Introduction to Film Photography Direction
A course by David Curto, Cinematographer
Learn to convey the emotions of a story through light and a camera
The ability to tell a story and enhance its emotional charge through lighting, colors, and the camera requires an understanding of light itself. With more than a decade of experience translating scripts into images, director of photography David Curto has mastered these aspects of filmmaking to tell stories like few others can. He has made films and advertising spots for brands such as Netflix, Avianca, and Ford and music videos for artists such as David Bisbal and Juan Magán, among others.
In this online course, learn the fundamentals of photography and creative direction for films. David teaches you how to extract key character emotions from a script in two different genres and convey them through lighting and your lens.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 29 downloads
What's included in this course?
Get to know David Curto as he tells you about his love for cinema and photography, along with his creative journey through the audiovisual world. He also shares his favorite projects and biggest influences, including paintings, movies, and other directors of photography.
Continue by learning how to read and interpret a script, in this case, two distinct scenes filmed in the same space. Discover your teacher’s creative process, including how he finds inspiration and analyzes a character's story to convey their emotions through light, colors, and the camera. Then see how to scout for a great location.
Once you've decided where to film, go over the essential equipment for your shoot. David explains how to choose the right camera, lenses, and lighting gear for your project based on their characteristics and your narrative approach. Now grab all the materials you need and get filming!
See how to light up your set, position your camera, and which settings are best for capturing each scene. David then guides you through the filming process, shooting a romantic scene first, followed by a dramatic one.
With your footage in hand, learn how to color correct and export your piece with a video editing program (ideally DaVinci Resolve), considering important concepts such as formats, aspect ratios, and codecs.
You now have all the skills to tell your own story through lighting and your camera lens.
- 98% positive reviews (456)
- 18,882 students
- 20 lessons (2h 46m)
- 29 additional resources (19 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Interpret a script to film two distinct scenes in the same space, emphasizing the visual narrative and conveying different emotions in a single location through your camera and lighting.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who loves film, the audiovisual world, and everything related to images and storytelling.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of photography and camera use is essential for this course, as well as a good dose of creativity. In terms of materials, you need a computer with a free editing program (DaVinci Resolve is recommended), a video camera, and access to a light source or lighting equipment.
Reviews
David Curto
A course by David Curto
David Curto is in love with cinema and photography. He studied at the Higher School of Cinema and Audiovisual of Catalonia (ESCAC). A native of Spain, in 2010 he moved to Colombia, where he lived for 8 years. He currently divides his time between the two countries.
He has worked for brands such as Motorola, Honda, Ford, Avianca, Nestlé, and Heineken and has filmed music videos for artists like Sebastian Yatra, David Bisbal, Juan Magán, Aitana, Ana Guerra, Lalo Ebratt, Greeicy, Tini, and others. He worked as the director of photography on films such as The Boy by Craig Macnaill, Fucking Games and Anthropos by Spiros Stathoulopoulos, and Bad Lucky Goat by Samir Oliveros, presenting the latter worldwide at the SXSW festival in Austin (USA).
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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What will we do during the course?
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U2
Preproduction
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Script reading
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Creativity and inspiration
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Scouting
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Designing the cinematography of our story
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U3
Preparation and materials
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Camera and optics
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illumination
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Materials we are going to use
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U4
Filming
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Illuminating the set (Scene 1, Romance)
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Positioning the camera and exposure (Scene 1, Romance)
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Action (Scene 1, Romance)
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Lighting up the set (Scene 2, Drama)
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Positioning the camera and exposure (Scene 2, Drama)
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Action (Scene 2, Drama)
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U5
Post-production: final setting
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Colorization I
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Colorization II
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Formats
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Final piece
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FP
Final project
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Introduction to cinematographic photography direction
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn how to turn scripts into striking images, master lighting, composition, camera work, and color techniques, and create visual atmospheres that convey emotion and cinematic narratives.
Yes, the course is designed for those with intermediate knowledge looking to deepen their skills in cinematography, visual storytelling, and advanced filmmaking techniques.
It’s recommended to have basic knowledge or prior experience in audiovisual work, as the course starts at an intermediate level and covers advanced technical and creative concepts.
You’ll need a digital camera (DSLR or mirrorless works), access to editing and color grading tools, and basic lighting gear. Editing software like DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere is recommended.
Yes, the course covers lighting techniques using both natural and artificial light, teaching you how to create visual moods indoors and outdoors across different genres and emotions.
Yes, you’ll learn to interpret scripts, identify narrative and emotional needs, and visually plan each scene for coherence and expressiveness.
You’ll be prepared to work as a director of photography, camera operator, colorist, or audiovisual content creator for film, advertising, weddings, or independent creative projects.
muy buen curso, me gusto la explicación.
es un curso muy excelente, espero que siga sacando más.
Très bon cours, je le recommande a tous ceux qui veulent évoluer dans le domaine de l'audiovisuel.
I will really recommend this course for anyone interested in filmmaking and direction.
Isaac Kwesi Appiah
(Sir Aik)
+233 24 346 9535
Ghana,West Africa
Very interesting, documented and informative. Highly recommended.