This is a review of Filmmakers Academy, an online film academy course platform.
- Is Filmmaker’s Academy worth it?
- Who is the best person to purchase this course?
- How does it compare with other similar course platforms?
So should you buy it?
I’ve reviewed 20+ filmmaking courses at this point and am overall very impressed with this academy. For what it teaches, it is best in class. For filmmakers that want to work on a film crew, in a video production team setting, or on set making movies, this is the best course for you.
Filmmakers Academy Review: The Verdict
What if you could go on set to learn filmmaking directly from professionals? Filmmakers Academy does just that and does it extremely well. If you are looking to learn this type of filmmaking – the kind that is seen in Hollywood – add this to your learning queue.
Use coupon code ONLINEFILMMAKINGCOURSES25 for $25 off an annual membership.
Pros of the Filmmakers Academy
Cons of Filmmakers Academy
Let’s take a deeper dive into the Filmmakers Academy and see if it’s the right fit for you.
What is Filmmakers Academy?
Filmmakers Academy is an online platform of courses to learn Hollywood filmmaking techniques from the people who make the movies (and commercials) you’ve seen in theatre or on TV.
Its main differentiator? You can learn the exact techniques Hollywood filmmakers use on-set from the comfort of your home.
- How do they color-correct and grade movies?
- How do professionals with crews direct and shoot a commercial?
- What techniques do Hollywood editors use to make the final films cinema-ready?
And so much more.
Shane Hurlbut ASC and Lydia Hurlbut have been educating and inspiring filmmakers since 2009. In 2021, they launched a HUGE expansion to their Filmmakers Academy platform and have been producing incredible educational materials not available on other course platforms.
Here are the benefits you can expect with the Filmmakers Academy:
Content Covered in Filmmakers Academy
As of 2023, Filmmakers Academy covers an incredible amount of content and has a beefy roadmap of even more content.
Here are some of the courses & lessons that caught my attention:
- Commercial Directing Master Class
- Editing Techniques & Terms
- How to Be a Camera Assistant
- The Foundation of Color Grading
- How To Shoot a Music Video
- How To Shoot a Beer Commercial
- The Art of Producing
I took the Starter Course they put together that samples a variety of different lessons. For those that want a taste of what learning from Filmmakers Academy is going to be like, it’s a great place to start.
Otherwise, as you assess whether you should enroll in the Filmmakers Academy membership, check out the full course catalog and see if there are a handful that appeals to you. You can actually purchase the courses a la carte so that may make more sense if there are just 1 or 2 courses that pique your interest.
Filmmakers Academy Course Content Style
Filmmakers Academy has a mix of different teaching course formats, including scripted videos, lectures, and podcast-type lessons.
My favorite format is their scripted videos. They are entertaining, concise, and polished. These videos are valuable virtual job shadows that give you a clear inside look at the specific steps of professional production.
For example, in the lesson about how they filmed a commercial in an airport, you get clear instruction from Shane Hurlbut mixed in with engaging visuals from the shoot to teach the process.
You will LOVE these lessons. It’s like watching a Hollywood cinematographer film an educational series on filmmaking.
I mean, that is literally what it is. And it’s awesome.
Filmmakers Academy also has podcast-style teaching content and pre-recorded live lecture content. They are longer in duration and much more relaxed in feel, which you may or may not prefer. I wanted to note the change in format because the Starter Course is entirely made of the scripted video types but other courses in the Filmmakers Academy library can be a live lecture recording or a series of audio recordings.
Filmmaking Education Not Found Anywhere Else
Put simply: I haven’t seen this type of content available online before.
Most online courses focus on solo filmmakers, but Filmmakers Academy focuses more on productions that require a crew and the professional processes they have to uniquely follow.
So, if you want to learn this type of crew-based filmmaking, Filmmakers Academy is your new best friend.
So, I see Filmmakers Academy’s content being particularly valuable for filmmakers who want to learn processes a professional media/video company would use or filmmakers who want to learn the exact Hollywood process of making movies.
If I had to appear on set with a production crew and wanted to be more confident, I would 100% enroll in this course and binge the content.
The Ultimate Mobile App for Filmmaking Education
Take notes, online education world. Filmmakers Academy’s mobile app is a mobile app done right.
Why?
- Downloadable videos (watch offline)
- Castable videos (cast the videos to a big screen)
- Comment directly within the app on videos
- Community tab to keep track of updates & interact with others
- Easy to use and well organized
The app checks all the boxes and is amazing. If you like learning on the go and want to enroll in a platform that has an app, you won’t be disappointed in Filmmakers Academy’s app.
Filmmakers Academy VS Full Time Filmmaker
My favorite course to recommend to people to learn filmmaking is Full Time Filmmaker. For one price, you get lifetime access to everything you need to go from beginner to being a full time filmmaker.
So, how does Filmmakers Academy stack up? Should you buy it instead of Full Time Filmmaker?
Filmmakers Academy is the best advanced filmmaking course. For those that want to film movies or work on a production team, Filmmakers Academy is the right choice for you.
If you haven’t learned the basics of filmmaking yet or want to work as a solo freelance videographer, Full Time Filmmaker will likely be a better fit.
Though, if you already have Full-Time Filmmaker, Filmmakers Academy is a great next step to evolve your filmmaking to work with crews and more advanced equipment.
Conclusion
Filmmakers Academy is the best advanced filmmaking education for those wanting to work on movie sets & with production teams.
They teach filmmaking concepts & techniques not found in other popular courses and have well-known film veterans as instructors. Their mobile app has all the core features you’d want, like offline videos, and is the best learning app I’ve seen in the filmmaking world. Their course catalog is large and they have a full roadmap of exciting courses on the way.
The verdict? This is a must to add to your filmmaking education if you want to work with a production team or on set.
Use coupon code ONLINEFILMMAKINGCOURSES25 for $25 off an annual membership.
