Planning, Composing and Lighting for Filmmaking

An intermediate course that discusses how cinematography uses lighting and composition to illicit mood, reveal character and tell a story. This class will use examples from cinema and break them down to show how shots were planned and executed and then do them in class.

  • Experience Level Required: Intermediate Cinematographers and anyone who has completed the 101 Course

  • Prerequisites: A strong grasp of how to use a video camera and its settings. People with their own cameras are encourage to bring them along with any support equipment as there will be hands-on work. Lights will be provided.

  • Meets: Monday, August 8 | 6pm-9pm | NOVAC: New Orleans

Instructor

Alejandro de los Rios

Alejandro de los Rios is a Venezuelan-Cuban filmmaker based in New Orleans whose work explores the intersections of race, social & economic justice, through documentaries and narrative genres. Currently the Virtuous Video Producer for NOVAC, he’s produced award-winning documentaries and promotional campaigns for community-based organizations. Formerly, he was a video producer for the NFL’s Saints & NBA’s Pelicans, where he directed a feature-length documentary on Drew Brees and “Sounds of New Orleans,” a video series highlighting the city’s music, culture and history. Alejandro’s narrative shorts have screened at the New Orleans Film Festival, Louisiana Film Prize, DC International Shorts, Southern Screen, Cinema on the Bayou and more. In 2021, he participated in a LaSelva’s Film Accelerator program mentored by Werner Herzog. In 2017, he was selected to the New Orleans Film Festival’s Emerging Voices program. Alejandro’s pilot script, “Storyville” was a semi-finalist in the Sundance Episodic program.

Purchase Workshop Here

Individual courses are $30 for General Admission and $25 for NOVAC Members. You can also purchase 3-course bundles. $75 General Admission and $60 for NOVAC Members.

This workshop is funded by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by Arts New Orleans.