Creating Film Projects from Scratch
A course by Sergio Castro San MartinFilmmaker and Photographer
A course by Sergio Castro San Martin, Filmmaker and Photographer
Develop an original movie idea and put together a director’s folder for a fiction film, documentary, short film, or TV series
Want to launch your own film project but not sure where to start? In this online course, filmmaker Sergio Castro San Martín teaches you how to prepare a director’s folder for a fiction film, documentary, short film, or TV series based on an original idea. Sergio has directed films like La Mujer de Barro, screened at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and Berlinale, and TV series such as La Jauría, on Amazon Prime.
Using a full-length film as a reference, learn to identify and develop the fundamental concepts required to meet audiovisual industry standards and compile them into a director's folder, which you can use to present future projects in international markets, at film festivals, and even to investors.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 19 downloads
The Genesis of an Idea
9 minutes, 48 seconds
Transformation of the Original Idea
6 minutes, 2 seconds
Tagline and Storyline
9 minutes, 47 seconds
First Plot Synopsis
13 minutes, 42 seconds
Your Own Story
7 minutes, 16 seconds
Characters
13 minutes, 48 seconds
What's included in this course?
Sergio Castro starts the course by telling you a bit about himself and how he became a fiction and documentary film director. He also shares his biggest influences and sources of inspiration.
Next, explore your own influences and interests, and discover techniques to help you find ideas for your project. Learn the fundamentals of storytelling to piece together a narrative based on your vision as a director, composing the tagline and storyline.
Follow up by writing a letter of motivation that explains what sets your film apart from the rest. Then draft a script and start building the universe for your project, complete with characters and locations.
To tie everything together, Sergio teaches you how to create a convincing audiovisual proposal with the most representative images from your mood board and design a professional-looking director's folder. Wrap up the course by learning about the film industry's standards and how to successfully pitch your ideas to get backing for your project.
What is this course's project?
Prepare a director's folder with all the essential elements for your film or audiovisual project, which you can present in international markets, at festivals, and even to investors.
Who is this online course for?
Anyone with an inclination towards art, literature, or film who is interested in and motivated by the idea of telling stories through an audiovisual lens.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience in film projects is necessary for this course. All you need are a few tools like a word processor, such as Microsoft Word, and any program that allows you to work with text and images, like PowerPoint.
Reviews
- 10 months ago
Amo!
- 11 months ago
Very informative filmmaking course. Not many opportunities to actually learn how to make a director's dossier from beginning to end, not to mention watching an actual film director show you his real time process from story conception to completed project. I already had my story figured out for the most part, but following along with this course has made me backtrack and better define certain concepts. Now, I'm confident that I have the director's dossier that's producer/investor-ready!
- 1 year ago
Por el momento excelente, explica muy bien sabe trasmitir lo que siente.
- 1 year ago
Cero arrepentimientos. Amé tomar este curso y espero volver a tenerlo como profesor ❤️🩹
- 1 year ago
Excelente curso!
His next major breakthrough came on the heels of his 2015 feature-length film La Mujer de Barro, which propelled him to the international stage at Berlinale and the San Sebastián International Film Festival. In 2019, he directed the full-length documentary El Negro and joined forces with Lucía Puenzo to codirect his first fiction drama series La Jauría, featured on Amazon Prime. In 2022, he codirected the first Chilean TV show for Disney alongside Pepa San Martín and directed the fiction film El Gol Más Triste, as well as his first international film Il Cileno.
He's been a member of the Chilean Film Academy since 2020 and is also a film professor at several universities where he teaches film production, editing, scriptwriting, and title design.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
The Original Idea
- The Genesis of an Idea
- Transformation of the Original Idea
- Tagline and Storyline
- U3
Materials for the Director's Dossier
- First Plot Synopsis
- Your Own Story
- Characters
- Environment and World
- The Audiovisual Proposal
- Mood Board
- U4
The Director’s Folder and What to Do With It
- The Director's Dossier
- Pitching
- FP
Final project
- Creating Film Projects from Scratch
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to craft original audiovisual stories, integrate photography, visual design, character creation, and pitching techniques for film projects—blending fiction and documentary—while using creative tools like moodboards, synopses, and director’s portfolios.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those with basic knowledge of film, photography, or audiovisual storytelling who want to deepen their skills in directing, project development, and creative tools.
You only need some prior audiovisual knowledge, access to a camera (analog or digital), a sketchbook, and a willingness to explore personal experiences and research real stories.
You’ll be able to create director’s dossiers, synopses, taglines, storylines, moodboards, and professional director’s portfolios for audiovisual proposals, including short films, feature films, documentaries, and drama series.
Yes, you’ll learn actor directing techniques, how to create and develop original characters, and how to translate motivations and emotions into visual actions for film and series.
Yes, the course teaches methods to combine documentary and fiction elements, enriching the narrative and expanding creative possibilities in audiovisual projects.
Yes, you’ll explore analog photography concepts, sketching, and darkroom developing as part of the creative and storytelling process.