Digital Video Workshops
San Francisco
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DV Crash

DV Documentary

DV Final Cut Pro

DV Camera Bootcamp

 

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DV Workshop Course Listing

San Francisco Digital Video Workshops currently offers several unique programs to suite your digital video needs.  All Workshops are held at our San Francisco studio.  Digital Video Workshops-San Francisco 

Documentary

Final Cut Pro

DVD Studio Pro

Corporate

Directions to Digital Video Workshops Studio-San Francisco

Documentary Instruction

Students learning documentary

Training the Coast Guard

In class editing


DV Documentary Workshop Basic

The DV Workshop Basic introduces you to basic concepts in the Digital Video process.  Students are introduced to Lighting, Audio and interview techniques.   Basic editing is introduced through the use of Final Cut Pro 4.0 TM editing software.  Students learn through Aron Ranen's proven Fast Track Learning Solution SM  In this course students receive 24 hours of instruction over six evening sessions 7-10pm and one Saturday 10:30am-6pm.  

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DV Final Cut Pro 4.0 TM Weekend Intensive.

The DV Final Cut Pro 4.0 Weekend intensive course also introduces students to concepts in the Digital Video process, however it's focus is on Final Cut Pro HD TM.  Using class supplied hardware and software, students learn the art of using Final Cut Pro 4.0. and Aron Ranen's Fast Track Learning Solution SM.  The class meets on the weekend, over two nine hour days.  

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DV Documentary/DV Journalist Workshop

This class is a one week intensive.  Workshop meets for six days in a row from 10:00am to 7:00pm.  Class will produce a group documentary on one of San Francisco's world famous neighborhoods.  The famous North Beach section of town will be the subject of a documentary film.  The students will explore the history of the great poets as well as explore the nightlife of this colorful neighborhood.  The class will learn how to produce, Shoot, light ,direct , script and edit a documentary.

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DV Corporate Training 

Our Training can come to your office or facility.  We can also produce customized training video/CD's/DVD's on any subject. Click the Corporate Training icon for list of current clients and more info.  We also produce high quality training DVD and Videotapes for some of the Worlds most respected Corporations.

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DV Documentary Filmmaker

This class includes a technical lecture, documentary footage review, discussion groups and film screenings.  A guest director will present work and answer questions.  Students will also form cluster production groups in which they will work on  a documentary project together.  Workshop leader Aron Ranen and guest.

Wednesday nights This is a pay as you go class.   $15 per session. 


DV Documentary Camera and Lighting Bootcamp

An intensive nine hour day of hands-on camera work with lights and outside shooting.  Includes review and critque of your shooting and lighting.  Students will Learn:

  • Fundamentals of interview lighting
  • Understanding c-stands, flags and kino lights
  • Use of "Snoots"
  • How to calibrate a broadcast color monitor
  • Use of color gels
  • Understanding color temp
  • White Balance tricks
  • Understanding and using depth of field

The space is limited, students are encouraged to bring their own cameras to use during lighting excercises.

1-Day $95.00
2-Day $295 

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DV Final Cut Pro 4 (HD) Advanced Classes

Are you ready to Learn Advanced Final Cut Pro?  This is a great opportunity for those with basic Final Cut Pro skills to learn some nice advanced tricks.   Learn advanced Live Type and Title 3D.  Color Correction  and  Video Compositing are also part of these classes. The Instructor is Kevin Monahan, author of Motion Graphics and effects in Final Cut Pro.  (Peach Print Press 2004)  He is the FCP Guru...he can trouble shoot and solve any deep FCP problem.   If your serious about becoming a better Final Cut Pro editor, this is the class for you.

Class combines Lecture and Hands-on Training.

Understanding of Basic Final Cut Pro is required for this course.  

Buy his book on-line at Amazon.com.  Kevin is also an "Apple Certified" Instructor.  Click Here to get info on his book at Amazon.com

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DVD Studio Pro 3 Basic Workshop 

This class features world class DVD author and teacher Rich Winter.  He worked with Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope Production Company, Neil Young and all the top post Houses in the city.  We are really lucky to have him come aboard and teach you all the basics of getting around Apple's DVD Studio Pro.  From creating menus to simple interactivity.  Learn this software and the general approaches to DVD authoring from the best at a very affordable price.  He has authored over 30 Feature Films DVDs including the last 4 releases by Neil Young.  He helped author the DVD for Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Collection" DVD, and his daughters Sofia's "The Virgin Suicides".

Meets as a Weekend Intensive or as a three class Seminar on Wednesday nights.


DV Documentary Crash Digital Video Workshop

4 Days of training in DV Camera use and lighting.  Sound, Interview techniques and scripting ideas.  Plus Final Cut Pro 4 (HD) hands-on training in DV editing and DVD creation with iDVD.  Class will make a documentary, participants will be provided with all equipment, but are encouraged to bring their own DV cameras.  Every student will receive our 40 page DV handbook and a copy of Aron Ranen's Final Cut Pro Training 2-DVD set (a $49.95 Value).  Class meets from 10am to 7pm for four days in a row, with an optional day of Lab editing time with Final Cut Pro and iDVD.  

Instructor for the April Workshop is Aron Ranen


Students will learn:

Documentary pre-production and scripting
Interview techniques
The different documentary styles and approaches
The "Five Elements of Documentary Production"
Hands-on DV Camera use and tips
How to shoot an Interview
Lighting seminar
Audio seminar


Special attention will be paid to the editing process....

DV Editing with Final Cut Pro 4.0
Editing techniques and styles
Split edits
Condensing the interview
Montage
Text and Image
Importing CD music into Final Cut Pro
Understanding rendering and nesting using FCP
Scripting the voice over
Voice over tips
Exporting out of Final Cut Pro
How to make DVDs with Apple idvd

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Kevin Monahan's Master Final Cut Pro Series

A series of Wednesday Night Workshops and lectures on the more advanced side of Final Cut Pro.  Including Advanced Color Correction, Live Type and Title 3D, Photo Shop for Final Cut Pro and more....Visit our Calendar to see what the topic is.  You may register in advance on-line or pay at the door...each three and a half hour workshop is $45.00
 


Dynamic Documentary Story Structure Workshop (7-10pm)


Taggart Seigal, national PBS Documentary director and award winning filmmaker,director of The real Dirt on Farmer John an ITVS funded documentary about a quirky organic Farmer that just won Audience Award at SLAMDANCE for Best Doc Feature and Aron Ranen, winner Best Documentary at the 2004 Idaho Intl Film Festival, and director of "Power & Control- LSD in the Sixties" will join forces for Dynamic Documentary story structure Workshop. The class will cover many of the topics in this newsletter. Including

Using Story Structure to keep the Audience Emotionally involved
How to use the Filmmaker/Subject relationship in your film
Narration..pro or con?
How to avoid a "Talking heads" documentary
How to illustrate and edit the interview
Use of Dramatizations....Authentic or Unathentic?
How to create Scenes that are not interview based.
Understanding the flow of documentary story telling
Feedback on attendee's project Ideas.
Class will view excerpts selected by Taggart and Aron, and examine ideas and story structure that expand the documentary form, and tell a story.

Class $75 includes both nights and wine (21 or older for the wine part). Register on-line by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.


Click here to visit our Registration page


DV Documentary Story Stucture with Chris Upham

During this one day workshop. Students will view documentaries and learn how to apply Story Structure rules and techniques to the documentary Form. Students are encouraged to bign work in progress and project Ideas to class.  There is a second day available for one-on-one consulting with Chris Upham.

Class concepts include:

The Three Elements of Character
How to reveal your character's inner life and mode
When to present the Story conflict
Three Act Structure
Theory of Rising & Falling Action
The Hero's Journey
Review of student work (Bring rough edits and footage to class)
Examples of award winning documentaries

 

More Info
 

Registration
$195


DV Advanced Documentary Story Telling with Adrian Belic (Academy Award Nominated Best Feature Documentary 2000)

2-Day Advanced Documentary story Telling with Academy Award Nominated Director, Adrian Belic, Director of Genghis Blues. Work on a film in progress, try out a new idea, find the steps to get closer to completion...all in two days. $495

Hands-on Training both in our studio and on-location. Learn Professional Lighting at an affordable price.
 

Watch a streaming Video Clip of Adrian Teaching at DVworkshop

1-Night Advanced Documentary Story Telling-(Check the DV Workshop Calendar for dates and times.
 

Click here to visit our Registration page


 
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