Playhouse West FILM LAB

 The Film Lab is where it all began for our crew. They taught us, hands on, how to make film from the ground up. Since then our groups have created 100+ films! Thanks!" ~Sean Crampton, Actor | Filmmaker 
Guided by award-winning cinematographer, Christopher Liebe, you'll learn everything you need to know about making movies -- from cameras and lenses, sounds, editing, directing, producing in just 12 weeks. If you're ready to learn how to turn your ideas into reality, The Playhouse West Film Lab is for you.

Whether for a film festival, for your demo reel or because you have a story that you just have to tell, it's time to start making your own movies. You'll be guided through the steps insuring that your project is a success. By the end of Film Lab, you will have made your own movie.
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If you're not getting the quantity or quality of acting roles that you want, now you can start creating your own work. The Playhouse West Film Lab will show you everything you need to be making your own movies in 12 weeks.

​Limited enrollment -- sign up now!

Turn Your Creativity into Reality
DON'T WAIT TO BE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S MOVIE

The extensive twelve-week program will leave you with the practical skills and knowledge that you must have to create your own movies. In Film Lab, you will:
  • Make not just one, but TWO movies
  • Develop a complete understanding of the filmmaking process. From concept to completion
  • Have an in-depth understanding of equipment that you need to make your movies (and what you DON’T!)
  • The roles of every person on a film set: What each job is for and which roles you'll need to make your own movies
  • Hone how to take your movies and use them to build a following on YouTube
  • Learn guerrilla movie-making tactics to make your movie on a tiny budget
  • Create the acting roles that you know you’re ready to play, but Hollywood isn’t offering you (yet)
 The Film Lab was awesome! I feel like I walked away with a true understanding of how to make my own film. The instructors are thorough and they have insightful professionals come and talk about their vast understanding of film. From writing to staging to sound, light, color, they cover it all. I highly recommend taking this class!" ~Kat Crawley, Actor 

What You'll Walk Away With
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AND TONS OF KNOWLEDGE

Filmmaking Equipment
From cameras & lenses, to sound & lighting, you'll learn all about the equipment that you'll want to use to make your movies.

Camera Movement
Camera movement is a subtle, but very important element in making great movies. Learn how the masters do it -- and how you can use their techniques to be successful.

Lighting
Lighting for film and tv is a tricky business. But when you know what we'll teach you, you can make your movies look great.

Shooting Your First & Second Movie
You'll be making two movies during the course... at the end, you'll actually be able to show off what you've done.

Advanced Filmmaking Techniques
You'll also learn about Color Correction, Visual and Special Effects, How to Make A Feature Film. And you'll hear from working industry experts throughout the course.
The Art of Visual Storytelling
There's an art and a language to how stories are told on film, on tv and for the internet. You'll learn how each work and how to create for each medium.

Sound
Nothing makes a film feel more amateur than bad audio. You'll quickly learn what you need to do to have your movies sound professional.

Editing
The way that your movie is edited can turn it from a fast paced action film to a slow, subtle character drama. If you don't learn the basics of editing, you be in trouble when you try to make your film.

Making Movies For YouTube
You'll walk away with the knowledge of what you need to do to start a successful YouTube channel and develop a following.

Much, Much More
​During your 12 weeks in the Film Lab, you'll learn all of these elements and more, including aspects of storytelling and writing for the camera, as you gain hands-on experience making your movies.
The Film Lab is a three-month intensive course that you won’t want to miss out on. I begin the class with no filmmaking experience whatsoever and ended the course with a broad understanding of how to write, direct and edit my own films. This class truly kickstarted my career as an actor/filmmaker!

We were able to work with amazing equipment, learning how to operate a camera, boom, lights, etc. Each week, we learned valuable information about what it takes to make a movie. They bring in several guest speakers from the industry that were able to share their knowledge of the business and even guide us through our own short filmmaking process. The best part is the connections you make during the course. The group that I worked with continues to write, create and shoot together. We just wrapped our fourth short and we are beginning to submit to film festivals. I am beyond proud of the work that came out of this course.

The Film Lab is guaranteed to help you take charge of your career. Don’t miss out on such a life changing course." ~ Natalie Berwick