Directing Your Movie
Everything You Need to Feel Confident Directing Your Own Movie
While some courses on directing gloss over the specifics or only discuss directing "in theory", this course gets into the nuts and bolts of every step of the directing process.
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Taught by 30-year film industry veteran Joth Riggs, this course gives you the confidence to handle everything from development to pre-production, production and post production. Everything you'll need to Direct Your Movie from Script to Screen.​
Over 3 hours of material covering over 60 different topics on everything you need from script to screen!
Pre-Production
In this section we'll cover everything from the basics every director should know to story development and preparing for the shoot
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Introduction / Who am I?
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To Film School or Not To Film School
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What is a Director?
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What a Director Should Know
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Finding Your Story
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Script Analysis and Development
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Your Visual Style
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Script Breakdown
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Building Your Production Team
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Meetings & More Meetings
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Finding Your Cast
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Cast Read-Through
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Cast Rehearsals
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Location Scouting
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Making Your Shot List
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Covering A Scene
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The 180 Degree Rule
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Types of Shots
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Storyboards, Previz & Shot Maps
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Tech Scouts
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Camera Tests & Wardrobe Fittings
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Production Meeting
Production
This section covers everything from what your shooting day looks like, to how to work with your actors as well as your crew
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On the Set
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Crew Call / Safety Meeting
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Blocking Rehearsal
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Lighting Mode
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Working w/ Your Actors (Connecting)
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Actors (What Not To Do)
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Actors (Discovering Their Method)
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Actors (Emotional Tone Scale)
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Camera Rehearsal
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Shooting
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Pick-Ups
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Tail Slates
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To Cut or Not To Cut
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Take vs. Shot vs. Setup
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Shooting Coverage
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Moving On
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Company Moves
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Working w/ Minors
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Working w/ Animals
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Working w/ Gunfire & Other Hazards
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Stuntwork
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Driving Sequences
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Making the Day
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Setbacks
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Martini and Wrap
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Watching Dailies
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End of the Day and Picture Wrap
Post-Production
This section covers every aspect of post production from a director's perspective, from editing to sound, music and visual effects
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Editing (Rough Assemble)
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Director's Cut
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Re-Shoots / Pick-Ups
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Picture Lock
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Music / Score
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Sound Design / SFX / Foley
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ADR
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Final Sound Mix
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Visual Effects
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Color Grade
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Final Film / Premiere
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Go Make Your Movie!
Questions? Click Here to contact us
Joth has taught me more in his course than I'll be able to repay him - his guidance on set as I directed my first feature was invaluable, and made me realize how much more I still have to learn!
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Vance Null - director of God’s Not Dead: We the People and God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust
“Wow!! What an INCREDIBLE learning experience you have created here! This classy and comprehensive course FAR exceeded my expectations and is now a video library that I’ll frequently go back to as needed prior to going through each stage of taking my next film from script to screen. I’m so glad I took the time going through this stellar online course (repeatedly reviewing episodes along the way before going on to the next) and am now feeling more confident than ever to ‘break the glass ceiling’ from shorts to features in the new year!”
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“I went through Joth’s program right before directing my first film. It was super helpful! Highly recommend it as Joth demystifies the process!”
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“Your course saved me. I was able to get through it, finishing up the Production courses literally the day we started shooting my short film. I applied the knowledge I got from it, and the tips and tricks you’ve given in the course and I swear it’s made all the difference. So thank you. A million times over, thank you!”
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“Joth Riggs is spot on! I use it as a refresher before every shoot. Don’t miss out on this course. Trust me!”
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“I needed a refresher a few weeks out from directing my first short. This course was perfect! Rather than yet more esoteric theory, this course talks about the reality of each stage of the process. This nuts and bolts approach helped me feel more confident when I stepped on set. Highly recommended!”
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“Heck of a deal! I enjoyed the course and although I am somewhat experienced working on sets, there is a lot I learned about directing. What I especially love is that I am able to download the course videos to watch them at my own pace and can watch them over again. I appreciate all that Joth imparted in this course. Areas where I was uncertain are clear now. Topics and issues I had never known won’t be future issues now. It’s a good thing I took this course before directing my first feature. As a result, I am feeling far more confident to tackle my directorial debut. Thank you!”​​
Your Instructor
Joth Riggs
Joth Riggs is an award-winning filmmaker whose career spans more than 30 years on over a hundred movies and t.v. shows for all the major Hollywood studios. After graduating with a degree in Film Production, Joth got his start on the set of Pet Sematary II. From there he went on to work on the sitcom Coach on the Universal lot before ultimately landing at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. It was only after being accepted into the prestigious Director's Guild Training Program that Joth left Amblin to become a DGA Assistant Director.
After years as a sought out A.D. on everything from Starship Troopers, End of Days with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Suicide Kings with Christopher Walken, to series' such as CSI, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Baywatch among others, Joth made the move to the director's chair.
Joth's latest film, Night of the Sicario, starring Natasha Henstridge, was released theatrically by Paramount Pictures and Saban Films.
Joth is currently working on his next feature, the action/thriller Coyote Dawn.