Tisch Pro Online Courses

Whether you’re brand new to the world of filmmaking or looking to refresh your core skills, this course is a great starting point. Course topics include composition, storyboarding, pre-production, lighting, camera movement, and audio/video editing. The course is entirely asynchronous, so you can learn at your own pace and your own schedule. Your final project will be reviewed by professional cinematographer and Assistant Arts Professor of Grad Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Anthony Janelli.

Notes:

• Cinematography Fundamentals is a self-paced course and does not include all features available in other Tisch Pro/Online courses. 
• Students will lose access to their course material one year after the start date of classes. Students will continue to have access to their My Files within Smashcut.

Learn every aspect of the documentary filmmaking process with the three-month course Documentary Fundamentals. Nineteen engaging video modules will take you through each step, covering topics like visual approaches, storytelling, research, editing, and more. The course includes two self-prep exercises, and you'll create a final film project that will be evaluated by independent filmmaker and Visiting Assistant Arts Professor Shivani Khattar.

Notes:

• Documentary Fundamentals is a self-paced course and does not include all features available in other Tisch Pro/Online courses. 
• Students will lose access to their course material one year after the start date of classes. Students will continue to have access to their My Files within Smashcut.

Course Dates:

• Spring 2026 Session I: January 26 - March 3, 2026
  • Enrollment deadline is January 2, 2026.
• Spring 2026 Session II: March 23 - May 1, 2026
  • Enrollment deadline is March 2, 2026.

Participants will examine the principles and processes of writing for the screen. Topics include: finding and developing story ideas, film language, and script structure. By the end of the course, students will have participated in in-depth film analysis and intensive screenwriting exercises and discussions. 

At the end of the course, students are expected to complete a film treatment (prose description of your film) with a step outline for a feature film or TV episode they plan to write. In addition, students must hand in the first scene (3 - 5 pages) of their script with dialogue.

The entirety of the class takes place on the Smashcut platform. Synchronous, real-time video sessions will be scheduled during the term with your professor/TA/classmates. With the flexibility of online learning, you will have the opportunity to choose the best meeting time for your schedule.

Notes: 

• Writing for the Screen is the required course for anyone pursuing the Non-Credit Filmmaking Certificate Program. Registration for the online course Writing for the Screen is not through NYU. While there is a record of enrollment through Smashcut (the online learning platform), the online course Writing for the Screen will not appear on an NYU transcript. If you are pursuing a non-credit certificate, in-person courses for the certificate have a separate registration process through NYU. The NYU transcript will only include the in-person classes and not the online course Writing for the Screen.
• Students will lose access to their course material one year after the start date of classes. Students will continue to have access to their My Files within Smashcut.

Every major player in the industry is moving toward sustainable production, with guilds, studios, networks and streaming services working on tools to help lower our carbon footprint. This free, 4-module course is designed to share some of those tools, alongside information that has been gathered during this crucial transition.

At the end of the course students will be prepared to complete the PEACHy checklist which was created by the Environmental Media Association (EMA) with the Green Film School Alliance, the Sustainable Production Alliance and the PGA Green to facilitate a transition to sustainable student film production. Filmmakers who complete the PEACHy checklist and have earned 50 of the 100 points possible are eligible to be awarded the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Green Seal. 

Note: Students will lose access to their course material one year after the start date of classes. Students will continue to have access to their My Files within Smashcut.