4-Part Class Taught by a Netflix, HBO and Showtime Cinematographer!

In the world of independent filmmaking, making your film look like a million dollars on a tight budget is a challenge every filmmaker faces. That’s where A Cinematographer's Guide to Making Your Indie Film Look Like a Million Dollars comes in. This 4-part on-demand class is designed to help you transform your indie film into a visually stunning masterpiece, regardless of your budget. By mastering the art of working with what you have, you'll learn how to elevate the production value of your film, making it stand out in a competitive market.

As you embark on this journey, it's important to recognize common missteps that can derail even the most well-intentioned projects. From underestimating the importance of planning in pre-production to making costly mistakes in lighting and camera movement, these pitfalls can be avoided with the right knowledge and preparation. This class will guide you through each stage of the filmmaking process, ensuring that you make informed decisions that will save you time, money, and headaches down the road.

Guiding you through this process is Matthew Boyd, an award-winning cinematographer-filmmaker with extensive experience in feature film, documentary, and television. Boyd's work has been featured on platforms like Netflix, HBO, and Showtime, and his filmography includes collaborations with industry giants such as Sterling K. Brown, Josh Duhamel, and Colin Trevorrow. With a career that spans critically acclaimed films, documentaries, and music videos, Boyd brings a wealth of expertise to the table, making him the perfect mentor to help you achieve your cinematic goals.

Throughout this class, you will dive deep into essential topics that will set you up for success and have assignments after each class. In Session 1, you'll focus on setting yourself up for success with your script, vision, and partnerships. Session 2 will continue this journey, helping you plan your shoot schedule and maximize production value. Session 3 will teach you how to achieve high production values without the cost, while Session 4 will provide DIY tips and tricks for getting seemingly cost-prohibitive shots. Each session is packed with practical advice, case studies, and Q&A opportunities, ensuring that you walk away with actionable knowledge that will take your film to the next level.

Praise for Matthew:

"Matthew goes above and beyond in this class. He really makes me think and apply what he shared practically to my film." - Paul W.

"Brilliant! Matthew is absolutely brilliant!!" - Jake R.

Session 1: Setting Yourself Up for Success: The Script, The Vision, and The Partnerships (part 1 of 2)

• Make decisions at the script phase to get the most out of your budget in pre-production
• Breaking down the script from a DP perspective, one scene at a time
• Creating the shot list with your DP
• What/whom do you already have access to?
  • Scaling your script to your budget and resources by adapting it for what you have vs. what you don’t (i.e. locations, vehicles, props, and people)
• How to use your DP and camera to save you money
• Communicating your vision, look books, references, and other tools to get your team on the same page to save time and money
• Q & A

You will have an assignment after this session

Session 2: Setting Yourself Up for Success: The Script, The Vision, and The Partnerships (part 2 of 2)

• Planning your shoot schedule with your DP based on some important and potentially costly factors
• Time of day for the best use of natural light
• Interiors vs. exteriors
• Company Moves
• Multi-purpose locations
• Make the most of location scouting to maximize production value on shoot days
• Time management
• Which scenes should you devote the most time and resources
• When to move along and not waste time you will want for “money shots”
• Ensuring you have moments to breathe for the “surprise shots”
• Shooting for the edit
• Planning your workflow in prep to ensure your footage is usable
• You can’t just “fix it in post”
• How to get shots right the first time to eliminate pickup shots and ensure a happy editor
• Q & A

You will have an assignment after this session

Session 3: How to Achieve High Production Values Without the Cost

• Moving the camera
  • How you choose to move the camera (or not)
  • The value it can add
• The different looks and value
• Dolly, steadi-cam, handheld, cranes etc.
• How to create the look of high-cost toys without the cost
• Low-cost substitutions for gimbals, helicopters, cranes, dollies, jib, and more
• How to build your own substitutions to cheat the look
• “Make it rain!”: Ways to use practical (non CGI) and in-camera effects
• Shooting on Location vs. Sound Stages
• Equipment: Affordable lighting and camera equipment that still looks amazing.
• Q & A

You will have an assignment after this session

Session 4: DIY Tips and Tricks to Getting Seemingly Cost or Logistically-Prohibitive Shots

• Scene case studies to see how the pros hack their way to excellent results
• Using stock footage and real-life events to cheat your epic locations
• Filming car scenes on a budget
• Using documentary-style filming to save money
• Free set design, extras, and loads of production value
• Teaming with a VFX partner for added options
• What scenes in YOUR movie have you worried?
  • Matt will offer some creative solutions and work through
• Q&A with Matthew

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• This class is designed for beginner and intermediate students looking professional guidance on their next indie project. This is an in-depth, practical, and detailed class with significantly more content than a standard 90-minute webinar.
• This class will consist of four sessions, each roughly two hours in duration and spaced one week apart from one another. In addition to the presentation-style lessons, you will have the opportunity to ask questions during each session.
• PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 class is now available to watch on-demand but we encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the experience.

Directors (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner) interested in gaining professional experience to use for their next indie project.

Writers (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner) interested in gaining professional experience to use for their next indie project.

Producers looking to understand the art of indie filmmaking.

Actors looking to understand the art of indie filmmaking.

Praise for Matthew:

"Matthew goes above and beyond in this class. He really makes me think and apply what he shared practically to my film." - Paul W.

"Brilliant! Matthew is absolutely brilliant!!" - Jake R.