🎉 40% OFF your first course – use code DIRECT40 (limited time)

🎉 40% OFF your first course – use code DIRECT40 (limited time)

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In just eight powerful sessions you’ll receive an in-depth introduction to filmmaking technique, visual storytellng, and the craft of the greatest art form ever invented. Whether you’re a beginner, or just refining your skills, this course delivers indispensable real-world insights from an experienced, successful director

In just eight powerful sessions you’ll receive an in-depth introduction to filmmaking technique, visual storytellng, and the craft of the greatest art form ever invented. Whether you’re a beginner, or just refining your skills, this course delivers indispensable real-world insights from an experienced, successful director

Course one outline

Course one outline

And guest lecturers - Professional Cinematographers,
Producers, Screenwriters

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How to Hook Your Audience - Movie Openings
and Cinematic Introductions of Characters
How to Hook Your Audience - Movie Openings and Cinematic Introductions of Characters

01

Storyboarding, Shot Design, Composition

02

Editing!  Lenses!  Creating Tension!
Editing! Lenses! Creating Tension!

03

Lighting

04

Directing Actors and Staging Action

05

Sound Design

06

Screenwriting guest lecture!

07

Getting your film off the ground from
start to finish - Indie Filmmaking
Getting your film off the ground from start to finish - Indie Filmmaking

08

With examples from classic and
contemporary films
With examples from classic and contemporary films

About

About

Larry Guterman, your instructor, directed the hit film CATS & DOGS for Warner Bros. The liveaction/hybrid movie earned $200 million and starred Jeff Goldblum, Alec Baldwin, and Susan Sarandon. The New York Times called it “Exuberant fun,” the Chicago Daily Herald said “Director Lawrence Guterman demonstrates an amazing command of his craft here”while the BBC touted that it “succeeds both as a parody of the spy genre and in stretching the boundaries of what you believe is possible.

Guterman was also director of ANTZ (for DreamWorks; as “Director of Additional Sequences”) for which he directed the “March to Battle with the Termites” sequence, starring Danny Glover and Woody Allen, the “Ant Bar” sequence with Sylvester Stallone, and numerous other sections of the film, including scenes with Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken and Gene Hackman. He also directed SON OF THE MASK for New Line, which earned over $100mm in theatrical and ancillary revenue. He was Executive Producer of REMEMBER, a powerful drama directed by Oscar-winner Atom Egoyan, starring Christopher Walken and Martin Landau. REMEMBER won 4 Canadian Screen Academy Awards.

Larry was hired by DreamWorks after Steven Spielberg saw his USC live action Master’s Thesis film HEADLESS! which won the Grand Jury Prize at the legendary Houston International Film Festival. He directed DreamWorks Interactive’s flagship interactive “Goosebumps” game, starring Jeff Goldblum and Isabella Rosselini.

He is currently in post-production on his latest film, LUNCH HOUR, starring Thomas Middleditch (HBO’s Silicon Valley), Alan Cumming, and Krysta Rodriguez (NBC’s SMASH).

He has an MA in film from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, a bachelor’s in Physics from Harvard, where he illustrated and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon after attending MIT his freshman year.

Testimonials

Testimonials

Larry is an incredible teacher and mentor in the art of filmmaking. His class is packed with gems - super comprehensive, it covers everything from blocking actors, shot design for maximum impact, editing, lenses, the cinematic image, directing performances, lighting, making indie movies, and more. It features guests at the top of their respective fields in producing, cinematography, screenwriting, etc. I especially loved the session on storyboarding - getting Larry's input on how to squeeze the most drama and/or comedy out of a scene. With detailed, in-depth examples from the masters (Spielberg, Chazelle, Coppola, Zemeckis, and more), you’ll learn the secrets behind what they’re actually doing when they seduce you with their cinematic vision. It's a coup to have this kind of access to such an amazing director who is currently in post-production on his latest feature!

Beth Hawk

Director/Producer/Writer, award-winning feature documentary, Breaking Bread; Executive Producer, Lunch Hour, starring Alan Cumming and Silicon Valley's Thomas Middleditch; Executive Producer, MTV's Eye Candy, starring Victoria Justice; former Business and Legal Affairs Executive, Walt Disney Studios

Larry is an incredible teacher and mentor in the art of filmmaking. His class is packed with gems - super comprehensive, it covers everything from blocking actors, shot design for maximum impact, editing, lenses, the cinematic image, directing performances, lighting, making indie movies, and more. It features guests at the top of their respective fields in producing, cinematography, screenwriting, etc. I especially loved the session on storyboarding - getting Larry's input on how to squeeze the most drama and/or comedy out of a scene. With detailed, in-depth examples from the masters (Spielberg, Chazelle, Coppola, Zemeckis, and more), you’ll learn the secrets behind what they’re actually doing when they seduce you with their cinematic vision. It's a coup to have this kind of access to such an amazing director who is currently in post-production on his latest feature!

Beth Hawk

Director/Producer/Writer, award-winning feature documentary, Breaking Bread; Executive Producer, Lunch Hour, starring Alan Cumming and Silicon Valley's Thomas Middleditch; Executive Producer, MTV's Eye Candy, starring Victoria Justice; former Business and Legal Affairs Executive, Walt Disney Studios

Larry is a remarkable, talented multi-hyphenate: writer-director producer. This makes him uniquely qualified to teach filmmaking. He combines his skills and experience in a relaxed, empathetic style, guiding you through the complex maze of production, post and distribution.

Jason Squire

Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts and creator/host of The Movie Business Podcast

Larry is a remarkable, talented multi-hyphenate: writer-director producer. This makes him uniquely qualified to teach filmmaking. He combines his skills and experience in a relaxed, empathetic style, guiding you through the complex maze of production, post and distribution.

Jason Squire

Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts and creator/host of The Movie Business Podcast

Larry teaches with passion and smarts, he’s a true intellectual, but his main talent is conveying what he’s learned from his vast experience, straight from the trenches. In the first course you will get a superb overview of all the elements of directing-directing actors, where to place the camera and why, storyboarding the scene or sequence, blocking the performers, “painting with light,” editing, writing and producing. In the second class you make your own short and Larry provides incisive and deep feedback that will enable you to take your command of the craft to the next level. I can’t recommend his course more strongly.

Dana Lustig

Producer, BRICK (starring Joseph Gordon Levitt); Producer, JUNGLE (starring Daniel Radcliffe); Director, WEDDING BELL BLUES; Lecturer and Mentor, American Film Institute; Lecturer Sundance Collab; Adjunct Professor, New York Film Academy

Larry teaches with passion and smarts, he’s a true intellectual, but his main talent is conveying what he’s learned from his vast experience, straight from the trenches. In the first course you will get a superb overview of all the elements of directing-directing actors, where to place the camera and why, storyboarding the scene or sequence, blocking the performers, “painting with light,” editing, writing and producing. In the second class you make your own short and Larry provides incisive and deep feedback that will enable you to take your command of the craft to the next level. I can’t recommend his course more strongly.

Dana Lustig

Producer, BRICK (starring Joseph Gordon Levitt); Producer, JUNGLE (starring Daniel Radcliffe); Director, WEDDING BELL BLUES; Lecturer and Mentor, American Film Institute; Lecturer Sundance Collab; Adjunct Professor, New York Film Academy

Larry Guterman has so much to teach and offers a unique, interactive class where, using his experience as a director of features, explores all elements of making movies: Introducing characters; Directing actors; Setting up the shot; etc. I highly recommend his LIVE course not only for its content but for its atmosphere on Zoom — fun, casual, and completely immersed in a love of movies.

Jody Podolsky

VP of Development, Alphaville/Universal ( DAZED AND CONFUSED, THE MUMMY), Writer/Director ALL OF IT (starring Oscar-nominated Lesley Ann Warren), Founder, Word One, began at CAA on desks covering screenwriters and directors

Larry Guterman has so much to teach and offers a unique, interactive class where, using his experience as a director of features, explores all elements of making movies: Introducing characters; Directing actors; Setting up the shot; etc. I highly recommend his LIVE course not only for its content but for its atmosphere on Zoom — fun, casual, and completely immersed in a love of movies.

Jody Podolsky

VP of Development, Alphaville/Universal ( DAZED AND CONFUSED, THE MUMMY), Writer/Director ALL OF IT (starring Oscar-nominated Lesley Ann Warren), Founder, Word One, began at CAA on desks covering screenwriters and directors

About the course

About the course

Course Schedule

This course runs from October 6th through December 1st and meets every Monday evening from 5:00-7:30 pm (PT) live on Zoom.  (Excluding Thanksgiving week)

Tuition

The full course cost is $1250. Scholarships/financial aid are available! Please contact us if you require assistance. If you love films and want to learn how to direct we want to make it easy for you to take the class!

Limited time Discount

Enroll by September 29 with PROMO code DIRECT40 and you can take the class for $750, a 40% savings off the regular $1250 tuition. Don’t miss your chance to lock in this special offer.

Sign Up Now

Sign Up Now

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Contacts

Email, 

IMDb, 

LinkedIn

Email, 

IMDb, 

LinkedIn

Sign Up Now

Sign Up Now

Sign Up Now

In just eight powerful live sessions you’ll receive an in-depth introduction to filmmaking technique, visual storytellng, and the craft of the greatest art form ever invented. Whether you’re a beginner, or just refining your skills, this course delivers indispensable real-world insights from an experienced, successful director

Course one outline

How to Hook Your Audience - Movie Openings
and Cinematic Introductions of Characters

01

Storyboarding, Shot Design, Composition

02

Editing!  Lenses!  Creating Tension!

03

Lighting

04

Directing Actors and Staging Action

05

Sound Design

06

Screenwriting guest lecture!

07

Getting your film off the ground from
start to finish - Indie Filmmaking

08

With examples from classic
and contemporary films
With Guest Lecturers —
professional Cinematographers,
Screenwriters, Producers.

Limited time discount

Enroll by September 29 with PROMO code DIRECT40 and you can take the class for $750, a 40% savings off the regular $1250 tuition. Don’t miss your chance to lock in this special offer. 

Sign Up Now

Sign Up Now

About

Larry Guterman, your instructor, directed the hit film CATS & DOGS for Warner Bros. The liveaction/hybrid movie earned $200 million and starred Jeff Goldblum, Alec Baldwin, and Susan Sarandon. The New York Times called it “Exuberant fun,” the Chicago Daily Herald said “Director Lawrence Guterman demonstrates an amazing command of his craft here”while the BBC touted that it “succeeds both as a parody of the spy genre and in stretching the boundaries of what you believe is possible.

Guterman was also a director of ANTZ (for DreamWorks; as “Director of Additional Sequences”) for which he directed the “March to Battle with the Termites” sequence, starring Danny Glover and Woody Allen, the “Ant Bar” sequence with Sylvester Stallone, and numerous other sections of the film, including scenes with Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken and Gene Hackman. He also directed SON OF THE MASK for New Line, which earned over $100mm in theatrical and ancillary revenue. He was Executive Producer of REMEMBER, a powerful drama directed by Oscar-winner Atom Egoyan, starring Christopher Walken and Martin Landau. REMEMBER won 4 Canadian Screen Academy Awards.

Larry was hired by DreamWorks after Steven Spielberg saw his USC live action Master’s Thesis film HEADLESS! which won the Grand Jury Prize at the legendary Houston International Film Festival. He directed DreamWorks Interactive’s flagship interactive “Goosebumps” game, starring Jeff Goldblum and Isabella Rosselini.

He is currently in post-production on his latest film, LUNCH HOUR, starring Thomas Middleditch (HBO’s Silicon Valley), Alan Cumming, and Krysta Rodriguez (NBC’s SMASH).

He has an MA in film from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, a bachelor’s in Physics from Harvard, where he illustrated and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon after attending MIT his freshman year.

Testimonials

Larry is an incredible teacher and mentor…His class is packed with gems…I especially loved the session on storyboarding - getting Larry’s input on how to squeeze the most drama and/or comedy out of a scene…with detailed in-depth examples from the masters (Spielberg, Chazelle, Coppola, Zemeckis, etc) you’ll learn the secrets behind how they seduce you with their cinematic vision. It’s a coup to have access to such an amazing director

Beth Hawk

Direct/Producer/Writer, Award-winning Documentary, BREAKING BREAD; former Business and Legal Affairs Executive, Walt Disney Studios

Larry is an incredible teacher and mentor…His class is packed with gems…I especially loved the session on storyboarding - getting Larry’s input on how to squeeze the most drama and/or comedy out of a scene…with detailed in-depth examples from the masters (Spielberg, Chazelle, Coppola, Zemeckis, etc) you’ll learn the secrets behind how they seduce you with their cinematic vision. It’s a coup to have access to such an amazing director

Beth Hawk

Direct/Producer/Writer, Award-winning Documentary, BREAKING BREAD; former Business and Legal Affairs Executive, Walt Disney Studios

…a remarkable, talented multi-hyphenate: writer-director-producer. This makes him uniquely qualified to teach filmmaking…He combines his skills and experience in a relaxed, empathetic style, guiding you through the complex maze of production, post, and distribution.

Jason Squire

Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts; Creator/host of The Movie Business Podcast.

…a remarkable, talented multi-hyphenate: writer-director-producer. This makes him uniquely qualified to teach filmmaking…He combines his skills and experience in a relaxed, empathetic style, guiding you through the complex maze of production, post, and distribution.

Jason Squire

Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts; Creator/host of The Movie Business Podcast.

…Vast experience, straight from the trenches…a superb overview of all the elements of directing, where to place the camera and why, blocking, directing actors, “painting with light,” editing, writing and producing . In the 2nd class you make your own short and Larry provides incisive and deep feedback…I can’t recommend this course more strongly.

Dana Lustig

Producer, BRICK, directed by Rian Johnson (director of KNIVES OUT and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI); Lecturer/Mentor, AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE; Lecturer, SUNDANCE Collab; Adjunct Professor, New York Film Academy.

…Vast experience, straight from the trenches…a superb overview of all the elements of directing, where to place the camera and why, blocking, directing actors, “painting with light,” editing, writing and producing . In the 2nd class you make your own short and Larry provides incisive and deep feedback…I can’t recommend this course more strongly.

Dana Lustig

Producer, BRICK, directed by Rian Johnson (director of KNIVES OUT and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI); Lecturer/Mentor, AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE; Lecturer, SUNDANCE Collab; Adjunct Professor, New York Film Academy.

A unique, interactive class…competely immersed in a love of movies

Jody Podolsky

Jody Podolsky (VP of Development, Alphaville/Universal ( DAZED AND CONFUSED, THE MUMMY), Writer/Director ALL OF IT (starring Oscar-nominated Lesley Ann Warren), Founder, Word One.

A unique, interactive class…competely immersed in a love of movies

Jody Podolsky

Jody Podolsky (VP of Development, Alphaville/Universal ( DAZED AND CONFUSED, THE MUMMY), Writer/Director ALL OF IT (starring Oscar-nominated Lesley Ann Warren), Founder, Word One.

About the course

Course Schedule

This course runs from October 6th through December 1st and meets every Monday evening from 5:00-7:30 pm (PT) live on Zoom. (Excluding Thanksgiving week)

Tuition

The full course cost is $1250. Scholarships/financial aid are available! Please contact us if you require assistance. If you love films and want to learn how to direct we want to make it easy for you to take the class!

Limited time Discount

Enroll by September 29 with PROMO code DIRECT40 and you can take the class for $750, a 40% savings off the regular $1250 tuition. Don’t miss your chance to lock in this special offer. 

Sign Up Now

Sign Up Now

  • a woman wearing headphone
  • a woman holding a red flower
  • a woman with flowers
  • a black female model
  • a woman holding an apple

Back to top