Lean Filmmaking: Turn Your Vision into a Short Film
A course by Iliès TerkiFilm Director
A course by Iliès Terki, Film Director
Learn how to write, shoot, and post-produce a meaningful short film using minimum resources
Filmmaking is an opportunity to bring your vision to life by crafting ideas into images and stories. Film director Iliès Terki specializes in doing just that using minimal resources for maximum impact. He runs his own studio specializing in short-form fiction and has worked with brands including adidas, BMW, Renault, and Netflix Germany.
In this online course, Iliès teaches you the process of translating your vision into a short film. Learn to tell meaningful stories with only a few resources, from the initial concept to the final edit. Discover the power of lean filmmaking.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 24 downloads
Why Make a Short Film Narrative?
8 minutes, 11 seconds
Writing a Minimum Viable Story
14 minutes, 4 seconds
Concept Book
13 minutes, 6 seconds
Finalizing the Pre-production Stage
12 minutes, 5 seconds
Communicating with the Talent
3 minutes, 58 seconds
Editing, VFX, and Grading
12 minutes, 55 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know filmmaker and creative director Iliès Terki. Discover the creative journey that led him to start his own studio, along with the influences that inspire him and the work he creates.
Look at the differences between short and long-form storytelling, as well as the advantages and challenges of making a short film. Then dive into what “lean filmmaking” is. Learn Iliès' process for finding a good short story and see how to approach the script writing process.
Create the vision for your short film and transform it into a concept book that can be shared with stakeholders and collaborators. See how to cast actors for your film and build a crew to help you bring it to life. Iliès shares his advice for location scouting, along with the essential steps to take during the pre-production process.
Time to shoot your short film! Learn what to do when you arrive on location and how to communicate effectively with the talent as a director. Then explore how to maximize your coverage and protect your creative energy.
To wrap up the course, Iliès guides you through the process of editing your film, as well as adding music and sound for a professional end result.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Write, shoot, and edit a three-minute short film with a public bench as your stage.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for creative minds with an interest in filmmaking and short-form fiction.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need a camera (like a DSLR or smartphone), a tripod, an actor, and access to editing software such as DaVinci Resolve.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Excellent course! Very informative and encouraging to create my own short films. :)
- 8 months ago
muy bueno
- 9 months ago
Amazing insigh for filmaking
- hugocabritaPLUS1 year ago
Me encanto!
- 2 years ago
Es más una serie de videos generalistas, que quizá a alguien le pueda inspirar, pero para nada es un curso. El indice que forma el curso no tiene nada de real. Nada técnico, nada práctico. Si esperas ver que equipos utilizar, como realizar tomas, como editar, como crear un guion técnico, etc. olvídate.. Por si alguno no entiende inglés, que sepa que es en inglés. No lo recomiento
Since then, Iliès has established his own studio, Idle Films, which has produced a series of 52 fiction stories and small vignettes. He has also worked with brands including adidas, BMW, Renault, Netflix Germany, UNICEF, Penguin Random House, and Haribo.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Lean Filmmaking
- Why Make a Short Film Narrative?
- Intro to Lean Filmmaking
- How to Find a Good Short Story
- Writing a Minimum Viable Story
- U3
Pre-production
- Creating the Vision for Your Short
- Concept Book
- Casting for Indie-Filmmaking
- Building a Squad and Getting Feedback
- Location Scouting
- Finalizing the Pre-production Stage
- U4
Production
- Arriving on Location
- Communicating with the Talent
- How Pre-production Helps You
- Protecting the Creative Energy
- U5
Post-production
- Editing, VFX, and Grading
- Music and Sound
- FP
Final project
- Lean Filmmaking: Turn Your Vision into a Short Film
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.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
This course is best for those with some prior filmmaking knowledge or experience. It explores intermediate concepts in lean production, storytelling, and collaborative workflows for short form and independent films.
You can start with basic equipment such as a DSLR camera or even an iPhone. The course emphasizes using what you have, focusing on minimalism, lean production, and leveraging personal resources.
You'll learn lean production, storyboarding, prototyping, collaborative filmmaking, cinematic lighting, using public spaces, and self-financing strategies. The course covers both creative and practical aspects of making short films independently.
Yes, the course focuses on low-budget short film production, lean filmmaking techniques, and leveraging available resources for cost-effective independent film projects.
You’ll learn to develop concise storylines, write dialogue-free scripts, pitch story ideas, and connect personal themes to universal narratives, using practical tools like word clouds and scene breakdowns.
Yes, the course covers collaborative techniques, building a filmmaking squad, effective team roles, and aligning your crew around a unified vision for independent production.
Absolutely. The course includes filming techniques with iPhones and encourages using your own equipment to create high-quality short films.