Three Tuedays, Nov 30, Dec 7 & 14, 6:30–9–30pm,  
Instructor: Chris Julian or Daniel White 
Tuition: $250/WigglyWorld members, $280/general 
Max Attendance: 5

Learn the basics of non-linear editing with Final Cut Pro. Covers settings, basic principles, effects, titles, sound and printing to video with hands-on experience for each student. This class is for students who intend to work in digital video productions who want to know some of the basic skills of editing in a non-linear environment. Prior experience in non-linear editing is not required, but basic computer skills are necessary. Time is available in NWFF’s edit suite for students to work between classes.

 

 

Basic Acting for Camera

 

Basic Acting for Camera
Four Wednesdays, Sep 22, 29, Oct 6 & 13, 6:30–9:30pm 
Instructor: John Vreeke 
Tuition: $200/WigglyWorld members, $230/general 
Max Attendance: 10

For actors and directors this is an on-your-feet workshop using video and playback. The demands that camera work has in order to achieve compelling realistic behavior is understood and experienced through a series of exercises. We begin with a "get acquainted with yourself" on-camera interview, then move to monologue work on camera and finally students are partnered together and assigned a scene as both an audition exercise and a filming exercise. All of the work is done in close up or over the shoulder video shots. Time-permitting, we will address the nature of a classic Hollywood shoot and how the actor's understanding of camera angles affect and inform the acting work. The goal is to become camera smart actors. A prepared contemporary monologue two to three minutes in length is required.

 

 

Cinematography—Scene Building and Montage

 

Cinematography—Scene Building and Montage
Saturday & Sunday, Oct 16 & 17, 10am–4pm 
Instructor: Erik Vilinskas 
Tuition: $250/WigglyWorld members, $280/general 
Max Attendance: 10

Learn how to tell your story visually through creative camera placement. Explore the art of the montage and the science of forcing perspective. Learn the vocabulary used to describe lens selection, camera placement, and motion. In this class, we will begin with the preproduction tools and vocabulary necessary for effective pre-visualization. Analysis of scenes from notable films will give students a background in existing conventions, with subsequent hands-on exercises to practice the concepts learned in class. A culminating project will take us through a complete blocking and shooting of a short scripted scene. Prior experience in editing or camera operation, or prior attendance in a NWFF Video Production Basics class is recommended.

 

 

Intermediate Final Cut: Editing

 Intermediate Final Cut: Editing

Three Mondays, Nov 8, 15 & 22, 6–9pm 
Instructor: Chris Julian 
Tuition: $250/WigglyWorld members, $280/general 
Max Attendance: 5
Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with Final Cut Pro. 
 
Participants will study clips and then go into the final cut room and walk through the many steps of making a scene or situation come alive.  You’ll cover pacing, crosscutting, defining the atmosphere, continuity, etc. and discuss how all these affect the emotional foundation of the work. Time will also be devoted to the role of sound and how it’s the first thing neglected in beginning picture editing: how to make dialogue flow, how to incorporate music, and how sound can save an edit.  We will also discuss the different approaches for documentary vs. feature vs. music video.
 

Optical Printing and Direct Animation

 

Optical Printing and Direct Animation
Three Saturdays, Dec 4, 11 & 18, 12–3pm 
Instructor: Jon Behrens 
Tuition: $100/WigglyWorld members, $130/general 
Max Attendance: 8

In this very hands-on class, filmmakers will learn direct animation techniques like painting, bleaching, scratching and dying 16mm celluloid film stock and then learn how to create magic using NWFF's JK Optical Printer-an age old and nearly forgotten device used to re-photograph motion picture film with dazzling results by learning basic and not so basic optical printer skills. At the end of three weekends students will have contributed to the making of a short experimental film that will be very colorful and beautiful.