Advanced Diploma in Film Making & Media Production (Advanced)

Training Method: Classroom Theory + Demonstration + Hands-on Practice + Production Projects + Internship/Industry Exposure

UNIT 1: Advanced Storytelling, Screenwriting & Film Development

Theory

1. Fundamentals of cinematic storytelling
2. Story concepts, themes and genres
3. Three-act and alternative story structures
4. Character development and character arcs
5. Conflict, motivation and dramatic tension
6. Scene construction and visual storytelling
7. Advanced screenplay formatting
8. Dialogue writing and subtext
9. Adaptation and original screenplay development
10. Script analysis and rewriting
11. Logline, synopsis and treatment writing
12. Developing a director's vision
13. Copyright and intellectual property basics

Practical

1. Develop an original film concept
2. Create a logline and synopsis
3. Develop major and supporting characters
4. Write a treatment
5. Write a short-film screenplay
6. Break screenplay into scenes
7. Create a storyboard
8. Prepare a detailed shot list
9. Conduct script-reading sessions
10. Rewrite and polish the screenplay
11. Prepare a complete film-development dossier

UNIT 2: Advanced Cinematography, Camera & Lens

Theory

1. Principles of professional cinematography
2. Digital cinema cameras
3. Camera sensors and image formats
4. Lens types and characteristics
5. Focal length and perspective
6. Exposure triangle
7. Dynamic range and image latitude
8. Focus and depth of field
9. Composition and visual language
10. Camera angles and movement
11. Handheld, tripod, gimbal and dolly techniques
12. Visual continuity
13. Cinematic aspect ratios and frame rates
14. Camera workflow and media management

Practical

1. Professional camera setup
2. Manual exposure exercises
3. Lens testing
4. Depth-of-field exercises
5. Composition and framing
6. Camera movement exercises
7. Handheld cinematography
8. Gimbal operation
9. Dolly/tracking exercises
10. Multi-shot scene coverage
11. Cinematic sequence shooting
12. Creating a cinematography test reel

UNIT 3: Advanced Lighting, Colour & Visual Design

Theory

1. Principles of cinematic lighting
2. Natural and artificial light
3. Three-point lighting
4. Key, fill and backlight
5. High-key and low-key lighting
6. Hard and soft light
7. Light direction and quality
8. Colour temperature
9. White balance
10. Colour psychology
11. Motivated lighting
12. Night and low-light cinematography
13. Lighting for different genres
14. Visual mood and production design
15. Introduction to colour grading

Practical

1. Three-point lighting setup
2. High-key lighting
3. Low-key lighting
4. Natural-light control
5. Indoor and outdoor lighting
6. Night-scene lighting
7. Practical-light integration
8. Colour-temperature exercises
9. Lighting a dialogue scene
10. Creating dramatic lighting
11. Creating cinematic mood
12. Shooting a professional lighting reel

UNIT 4: Film Direction, Acting & Scene Design

Theory

1. Role of the film director
2. Director's vision
3. Script interpretation
4. Directorial style
5. Casting principles
6. Actor communication
7. Character development with actors
8. Blocking and staging
9. Mise-en-scène
10. Scene rhythm and pacing
11. Directing dialogue scenes
12. Directing emotional performances
13. Continuity and coverage
14. Working with cinematography, sound and art departments
15. Professional set management

Practical

1. Script breakdown from a director's perspective
2. Preparing a director's notebook
3. Casting exercise
4. Actor audition management
5. Conducting rehearsals
6. Actor blocking
7. Directing dialogue
8. Directing emotional scenes
9. Planning master shots
10. Planning coverage
11. Managing continuity
12. Directing a complete short scene

UNIT 5: Production Design, Art Direction, Costume & Makeup

Theory

1. Introduction to production design
2. Visual concept development
3. Set design fundamentals
4. Props and set dressing
5. Location design
6. Costume design
7. Character appearance
8. Makeup for film
9. Hair styling for characters
10. Colour palette development
11. Period and genre-based design
12. Continuity in costume and makeup
13. Art department workflow
14. Budgeting for production design

Practical

1. Create a visual mood board
2. Develop a production design concept
3. Location dressing
4. Prop selection and placement
5. Costume planning
6. Character styling
7. Basic film makeup
8. Hair and character styling
9. Create a colour palette
10. Design a scene according to a script
11. Maintain visual continuity
12. Complete production-design project

UNIT 6: Professional Sound Recording, Sound Design & Music

Theory

1. Importance of sound in cinema
2. Production sound workflow
3. Microphone types
4. Boom and lavalier microphones
5. Recording dialogue
6. Ambient and location sound
7. Room tone
8. Sound levels and monitoring
9. Audio synchronization
10. Foley fundamentals
11. Sound effects
12. Dialogue editing
13. Background music
14. Sound design
15. Basic mixing and mastering
16. Copyright and music licensing basics

Practical

1. Microphone selection
2. Boom operation
3. Lavalier microphone placement
4. Dialogue recording
5. Recording room tone
6. Recording ambient sound
7. Location sound exercise
8. Audio synchronization
9. Creating Foley effects
10. Editing dialogue
11. Adding sound effects
12. Creating a basic soundscape
13. Mixing dialogue, music and effects
14. Final audio export

UNIT 7: Advanced Editing, Colour Grading & Post-Production

Theory

1. Professional post-production workflow
2. Non-linear editing principles
3. Media organization
4. Editing formats and codecs
5. Proxy workflow
6. Continuity editing
7. Montage and storytelling through editing
8. Pacing and rhythm
9. Advanced audio editing
10. Colour correction
11. Colour grading
12. Look development
13. Titles and motion graphics
14. Visual effects basics
15. Final mastering and delivery formats
16. Backup and archive management

Practical

1. Organizing production footage
2. Creating a professional editing project
3. Syncing audio and video
4. Rough-cut editing
5. Fine-cut editing
6. Continuity correction
7. Montage editing
8. Advanced audio editing
9. Colour correction
10. Basic colour grading
11. Creating a cinematic look
12. Titles and credits
13. Basic visual effects
14. Final mastering
15. Exporting multiple delivery formats

UNIT 8: Documentary, Digital Media & Multi-Platform Production

Theory

1. Documentary filmmaking fundamentals
2. Documentary research
3. Interview techniques
4. Observational filmmaking
5. Documentary structure
6. Corporate and promotional films
7. Music video production
8. Short-form digital content
9. Social media video production
10. Multi-camera production
11. Live and event video basics
12. Vertical and horizontal formats
13. Platform-specific content
14. Digital storytelling
15. Content strategy and audience development

Practical

1. Documentary topic selection
2. Research and pre-interview
3. Interview setup
4. Documentary shooting
5. B-roll planning
6. Corporate/promotional video
7. Music-video sequence
8. Social media short-form video
9. Multi-camera shooting exercise
10. Event video coverage
11. Vertical video production
12. Complete documentary mini-project

UNIT 9: Film Production Management, Marketing & Distribution

Theory

1. Film production management
2. Pre-production planning
3. Production budgeting
4. Scheduling and call sheets
5. Crew structure and responsibilities
6. Equipment planning
7. Location management
8. Production safety
9. Risk assessment
10. Production documentation
11. Film marketing fundamentals
12. Branding and promotional strategy
13. Film festival basics
14. Digital distribution
15. OTT and online publishing concepts
16. Audience development
17. Copyright and release documentation
18. Career and freelance opportunities

Practical

1. Prepare a production budget
2. Create a shooting schedule
3. Prepare call sheets
4. Create a crew list
5. Prepare equipment lists
6. Location scouting and documentation
7. Production risk assessment
8. Production coordination
9. Create a film poster concept
10. Create a trailer/teaser
11. Develop a social-media promotion plan
12. Create a basic distribution plan
13. Prepare a professional production file

UNIT 10: Major Film Project, Portfolio & Professional Practice

Theory

1. Planning a professional film project
2. Project development and pitching
3. Director's vision and treatment
4. Production workflow
5. Quality control
6. Post-production supervision
7. Film presentation and screening
8. Showreel development
9. Professional portfolio creation
10. Industry communication and networking
11. Freelancing and career development
12. Film-business fundamentals
13. Professional ethics
14. Final project evaluation

Practical – Major Film Project

Stage 1: Development

1. Select film concept
2. Write logline and synopsis
3. Develop screenplay
4. Prepare director's treatment
5. Create storyboard
6. Prepare shot list

Stage 2: Pre-Production

1. Casting
2. Location scouting
3. Production design
4. Costume and makeup planning
5. Budgeting
6. Scheduling
7. Equipment planning
8. Crew allocation
9. Call sheets
10. Production safety planning

Stage 3: Production

1. Camera setup
2. Lighting setup
3. Sound recording
4. Directing
5. Actor management
6. Scene blocking
7. Coverage
8. Continuity
9. Data management
10. Daily production review

Stage 4: Post-Production

1. Media organization
2. Rough cut
3. Fine cut
4. Dialogue editing
5. Sound design
6. Music
7. Colour correction
8. Colour grading
9. Titles and credits
10. Final mastering

Stage 5: Portfolio & Presentation

1. Film poster
2. Trailer/teaser
3. Behind-the-scenes documentation
4. Director's statement
5. Production portfolio
6. Professional showreel
7. Final film screening
8. Project presentation and viva

12-Month Course Progression

MonthMain FocusUnits1Storytelling & ScreenwritingUnit 12Cinematography & CameraUnit 23Lighting & Visual DesignUnit 34Direction & ActingUnit 45Production Design & StylingUnit 56Sound Recording & Sound DesignUnit 67Editing & Post-ProductionUnit 78Documentary & Digital MediaUnit 89Production ManagementUnit 910Major Film Pre-ProductionUnit 1011Major Film Production & Post-ProductionUnit 1012Final Film, Portfolio & AssessmentUnit 10Practical Project Structure

Throughout the 12-month program, students can complete multiple projects:

Project 1 – Cinematic Visual Sequence

Camera → Lighting → Composition → Movement → Editing

Project 2 – Short Fiction Scene

Script → Casting → Direction → Cinematography → Sound → Editing

Project 3 – Documentary

Research → Interview → B-roll → Production → Editing → Sound

Project 4 – Promotional/Digital Media Video

Concept → Script → Production → Editing → Social Media Delivery

Project 5 – Major Final Film

Development → Pre-Production → Production → Post-Production → Screening

Final Examination & Assessment

Theory Examination

Assessment covers:

• Advanced storytelling
• Screenwriting
• Cinematography
• Camera and lenses
• Lighting
• Film direction
• Acting and blocking
• Production design
• Sound
• Editing
• Colour grading
• Documentary production
• Production management
• Film marketing and distribution

Practical Examination

Students demonstrate:

1. Advanced camera operation
2. Cinematic lighting setup
3. Scene direction
4. Actor blocking
5. Professional sound recording
6. Advanced video editing
7. Colour correction and grading
8. Sound design
9. Production planning
10. Film presentation

Final Major Project

Students produce a 10–20 minute short film or documentary, demonstrating the complete professional workflow:

Concept → Research → Screenplay → Director's Treatment → Storyboard → Casting → Location → Production Design → Budget → Schedule → Cinematography → Lighting → Sound → Direction → Production → Editing → Sound Design → Colour Grading → Titles → Marketing → Final Screening

Final Portfolio

Students complete a professional portfolio containing:

• Final film
• Documentary/digital media project
• Cinematography reel
• Editing reel
• Showreel
• Script/screenplay
• Storyboard
• Production photographs
• Behind-the-scenes material
• Director's statement
• Project breakdown
• Film poster and trailer

This 12-month Advanced Diploma is designed to develop students from advanced technical practitioners into film directors, cinematographers, editors, production professionals, content creators, and independent filmmakers, with both creative and production-management skills.