Welcome to Free Film School v1.0!
This platform is built to make basic film education more accessible, practical, and honest.
The goal is simple: give people a basic foundation in filmmaking without the cost.
This is Version 1.0, which means it is still a work in progress. More lessons, modules, and resources will be added over time, and existing content will continue to be improved as it grows.
I plan to update it regularly, expand the course library, fix weak areas, and improve the overall experience based on real use and feedback. If you notice any issues, broken links, missing content, formatting problems, or trouble accessing lessons, please contact us and let us know. Feedback helps improve the platform and makes it better for everyone using it.
About the Course
Learning the basics of filmmaking shouldn’t require crushing debt or a gatekeeper’s permission.
This is a basic structured intro to film education built from curated content across HTFS, YouTube and Wikipedia.
Whether you want to learn about Cinematography, Editing, or Directing, this mini course walks you through the fundamental basics of filmmaking.
You’ll find:
- Structure mirroring a real film course
- Hands-on exercises you can do with minimal gear
- Expert insights from working crew members
Update notes and changes will be listed below so you can see what has been added, revised, or fixed.
Curriculum
- 8 Sections
- 52 Lessons
- Lifetime
- 101 Film History6
- 1.1Film History – Unit 1 – The Birth of Cinema (1890s–1910s)
- 1.2Film History – Unit 2 – The Silent Era The Silent Era (1895–1929)
- 1.3Film History – Unit 3 – The Birth of Studio Storytelling (1910–1930)
- 1.4Film History – Unit 4 – Golden Age of Hollywood – (1930–1960)
- 1.5Film History – Unit 5 – Film Noir (1941–1958)
- 1.6Film History – Unit 6 – The Blockbuster Era: Hollywood Reinvented (1975–2000)
- 102 Intro to Storytelling6
- 103 Intro to Screenwriting7
- 3.1Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 1 – Screenplay Basics
- 3.2Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 2 – Idea. Premise. Logline
- 3.3Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 3 – Character Engineering
- 3.4Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 4 – Different Structures
- 3.5Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 5 – Worldbuilding
- 3.6Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 6 – Writing Scenes
- 3.7Intro to Screenwriting – Unit 7 – Dialogue
- 104 Intro to Production7
- 4.1Intro to Production – Unit 1 – Intro
- 4.2Intro to Production – Unit 2 – Film Language
- 4.3Intro to Production – Unit 3 – Script Breakdown
- 4.4Intro to Production – Unit 4 – Storyboards and Shotlists
- 4.5Intro to Production- Unit 5 – Pre Production
- 4.6Intro to Production – Unit 6 – Production
- 4.7Intro to Production – Unit 7 – Post Production
- 105 Intro to Directing7
- 5.1Intro to Directing – Unit 1 – What a Director Actually Does
- 5.2Intro to Directing – Unit 2 – Breaking Down a Script
- 5.3Intro to Directing – Unit 3 – Working With Actors
- 5.4Intro to Directing – Unit 4 – Shot Choices and Visual Basics
- 5.5Intro to Directing – Unit 5 – Blocking and Working on Set
- 5.6Intro to Directing – Unit 6 – Editing Mindset for Directors
- 5.7Resources for Directing
- 106 Intro to Cinematography7
- 6.1Intro to Cinematography – Unit 1 – What a Cinematographer Actually Does
- 6.2Intro to Cinematography – Unit 2 – Camera Fundamentals
- 6.3Intro to Cinematography – Unit 3 – Composition & Framing
- 6.4Intro to Cinematography – Unit 4 – Intro to Lighting
- 6.5Intro to Cinematography – Unit 5 – Colour, Tone and Mood
- 6.6Intro to Cinematography – Unit 6 – Movement & Coverage
- 6.7Intro to Cinematography – Unit 7 – Working With a Crew
- 107 Intro to Video Editing9
- 7.1Intro to Video Editing – Unit 1 – What Editing Actually Is
- 7.2Intro to Video Editing – Unit 2 – How Cuts Work
- 7.3Intro to Video Editing – Unit 3 – Time, Rhythm, and Pacing
- 7.4Intro to Video Editing – Unit 4 – Types of Cuts and Editing Styles
- 7.5Intro to Video Editing – Unit 5 – Scene Structure and Narrative Shaping
- 7.6Intro to Video Editing – Unit 6 – Shaping Performance in the Edit
- 7.7Intro to Video Editing – Unit 7 – Sound and the Invisible Edit
- 7.8Intro to Video Editing – Unit 8 – Documentary vs Narrative Editing
- 7.9Intro to Video Editing – Unit 9 – Editing for Modern Media (YouTube & Social)
- 108 Intro to Audio3
