How to Make a Movie

Patrick Willem’s class guides you through the movie-making process, from start to finish.

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In this class

Learn about all the steps involved in making a movie, with a focus on working with limited resources and solving the inevitable problems that’ll come up.

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Making a movie is complicated. In this class, Patrick guides you through the steps.

Go from idea to production.

This class is structured to walk you through all the steps of making a movie.

Pre-production: Turn your idea into a script and a production plan that works with your resources and budget.

Production: Put your plan into action. Learn about lighting and shooting your scenes, choosing what kinds of shots you'll need, and working with your cast and crew.

Post-production: Edit your footage, get music composed, and make any fixes as necessary.

Overcome the inevitable obstacles that come up.

Filmmaking is all about problem-solving. Patrick talks through some of the many things that can go wrong, using examples from his own experiences.

Planning your production schedule to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible.

Fixing continuity errors in post-production.

Getting pickup shots and doing reshoots—even when you don't have access to the venue.

Learn how to work with a limited budget and resources.

You’ll have to make tradeoffs throughout the filmmaking process. Patrick guides you through how to balance artistry with efficiency:

How your creative direction informs the decisions you'll make.

Where to invest resources into when it comes to equipment.

How to make the most of what you already have.

Taught by
Patrick Willems

Known for his self-named film essay channel, Patrick (H) Willems, Patrick recently took a seat in the director’s chair for his first feature film Night of the Coconut.

What people say about Patrick

You get it. You fully understand why I love going to the movies.

Jonathan St. Martin

Comment on THE BEST OF 2021

The amount of questions I’ve had that you’ve answered in an entertaining and engaging 1 hr.

plaidawan

Comment on A Complete Guide to Pop Music Needle Drops in Movies

These videos are gold.

Maurice Philipps

Comment on Why Baseball is the Best Movie Sport

Patrick is still the most consistent [and consistently underrated] content creator on YouTube. Period.

Nathan I Lewis

Comment on THE BEST OF 2021

You know why I keep watching this channel. Because this guy is PASSIONATE.

wusangfu

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You make the best movie video essays out there.

izzynobre

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How to Make a Movie