All workshops are held at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave) unless otherwise specified.
Students MUST register and pay the tuition in advance. To register, call Studio Director Dave
Hanagan at 206-329-2629.
Film Forum classes and workshops are designed to instruct filmmakers on both the mechanical skills
required in current filmmaking technology and the artistic application of tools to explore the
critical and emotional range of the cinematic experience. Classes and workshops are taught by
working artists: filmmakers, writers, producers and editors.
Explore filmmaking by doing it. We do not want you to make a commitment you are uncomfortable with;
we offer a wide range of classes and workshops that can be taken at whatever pace you prefer.
Whether you are new to the art and plan to plunge into filmmaking as a career or you have purchased
your own equipment and wish to drop in on a few certifications to learn more, our classes are for
you. NWFF's curriculum offers a complete education in nearly all aspects of filmmaking.
Multi-session classes meet weekly and offer in-depth, hands-on experience with filmmaking tools,
while one-day workshops offer both insightful lectures and practical techniques on current
filmmaking topics.
Financially strapped students interested in attending classes are invited to volunteer for NWFF.
Volunteers gain free access to workshops in exchange for time spent doing volunteer chores. For more
information, contact volunteer@nwfilmforum.org.
- Multi-Session Classes
- One-day Workshops
- Equipment Certifications
- Workshops for Kids
- Summer Camps for Kids and Teens
- Events
- Annual Curriculum
- Instructor Bios
Multi-Session Classes
Feature Filmmaking for the Guerillas: A Comprehensive Overview of Low-Budget Production and Distribution
Saturday and Sunday, June 7 & 8, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Jon Moritsugu
Tuition: $225 WigglyWorld Members / $255 General Public
Max Attendance: 12
Join acclaimed director Jon Moritsugu (FAME WHORE, SCUMROCK) as he offers a comprehensive crash
course in low budget filmmaking. Instead of feeling under the gun, learn from an expert how to
approach a production creatively within the constraints of a low/very low budget. The class will
cover creating a feature film from pre-production through production and into releasing the finished
movie. The entire process will be distilled down to its most important components, focusing
primarily on guerilla techniques, do-it-yourself approaches and quick and low-cost solutions to
common roadblocks. Classes will consist of lectures, viewing film clips and plenty of hand-outs,
covering pre-production (including scriptwriting, finding producers, financing, scheduling and
budgeting), production (shotlists, storyboards, shooting quickly, handling disasters and the
director's responsibilities), post-production (editing, sound design and mastering) and what to do
with your film after it's finished (festivals, markets, distribution and promotion).
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Basic Videography
Four Tuesdays, July 15, 22, 29 & Aug. 5, 6:30-9:30pm
Instructor: Erik Vilinskas
Tuition: $250 WigglyWorld Members / $280 General Public
Max Attendance: 8
Learn how composition, lighting, and depth of field interact to create memorable images. This class
will cover basic videography skills and provide the opportunity to operate the Northwest Film
Forum's Canon GL1, Panasonic AG-DVX100, and HVX200. We will discuss the differences between video
and film and the benefits and pitfalls of some of the more popular video formats currently in use.
We will also address the basics of lighting for video, as well as how to record good field audio
using a shotgun microphone and boom. Hands-on sessions will demystify the buttons and menu functions
common to most consumer and professional video cameras. This class will give you a solid foundation
for your video projects, whether you plan to use the Film Forum's cameras or your own.
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Screenwriting 101: The Eight Week Screenplay
Eight Wednesdays, July 30-Sep. 17, 7-9pm
Instructor: Matt Obst
Tuition: $230 WigglyWorld Members / $260 General Public
Max Attendance: 8
Whether you want to pitch your film to Hollywood or make an independent feature, you will learn the
details of script formatting, story structure, character development and dialogue, while working in
small groups and individually with the instructor to complete a feature-length screenplay in only
eight weeks. The only pre-requisite is you come to class with an idea for a feature film.
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Beginning Editing With Final Cut Pro
Two Sessions to choose from:
Three Mondays, June 16, 23 & 30, 6-9pm
Three Mondays, July 14, 21 & 28, 6-9pm
Instructors: J. Cody Lucido & Dina Guttmann
Tuition: $250 WigglyWorld Members / $280 General Public
Max Attendance: 6
Learn the basics of non-linear editing with Final Cut Pro. This course covers settings, basic
principles, effects, titles, sound and printing to video with hands-on experience for each student.
This class is for students who intend to work in digital video productions and want to know some of
the basic skills of editing in a non-linear environment. Prior experience in non-linear editing is
not required, but basic computer skills are necessary. Time is available in NWFF's editing suite for
students to work between classes.
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After Effects Basics
Three Tuesdays, Aug. 26, Sep. 2 & 9, 6:30-9:30pm
Instructor: Erik Vilinskas
Tuition: $250 WigglyWorld Members / $280 General Public
Max Attendance: 6
AfterEffects is a powerful animation and compositing tool, with a wide range of applications.
Commonly used for film, television and multimedia, this program can be difficult to crack at first.
Once the basics are mastered, it offers a rich and nearly unlimited range of creative possibilities.
We’ll be learning from the ground up how to animate typography, as well as combine and manipulate
footage and other elements to create effects and motion graphics.
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Editing Theory: Hands On
Three Mondays, Sept 8, 15 & 22, 6:30-9:30pm
Instructor: Dina Guttmann
Tuition: $250 WigglyWorld Members / $280 General Public
Max Attendance: 6
Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of Final Cut Pro
What any good editor will tell you is that the tools are the least important part of editing. As a
friend says, "Driving across country in a Peugeot would be swell, but a Pinto will do." What is
important? Understanding how edit decisions effect your story, texture and the message of your film.
Take this class to explore editing theory by examining footage cut by some of the greats, watching
a live professional editor at work and cutting video to see first hand how a scene changes depending
on how it's put together.
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Introduction to Flash
Four Wednesdays, Aug. 27, Sep. 3, 10 & 17, 6:30-9:30pm
Instructor: Bryan Schaeffer
Tuition: $290/WigglyWorld Members, $320/General Public
Max Attendance: 6
Prerequiste: Basic knowledge of Photoshop and a vector-based drawing program (Illustrator, Freehand)
Flash is the premiere software for animating different media formats, including photography, line
art, sound and video. Learn the basic skills of Flash's robust animation tools to incorporate in the
interactive environment of a website. With hands-on learning in class and between class assignments,
you'll learn how to create animations starting from storyboards and a project plan, navigate the
Flash environment, determine the best production methods, and put into motion your most creative
ideas. During the class, students will each develop individual projects under the guidance of the
instructor. By the end of this introduction, you will feel comfortable with Flash's comprehensive
set of tools to really begin exploring new realms of animation and interactivity.
One-Day Workshops
Flix Remix: A Found Footage Workshop
Saturday, Aug. 16, 1-4:30pm
Instructor: Craig Baldwin - Visiting artist!
Tuition: $40 WigglyWorld Members / $50 General Public
Max Attendance: 15
Put your hands on celluloid and experience found footage filmmaking, the ultimate form of "green"
production! Drawing on his vast experience as a found footage guru, Craig Baldwin will discuss the
genre's influence on alternative cinema, screening clips from his found footage classics,
TRIBULATION 99, SONIC OUTLAWS and other works. The creative and critical methods of working with
archival film prints will be demonstrated through hands-on activities. Using projectors, rewinds,
viewers, splicers and an optical-sound reader, participants will compose "re-purposed" cine-poems,
with either the extant soundtrack(s), or set against some other audio source (bring your own CD).
Uncanny, even anomalous 16mm industrial film stock provided. No experience required, just a
willingness to experiment.
Watch MOCK UP ON MU - a film by Craig Baldwin!
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Sound Recording for Film/Video
Saturday, Aug. 30, 1-3pm & Sunday, Aug. 31, 1-4pm
Instructor: Robb Kunz
Tuition: $65 WigglyWorld Members / $80 General Public
Max Attendance: 12
This 5 hour workshop will present you with the essential principles of
audio signal, microphone and recorder technology and technique. The
first evening will be a two hour lecture, and the second class will
include three hours of hands-on, field test and evaluation.
Participants will learn how to listen and capture better in the
production phase.
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HD Workflow Seminar with Modern Digital
TBA
Instructor: Modern Digital
Tuition: $15 WigglyWorld Members / $20 General Public
Max Attendance: 50
High Definition is the way of the future! But in these toddler years of HD, it can be a daunting
experience to get the product you want among the many choices from production to delivery. Modern
Digital is a post production facility in Seattle that provides online finishing for video projects.
With a fully pimped-out Final Cut Pro HD suite, they are well prepared to offer advice and guidance
for directors, producers and editors that intend to immerse themselves in this lush format. In this
discussion, we'll address the various species of High Definition (HDV, DVCPRO-HD, Uncompressed HD),
describe what elements you can do efficiently with a home system and what you should take to a post
production company, and help to explain what kind of bang for your buck you can expect out of your
budget.
Kids' Workshops
Creatures Everywhere! Animation with Household Objects
Saturday, May 24, 12-3pm
Instructor: Britta Johnson
Tuition: $30
Max Attendance: 10
Recommended for children age 9-13
Learn how to combine and animate household objects for the camera.
From marshmallow puppets to choreography with office supplies, we'll go
through basic tricks for making an object seem as if it has a life of
its own. Students will make puppets from ordinary objects, and then
bring their creations to life under the camera with stop-motion
animation. Come to class with an active imagination, all materials will
be provided, and a DVD will be made for the kids to keep.
Summer Filmmaking Camps for Kids & Teens
Moviemaking in Action: Using Video to Tell Your Stories
Monday-Friday, July 14-18, 12-4pm
Instructor: Amanda Becker
Tuition: $200
Max Attendance: 9
Recommended for ages 14-17
In the beginning there is a story. But what does it take to get from story to screen? This week
long, intensive course is designed to help you build a story or experiment with themes, learn the
basic techniques of digital filmmaking (including: video cameras, lighting, and sound) as well as
discovering the magic behind persistence of vision. We'll work in small groups, developing ideas
and learning the basic communication skills necessary to function as a filmmaking team. Your 2-3
minute group films will be edited using Final Cut Pro. The course will conclude with a screening of
all finished projects in NWFF's cinema.
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Film School: Photography and Super 8 Filmmaking
Monday-Friday, Aug. 18-22, 11am-3pm
Instructor: Craig Downing
Tuition: $200
Max Attendance: 9
Recommended for ages 11-14
Ever thought that you wanted to make films but didn't know where to start? This class will introduce
you to the process of making Super 8 films. This class gives a brief history of Super 8 film and
provides students with hands-on experiences using Super 8 film cameras, to make and premier their
own film. Students need only to bring pencil and paper. We will provide 35mm still cameras, Super 8
cameras, Super 8 projectors, lighting equipment, Super 8 film and a theater to show the final films
to friends and family. Students will start understanding proper exposures using provided 35mm still
cameras and then advance to a test roll of Super 8 film. The student's final project will be to make
a short Super 8 film. Students will leave having learned about basic film camera operation, film
exposure and editing.
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Summer Animation Camp
Monday-Friday, July 7-11, 12-4pm
Instructor: Britta Johnson
Tuition: $200
Max Attendance: 10
Recommended for ages 14-17
Are you a first-time animator or a seasoned filmmaker looking to pick up some new tricks and skills?
Come join us for a solid week of animation! We'll go through the whole process: planning a
project with scripts and storyboards, using movement to give characters expression, and finishing
pieces with voiceovers and sound. Students can choose to animate drawings, collage, clay, puppets,
or objects.
Certifications
Panasonic DVX100 Camera
Four sessions to choose from:
Monday, June 13, 6:30pm
Wednesday, July 23, 6:30pm
Monday, Aug. 25, 6:30pm
Tuesday, Sep. 23, 6:30pm
Instructor: Dave Hanagan
Tuition: $25/WigglyWorld Members, $35/General Public
Max Attendance: 7
Get trained on NWFF's Panasonic 24p digital camera, the most glamorous camera in town! This
certification is required for anyone interested in using our DVX100 without having prior experience
on the camera. Learn how to take full advantage of the camera's features: XLR audio inputs, 24 or 30
frame progressive acquisition, time-lapse interval recording and cine-like gamma control.
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Panasonic HVX200 Camera
Three sessions to choose from:
Monday, June 2, 6:30pm
Wednesday, July 2, 6:30pm
Monday, Sep. 1, 6:30pm
Instructor: Dave Hanagan and Ben Kasulke
Tuition: $25/WigglyWorld Members, $35/General Public
Max Attendance: 7
Prerequiste: students must first take the DVX100 certification or have prior experience with the
DVX100
Similar in feel to the DVX100, the HVX shoots in a wide variety of frame rates and it offers the
revolutionary P2 solid-state memory cards.This workshop will continue where the DVX leaves off, and
cover advanced camera features, menu settings, and workflow recording in HD using the P2 cards.
After attending this certification, members will have access to rent NWFF's HVX200 camera.
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Self-Serve Film Transfer
Four sessions to choose from:
Monday, June 16, 6:30pm
Wednesday, July 16, 6:30pm
Monday, Aug. 11, 6:30pm
Tuesday, Sep. 9, 6:30pm
Instructor: Dave Hanagan
Instructor: Dave Hanagan
Tuition: $25/WigglyWorld Members, $35/General Public
Max Attendance: 7
Learn how to transfer your own 16mm and Super-8 movies to digital video using NWFF's
Sup'd-Up-Bad-Ass-Optical-Printer-From-Hell. This certification class is required to use our
low-cost, flicker-free, rock-solid-registration telecine. After being taught the basics,
participants will be able to sign up and use the optical printer for the room's filmmaker-friendly
rate of $5/hour.
Events
Film Saloon: Adaptations and Revisions
Thursday, Aug. 21, 7pm
Admission: $3 NWFF Members / $5 General Public
(no advanced registration required)
NWFF's quarterly Filmmakers Saloon: A panel discussion and socializing event for the local film
community
This summer we call attention to film artists who draw from the creative wellspring of those that
have come before them. Cinema has a long history of making visual adaptations to novels, plays,
comic books, operas, etc. But muses sometimes speak in tongues! Cinema is also strewn with
controversial successes and failures as directors re-imagine their source material to challenge
traditional fans and engage with new ones by turning familiar material on its ear.
Tonight, we sit down with some of Seattle's own filmmakers who have chosen to make work based in
part or in full on someone else's previous work. Some filmmakers attempt to remain faithful to the
original text and illustrate by supplying images to the text (or sounds) from the author. Others
choose to reinterpret the source material to fit an alternative or more modern perspective of a
well-traveled work. This panel discussion will feature a bevy of local film artists, showing clips
of their work and discussing the topic, led by our inimitable moderator, Andy Spletzer. Come with
your own opinions and decide for yourself if these artists are walking in the footsteps of greats or
merely stomping on graves.
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IMAGIRO - 2007 Screenplay Competition Reading
TBA, 7pm
Admission: Free!
(no advanced registration required)
Join us for a reading from our 2007 Washington State
Screenplay Competition. IMAGIRO, by Carian Michele and Betty Kim, is about a young girl who
discovers the ancient secret of origami and is catapulted into a fantasy adventure where her only
chance of survival is her own imagination.
COMPLETE ANNUAL CLASS LIST
Screenwriting
Screenwriting I: Birth of the First Draft
Screenwriting II: Writing is Rewriting
Production
Basic 16mm Filmmaking
Sound Recording for Film/Video
Experiments in Animation
Optical Printer Basics
Feature Filmmaking for the Guerillas
Lighting for Film and Video
Intermediate Cinematography
Editing
Beginning Editing with Final Cut Pro 4
After Effects Basics
Beginning Flash Animation
Advanced Final Cut: Editing Styles and Strategies
Editing Theories: Hands On
Introduction to DVD Studio Pro
GarageBand for Directors
ONE DAY AND WEEKEND WORKSHOPS
Filmmaking 101 Seminar
Producers Nuts and Bolts
Career Opportunities
Film and Video Distribution
Hand-processing B/W & Color
The Gory Details
Grant Writing for Artists
Business Sense For Filmmakers
Script Supervision and Continuity
Camera Assistant Basics
High Definition From Start to Finish
Writing a Script You Can Sell
Panasonic HVX200
Panasonic DVX100
Self Serve Film Transfer
Animation Stand
Steadicam
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Craig Downing has been shooting film for 20 years and teaching elementary students for 6 years. His Super 8 films have played in film festivals around the country.
Dave Hanagan is a Seattle filmmaker and the current Studio Director of the Northwest Film Forum. He has many years of filmmaking experience. You may have seen his most popular work on ABC's Reality TV, hip-hop public access shows in Atlanta, Georgia, or downloaded from the internet.
Bryan Schaeffer is the owner of Design Revelations, a conceptually driven graphic design company that provides services in print, web, illustration, presentation design and motion graphics. Prior to founding Design Revelations in 2001, Bryan Schaeffer has worked for Architectural Firms and Ad Agencies in the Seattle/Tacoma region. Mr. Schaeffer's graphic design experience covers a wide range from detailed product illustration to user interface design with particularly strong expertise in multimedia for live events. Mr. Schaeffer is a 1990 Graduate of Pacific Lutheran University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. He has completed a scholarship Art Director course at the Seattle School of Visual Concepts in 2001. Mr. Schaeffer currently resides in Seattle, WA with his wife Anne and their identical twin girls where he makes frequent trips to recreate in the Cascades.
Writer/director Jon Moritsugu has made over a dozen independently-financed films including 6 features ranging in budget from $5,000 to $360,000. His most recent movie, SCUMROCK, was shot for under $5,000 using a consumer Hi8 camcorder. It won "Best Feature" Award at both the New York AND Chicago Underground Film Festivals and was selected by The Village Voice Film Critics Poll as "Best of the Year." Moritsugu has been making and self-distributing his work since the late-80's and has taught filmmaking at San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, Film Arts Foundation, and University of Hawaii. www.jonmoritsugu.com
Amanda Becker has a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies and has achieved a diploma in film production from the Vancouver Film School, in Vancouver, B.C. Her film experience includes writing, producing, and directing both documentary and narrative shorts. She has worked with independent filmmaker, Loretta Smith, on her feature length documentary, "Ron Kovic: A Good American." Amanda has taught filmmaking and video production to high school students as well as mentoring young girls in the Seattle area Reel Grrls video production program.
is a three-time award winning screenwriter who has written five feature-length screenplays as well as a television pilot and is currently represented by the Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency in NYC. Having attended meetings at every major studio, Matthew offers an insightful view into the Hollywood system from a Northwest perspective.