Filmmaker & Photographer Curriculum

Your personal curriculum

Filmmaker & Photographer
Curriculum

A structured, gear-specific course built around your exact kit — from sensor fundamentals through to running a professional creative practice. Work through each module in order, completing the assignments before moving on.

4Phases

24Modules

~18Months at 8–10hrs/week

96Practical assignments

Phase 1

Foundation

The non-negotiable core. Exposure, composition, lighting, cinematography basics, audio, and editing. Do not skip or rush this phase even if you feel you know parts of it.

6 modules · ~4 months

Start here →

Phase 2

Craft

Integration and depth. Colour grading, sound design, gimbal mastery, drone work, 360°, and narrative structure. Your FX30 and RS5 become your primary instruments.

6 modules · ~4 months

Explore →

Phase 3

Advanced

Specialisations. Astrophotography, timelapse, hyperlapse, advanced colour science, FPV cinematography, motion design, and deep Affinity work.

7 modules · ~5 months

Explore →

Phase 4

Professional

Business and brand. Client workflow, your M4 Mac Studio pipeline, distribution strategy, and developing your signature creative voice.

5 modules · ~4 months

Explore →

Your kit at a glance

Cameras

Sony a6700
Sony FX30
DJI Mini 4 Pro
DJI Avata 2
Insta360 X4

Lenses & filters

Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
ND filters (all strengths)
1/4 + 1/8 Black mist
Polarisers

Support & audio

DJI RS5 gimbal
DJI Mic 2 + lapel
Rode VideoMic NTG
Neewer RGB660 Pro II (×2)
Audio-Technica ATH-M40X

Software

DaVinci Resolve (M4 Mac Studio)
Affinity Photo/Publisher
Figma
Cavalry
Gyroflow

Phase 1 · Module 1

Camera Fundamentals

Exposure triangle, sensor behaviour, RAW/LOG, and ND filter discipline

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Mistakes

Pro tips

Focus: Understand every variable in the exposure triangle through deliberate, isolated practice. You are not making art yet — you are building a toolbox. Do each drill more than once.

Theory

Practical

Assignment

Aperture — f-stops, diffraction, and depth of field Aperture is the opening in your lens measured in f-stops: f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16. Each full stop halves the light. On your Sony 20mm f/1.8 G, f/1.8 gives you the shallowest depth of field (subject sharp, background blurred) and maximum light. At f/16 everything is sharp but you're gathering 1/128th the light of f/1.8. On APS-C sensors (your a6700 and FX30) diffraction softening begins around f/11 — avoid f/16 unless you specifically need it for long exposures or maximum depth of field. The sweet spot for sharpness on most lenses is f/4–f/8.
Shutter speed — the 180° rule and motion cadence Shutter speed controls how long your sensor is exposed to light. In photography, faster shutters freeze motion, slower shutters create blur. In video, there's a rule: your shutter speed should be double your frame rate. Shooting at 25fps → shutter at 1/50. Shooting at 50fps (for slow motion) → shutter at 1/100. This creates natural motion blur that gives video its cinematic feel. Breaking this rule makes motion look either hyper-sharp and jittery (too fast) or ghostly (too slow). With a locked shutter, you must control exposure via aperture, ISO, and ND filters.
ISO — sensor sensitivity, base ISO, and the noise floor ISO amplifies the signal from your sensor. Low ISO = clean, low-noise image. High ISO = bright but noisy. Every camera has a base ISO — the point at which the sensor performs optimally with no amplification. Your a6700 base ISO is 100. Your FX30 has dual native ISO: 800 and 2500. This is critical — the FX30 at ISO 2500 is often cleaner than at ISO 1600, because 2500 is a native sensitivity while 1600 requires electronic amplification of the lower base signal. Always push to 2500 before going to 3200 on the FX30.
How the three interact — the exposure triangle These three variables are locked together. Increase ISO → image brightens → noise increases. Open aperture → image brightens → depth of field decreases. Slow shutter → image brightens → motion blur increases. In photography you can balance all three freely. In video you must lock the shutter (180° rule) so only aperture and ISO are in play — which is why ND filters become essential.
Histograms — reading them, ETTR, and not trusting your LCD A histogram shows the distribution of tones in your image from pure black (left) to pure white (right). Clipped shadows = data crushed to zero, unrecoverable. Clipped highlights = data blown to 255, unrecoverable. In RAW shooting, exposing to the right (ETTR) means pushing exposure as bright as possible without clipping highlights — this gives you maximum signal and minimum noise to work with in post. Your LCD in bright sunlight is unreliable. Use the histogram and zebra patterns instead.

Drill 1

Aperture isolation series

Set your a6700 with the Sigma 18-50mm at 35mm. Lock ISO at 400, shutter at 1/200. Shoot the same static subject at every full stop: f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16. Keep the exposure correct by adjusting nothing — just change aperture and observe how the camera meters it (use manual mode, accept the exposure shift). The goal is to see the depth of field change AND the exposure shift simultaneously. Pixel-peep at 100% on the M4 Mac Studio to see diffraction at f/11+.

Drill 2

Shutter motion study

Set up in front of something moving — a tree in wind, a road with cars, running water. Lock aperture at f/5.6 and ISO at 400. Shoot the scene at 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000. Import all images and compare. Notice the exact point where motion freezes. This is the shutter speed you'd need for that subject. Then for video: shoot the moving subject at 1/50 and 1/500. Watch back on your monitor — the 1/500 footage will look unpleasant and strobey even at 25fps.

Drill 3

ISO noise floor comparison

Shoot a static indoor scene in dim light. Lock aperture at f/2.8, shutter at 1/50 (video shutter speed). Shoot at ISO 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 on the a6700. Repeat on the FX30: ISO 800 (native), 1600, 2500 (native), 3200, 6400. Import both sets. The key discovery: FX30 at ISO 2500 vs a6700 at ISO 2500 — which is cleaner? Also compare FX30 at 1600 vs 2500 — the native ISO jump should be visible.

Drill 4

Video shutter discipline

Film a person walking toward the camera with your FX30. First take: 1/50 shutter (correct). Second take: 1/500 shutter. Third take: 1/25 shutter. Watch all three back on a large screen. Feel the difference in motion quality. The 1/50 version is the one that looks like a film. This is why the 180° rule is not a suggestion — your brain has been trained by decades of cinema to read motion at this cadence as "real".

Focus: Learn how your cameras record light — and what you must do to it before it looks like anything usable. LOG footage is not broken; it's intentional. Understanding why is fundamental.

Theory

Practical

Assignment

RAW vs JPEG — what's actually being stored JPEG is a processed, compressed image. The camera has made decisions about white balance, contrast, saturation, sharpening, and noise reduction, then thrown away the rest. RAW stores the actual sensor data — all of it — before any processing. It's roughly 10–14× more data per file. You cannot see a RAW file without rendering it, which is what Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve do when you import it. The advantage is total control in post. The disadvantage is file size and the requirement to develop every image. For serious work, always shoot RAW.
S-Log3 — what it is and why it looks washed out S-Log3 is Sony's logarithmic gamma curve. Instead of mapping tones in a linear or contrast-enhanced way, it compresses a very wide range of tones into the video signal. This produces flat, low-contrast, low-saturation footage that looks "wrong" on a normal screen — that's intentional. S-Log3 preserves up to 15+ stops of dynamic range in the a6700 and ~14 stops in the FX30, compared to about 8–9 stops in a standard picture profile. All that extra dynamic range has to go somewhere in post: your grade brings back the contrast and colour. Never deliver S-Log3 footage ungraded.
HLG — the middle-ground option Hybrid Log-Gamma is a gamma curve designed to be viewable on both standard and HDR displays without conversion. On your cameras it captures roughly 12 stops of dynamic range — less than S-Log3 but more than standard profiles. HLG footage looks far better ungraded than S-Log3, which can tempt you into skipping the grade. Resist this. Use HLG for fast-turnaround work where grading time is limited, or for events where you might miss a moment fumbling with LOG monitoring. Use S-Log3 for everything you care about deeply.
FX30 Venice colour vs a6700 standard Sony colour The FX30 uses a version of the Venice colour science from Sony's cinema cameras. In S-Log3/S-Gamut3.Cine this produces warmer, more filmic skin tones with a slight shift in the colour matrix compared to the a6700's standard Sony colour. Both cameras in S-Log3 look nearly identical when ungraded — the differences emerge when you begin grading. Matching the two in a dual-camera setup requires careful attention to the colour matrix in DaVinci Resolve's RAW tab or via a custom LUT. This matters in Phase 2 — awareness now will save confusion later.
Monitoring LUTs — how to expose LOG on set When shooting S-Log3, your camera's LCD shows a flat, washed-out image. Without a monitoring LUT applied to the display, you are guessing exposure. Both the a6700 and FX30 allow you to apply a viewing LUT (S-Log3 to Rec.709) to the LCD and EVF display only — it does not bake into the recorded footage. Go into the camera menu, find the gamma display assist or monitoring LUT option, and apply it. Assign the toggle to a custom button so you can flip between LOG view (for histogram-based exposure checking) and corrected view (for composition). Do this before your first real shoot.

Drill 1

Dynamic range comparison across profiles

Find a high-contrast scene — a window with direct sunlight, interior shadow in the same frame. Shoot it in RAW (stills), S-Log3 video, HLG video, and your standard picture profile (Cine4 or similar). Import all to DaVinci Resolve. In the colour page, push each clip's exposure up and down 3 stops. The RAW and S-Log3 footage will recover far more than the standard profile. This is the reason LOG exists — see it with your own eyes.

Drill 2

S-Log3 highlight clipping exercise

Shoot a backlit subject in S-Log3. Expose correctly first, then intentionally overexpose by +1, +2, and +3 stops (use exposure compensation). Import to Resolve. Try to recover all four clips to the same exposure. Mark the exact point where highlight recovery becomes impossible — this is your clip ceiling in S-Log3. On the a6700 it typically occurs around 98–100 IRE on the waveform. Use zebras set to 94–96 to stay safely below this.

Drill 3

Set up your monitoring LUT

On both the a6700 and FX30: go to Menu → Exposure/Colour → Gamma Display Assist and enable it. Set the gamma to S-Log3 and the colour to Rec.709. Assign the toggle to a custom button (Fn menu). Now shoot a scene, toggle the assist on and off repeatedly. Understand that what you see with the assist ON is what your footage will look like after a basic grade. This is now how you should judge composition and exposure on set — not from the raw LOG image.

Drill 4

Build your first base grade node in Resolve

Import S-Log3 footage from the FX30 into DaVinci Resolve. In the colour page, right-click the viewer and set Input Colour Space to S-Gamut3.Cine / S-Log3. Set Timeline Colour Space to Rec.709. Resolve will do a basic transform. Now refine: adjust the lift/gamma/gain wheels to taste. When happy, right-click the clip → Grab Still. This still becomes your starting reference for future grades. Right-click in the gallery → Export → save as a .drx file. This is reusable across projects.

Focus: Master ND filters as your primary exposure tool for video. Once you lock your shutter at 1/50, every other exposure decision runs through your aperture and NDs. This week makes that automatic.

Theory

Practical

Assignment

Why ND filters exist in video production In stills photography, you can adjust shutter speed freely to control exposure. In video you cannot — the 180° rule locks your shutter at 1/50 (or 1/60 for 30fps). In bright outdoor light at ISO 400 and f/2.8, you might be 6–8 stops overexposed at 1/50. ND filters remove light before it hits the sensor, allowing you to maintain the correct shutter speed and your chosen aperture regardless of ambient light. Without NDs, shooting video outdoors in Australian sun forces you to either stop down to f/11+ (losing DOF and hitting diffraction) or push ISO down to unusable levels.
ND stop values — how to calculate what you need ND filters are rated in stops: ND4 = 2 stops, ND8 = 3 stops, ND16 = 4 stops, ND64 = 6 stops, ND1000 = 10 stops. To calculate: take your correctly exposed shutter speed without ND (e.g. 1/6400 for bright sun at f/2.8, ISO 400) and count how many stops it is from your target (1/50). That's approximately 7 stops — so an ND64 (6 stops) + ND4 (2 stops) stacked gets you there. Alternatively, shoot with exposure compensation at -6EV and use it as a guide for which ND to reach for.
Fixed ND vs variable ND — why fixed is better Variable NDs (which use two polarising elements that rotate against each other) are convenient but introduce problems: colour cast, loss of sharpness, and the infamous X-pattern at maximum density. Your fixed NDs avoid all of these. The tradeoff is that you must physically swap filters as light changes. Develop a system: carry your filters in a belt pouch or vest in order of density, and learn to swap quickly. Professional camera operators swap fixed NDs in under 10 seconds.
Stacking NDs and avoiding vignetting You can stack two ND filters to achieve combined stops (ND64 + ND8 = 9 stops). However, stacking thin filters can cause vignetting on wide angles — the filter threads protrude into the frame. Your 20mm f/1.8 at f/1.8 is most susceptible. Use slim-profile NDs on this lens, or stack only on longer focal lengths. Also check for colour cast when stacking: two NDs from different manufacturers may introduce opposing casts that produce a colour shift.
Colour cast testing and correction in Resolve Not all NDs are perfectly neutral. Even quality filters can introduce a slight warm or cool cast — typically a few hundred Kelvin. Test your filters by shooting a grey card (or a white wall in daylight) with and without each ND, then compare in Resolve's colour page. If an ND shifts colour temperature by 200K warm, you know to compensate -200K in your white balance when using it. Log this as a filter note — it saves time on every future shoot.

Drill 1

Bright day video exposure discipline

On a sunny Adelaide day, go outside with the FX30, Sigma 18-50mm, and your ND collection. Set: 25fps, 1/50 shutter, ISO 400, f/2.8. Without any ND attached, note how overexposed the image is. Work through your ND collection (ND4, ND8, ND16, ND64, ND1000) until you achieve correct exposure. If one ND isn't enough, stack two. The lesson: find the ND that gets you within half a stop of correct exposure, then fine-tune with ISO (800, then 400, never below). This process should become reflexive within a few weeks.

Drill 2

ND colour cast reference shoot

Set up the a6700 on a tripod facing a white or light grey wall in consistent daylight. Set manual white balance to exactly 5600K. Shoot one frame with no filter, then one frame through each ND at the same exposure (adjust aperture to maintain correct exposure, not ISO or shutter). Import all to Resolve and compare the RGB parade on each clip. Any deviation from a flat parade indicates colour cast. Record your findings: e.g. "ND64 = slight warm cast ~+150K". Store this in a notes app or spreadsheet for reference on shoots.

Drill 3

One-hour changing light exercise

Starting 30 minutes before sunset, film a continuous 60-minute sequence of an outdoor scene (the same composition throughout). Every time the exposure drifts more than half a stop, swap your ND accordingly. Your mission: maintain 1/50 shutter, ISO 400, f/2.8 throughout. As light fades, you'll remove NDs rather than add them. This exercise trains the reflex of ND management and teaches you how fast light changes — it's faster than you think. Record a timelapse of your hand swapping filters as a bonus.

Drill 4

Sony 20mm f/1.8 wide open in full sun

Calculate the ND you need to shoot the 20mm at f/1.8, 1/50 shutter, ISO 100 in direct midday sun. Bright sun typically exposes correctly at f/16, 1/50, ISO 100 (the "Sunny 16" rule). From f/16 to f/1.8 is approximately 7–8 stops. Add your ND until you achieve correct exposure. You'll likely need ND64 or ND128, possibly with an ND16 stacked. This is the most demanding ND scenario — master it and you can shoot anything.

Focus: Understand the physical differences between your two cameras and how they interact. Learn rolling shutter limits, dual native ISO on the FX30, and run a full end-to-end workflow drill.

Theory

Practical

Assignment

APS-C crop factor and real focal lengths Both the a6700 and FX30 use APS-C sensors with a 1.5× crop factor. This means your lenses behave differently than on a full-frame camera. Your Sony 20mm f/1.8 G behaves like a 30mm on these cameras — a mild wide angle rather than an ultra-wide. Your Sigma 18-50mm becomes effectively 27-75mm, making 18mm your widest and 50mm acting more like a short portrait lens. Plan shot compositions around these real-world equivalents. To get a true ultra-wide look, you'd need a 10–12mm lens on APS-C. Note this for future kit planning.
FX30 dual native ISO in detail The FX30's sensor has two physical read circuits optimised for different ISO levels. The primary native ISO is 800. The secondary native ISO is 2500. Between these two points (say ISO 1600), the camera digitally amplifies the signal from the 800 base — introducing noise. Above 2500, it amplifies from the 2500 base. This means ISO 2500 on the FX30 is literally cleaner in some respects than ISO 1600. The practical rule: in video, use ISO 800 in controlled lighting, and jump directly to 2500 (not 1600 or 2000) when light gets low. Avoid odd ISOs between the two native points.
Rolling shutter — what it is and your cameras' limits CMOS sensors read the image line by line from top to bottom, not all at once. If the camera or subject moves rapidly during this readout, the image skews — vertical lines lean like italic text, fast pans wobble. This is rolling shutter, sometimes called the "jello" effect. Both the a6700 and FX30 exhibit rolling shutter, though the FX30 in Super 35 4K mode has better readout speed than the a6700 in most modes. The practical limit: avoid pans faster than about 30° per second on either camera without compensation (which is partly why the RS5 exists).
FX30 Super 35 vs APS-C mode In some recording modes, the FX30 uses its full APS-C sensor width (Super 35 equivalent). In others, it applies an additional crop for pixel binning or oversampling. The 4K 25fps S-Log3 mode uses the full sensor. The 4K 60fps mode applies a crop. This means your field of view changes depending on the recording format. Always check which mode you're in and account for the additional crop when setting up shots. When in doubt, shoot at the native 4K 25fps mode for maximum quality and minimum crop.
M4 Mac Studio workflow advantages The M4 Mac Studio has hardware-accelerated ProRes decode and encode, making it exceptionally fast at handling 4K and 6K footage. In DaVinci Resolve, set your GPU processing to Metal (in Preferences → Memory and GPU). Enable hardware-accelerated decode. For 4K S-Log3 from the FX30, you can often edit at full resolution without proxies on the M4. For 6K or multi-cam timelines, generate optimised media (proxies) at half resolution — Resolve will manage the switch transparently. The M4 also handles Real-Time noise reduction in Resolve without dropping frames, which matters for high-ISO footage cleanup.

Drill 1

Rolling shutter threshold test

Mount each camera on a tripod. Shoot a grid of vertical lines (a bookshelf, a door frame, a building exterior). Perform three pans of increasing speed: slow (5 seconds across frame), medium (2 seconds), fast (0.5 seconds). Do this on both cameras. In Resolve, step through the fast pan frame by frame and measure the lean on the vertical lines. This tells you exactly how fast you can pan before rolling shutter becomes unacceptable. The FX30 should handle faster pans with less distortion in its best recording modes.

Drill 2

Dual camera interview setup and match

Set up a two-camera interview: a6700 on a wide shot (camera A, Sigma 18-50mm at 18mm, off to the side), FX30 on a tight single (camera B, Sigma 18-50mm at 50mm, on axis). Both in S-Log3. Both at the same Kelvin white balance (e.g. 4500K for tungsten-influenced interior). Shoot the same subject for 2 minutes. Import to Resolve and try to match the two cameras. Use scopes — waveform and parade — not your eyes. The colour science difference will be visible. Practice bringing them to match.

Drill 3

Full pipeline drill — timed

Shoot 10 minutes of S-Log3 footage on the FX30. Then time the complete workflow: card ingest to SSD → import to Resolve → generate proxies → build a rough cut → colour grade 3 clips → export H.264 for web. Note how long each stage takes on the M4 Mac Studio. Identify bottlenecks. This gives you a realistic sense of post-production time when you're quoting client work in Phase 4. Most beginners dramatically underestimate post time.

Drill 4

FX30 high ISO shootout at dual native ISO points

In a dim interior (not completely dark — practical light only, no supplementary lighting), shoot a static scene at: ISO 640, 800 (native), 1250, 1600, 2000, 2500 (native), 3200, 6400. Import to Resolve, zoom to 100%. Look specifically at the shadow areas and any neutral grey tones. You should see a quality jump at the two native ISO points — noise becomes more structured (less random, more film-like at native ISOs) and shadow detail improves. This is the evidence that justifies the dual native ISO strategy.

Shooting S-Log3 without a monitoring LUT active

S-Log3 footage looks deliberately washed out and low-contrast on the camera LCD. Without a monitoring LUT applied to the display, you're judging exposure from a flat, incorrect image and will consistently underexpose — thinking the image looks "okay" when it's actually 1–2 stops too dark. This compounds in post: underexposed LOG footage has noise buried in the shadows that becomes visible once you grade it up.

Fix: Enable Gamma Display Assist on both cameras (S-Log3 → Rec.709). Assign to a custom button. Always judge composition and exposure from the monitored, corrected image — not the raw LOG.

Using the wrong ISO on the FX30 — ISOs between native points

The FX30's dual native ISO is at 800 and 2500. Setting ISO 1600 means the camera amplifies electronically from the 800 base — you get more noise than if you simply set 2500. Most people don't know this and dial ISO up linearly, inadvertently choosing the noisiest settings. ISO 1600 on the FX30 is often worse quality than ISO 2500.

Fix: In low light, jump directly from 800 to 2500 on the FX30. Never linger at 1250, 1600, or 2000. Above 2500, continue normally up to your noise tolerance (usually 6400 for usable footage).

Forgetting to reset shutter speed from stills to video

It's easy to leave shutter at 1/500 from a previous photo session and start filming without checking. Your video will have a clinical, jittery motion cadence that looks wrong — especially on moving subjects. This mistake is almost impossible to see in the LCD preview; you only notice it on playback on a large screen.

Fix: Store dedicated video settings in the a6700 and FX30's custom recall (M1, M2, or memory presets). Enter video mode from a preset, never from your stills settings. Check shutter speed first on every video setup.

Shooting wide open on a moving subject and expecting sharp results

f/1.8 on a moving subject gives you razor-thin depth of field — often just a few centimetres. Without a follow-focus system and significant practice, you will lose focus constantly. Many beginners shoot wide open and mistake soft, out-of-focus footage for a "cinematic look".

Fix: For moving subjects, work at f/2.8–f/4 until your manual focus technique is strong. Use the a6700's excellent subject-tracking autofocus as a tool to learn what correct sharpness looks like. Reserve f/1.8 for static subjects or calculated artistic softness.

Trusting the LCD instead of using the histogram and zebras

In bright South Australian sunlight, your camera's LCD is unreliable — even at maximum brightness. You can't see clipped highlights or crushed shadows accurately by eye. The result: overexposed footage with blown skies and blown-out skin that can't be recovered in post.

Fix: Set zebra patterns to 95+ for highlight warning in S-Log3. Develop the habit of checking the histogram after every setup, not just when something looks wrong. If you can't see the screen, shade it with your hand or a loupe — but always trust the histogram over your eyes.

Not accounting for APS-C crop factor in shot planning

Planning a shot based on the full-frame equivalent of a lens and arriving on set with the wrong field of view. Your 20mm f/1.8 G behaves like a 30mm. Your Sigma at 18mm behaves like 27mm. For architectural or landscape work requiring a genuinely wide angle, you may not have enough lens — planning in full-frame equivalents without correcting for the 1.5× crop will leave you disappointed.

Fix: Memorise your real-world equivalents: 20mm → 30mm equivalent, 18mm → 27mm equivalent, 50mm → 75mm equivalent. For ultra-wide work on APS-C, note that you'll need a 10–12mm native APS-C lens — plan this for a future kit addition if wide angle becomes important to your style.

Use the a6700's AI subject tracking for learning — not as a crutch

The a6700's real-time tracking with eye and subject recognition is exceptional. In the context of learning, use it deliberately: track a subject while simultaneously practising manual composition decisions. The autofocus frees your cognitive bandwidth from focus mechanics, letting you concentrate on aperture, exposure, and framing. Once you understand those deeply, you'll know when to override AF with manual focus for creative control.

Sony a6700

Assign the FX30 for controlled environments, a6700 for documentary

These cameras have different strengths. The FX30's Venice colour science and dual native ISO make it the better choice for scripted, lit work — interviews, narrative scenes, commercial content where you control the environment. The a6700's better high-resolution stills sensor, smaller form factor, and more versatile autofocus make it better for run-and-gun, events, and documentary. This isn't a rule — it's a starting principle. Over time you'll develop instincts for which camera goes in which bag for a given job.

Sony FX30 · Sony a6700

Build a Resolve project template before you shoot anything serious

Spend two hours building a proper Resolve project template: bins for footage, audio, graphics, exports; a pre-built timeline with your preferred timeline colour space; a pre-loaded base grade node that transforms S-Log3 → Rec.709; and your export presets for H.264 and ProRes. Save this as a project archive. Every future project starts by opening this template. The M4 Mac Studio handles everything natively — take advantage of it by building a clean, efficient workflow from day one.

DaVinci Resolve · M4 Mac Studio

The Sony 20mm f/1.8 G is your best lens for Phase 3 astrophotography

At f/1.8 on APS-C, applying the NPF rule, you'll get acceptably sharp stars at approximately 6–7 seconds at ISO 3200. This lens's combination of maximum aperture, focal length, and optical quality makes it almost purpose-built for Milky Way photography from South Australian dark sky sites. Start getting comfortable with its optical character now — its slight distortion at wide angles and beautiful bokeh rendering will become important creative tools by Module 13.

Sony 20mm f/1.8 G · Sony a6700

Use Resolve scopes for exposure matching — never your eyes alone

When matching two cameras in a dual-camera setup, your eyes will adapt to whatever image you're looking at and convince you it looks correct. Resolve's waveform parade is objective: get both cameras' luma values within 5–10 IRE of each other before touching colour. Then match the colour channels (R, G, B) on the parade to within 5–8% of each other. Eyes confirm the result; scopes achieve it.

DaVinci Resolve

Shoot in 4K even if delivering in 1080p

The FX30 and a6700 both downscale beautifully from 4K to 1080p — you get better sharpness and less noise than native 1080p recording. In Resolve, editing a 4K timeline for 1080p delivery gives you the ability to reframe, stabilise, and zoom shots by up to 200% without quality loss. This is an enormous advantage in post-production. Storage is cheap — always record at maximum quality for your chosen frame rate.

Sony FX30 · Sony a6700 · M4 Mac Studio

Quick reference

180° shutter rule

25fps → 1/50s
30fps → 1/60s
50fps → 1/100s
60fps → 1/120s

FX30 native ISO

Native 1: ISO 800
Native 2: ISO 2500
Avoid: 1250–2000 range

APS-C crop (1.5×)

20mm → ~30mm eq.
18mm → ~27mm eq.
50mm → ~75mm eq.

ND stops

ND4 = 2 stops
ND8 = 3 stops
ND64 = 6 stops
ND1000 = 10 stops

Phase 1 · Module 2

Composition & Visual Language

The grammar of the frame — foreground layering, visual weight, and breaking rules intentionally

This module is fully written in the complete course file. The structure mirrors Module 1: four weeks of theory + practical + assignments, followed by a mistakes and tips section. Topics covered include rule of thirds, golden ratio, leading lines, foreground/midground/background layering, visual weight, negative space, aspect ratios, and the art of breaking compositional rules with intention.

See module-02.html in your course folder, or use the navigation to explore Module 1 as a complete example of the course format.

← Module 1

Module 3 →

Phase 1 · Module 3

Lighting Fundamentals

Shape, quality, and direction of light — using your Neewer RGB660 Pro II lights

Four weeks: hard vs soft light theory, 3-point and Rembrandt patterns, colour temperature and mixed sources, motivated lighting, and light ratios. All drills use your two Neewer RGB660 Pro II panels. Assignments include portrait mood series, daylight matching, and practical lighting setups.

← M2

M4 →

Phase 1 · Module 4

Cinematography Basics

Motion picture craft, camera movement vocabulary, and your first narrative sequences

Four weeks covering shutter angle and the 180° rule, frame rates and their emotional registers, camera movement vocabulary (pan, tilt, push, pull, orbit), motivated vs unmotivated movement, and the first RS5 gimbal work. Assignment: a single-take 90-second sequence with zero cuts.

← M3

M5 →

Phase 1 · Module 5

Audio Fundamentals

Recording clean sound with your Rode NTG, DJI Mic 2, and ATH-M40X

Microphone types and polar patterns, signal chain and gain staging, room acoustics, sync sound vs wild track, and your first Fairlight mix. Drills compare Rode NTG vs DJI Mic 2 lapel directly. Assignment: a clean two-track interview with room tone and basic Resolve Fairlight mix.

← M4

M6 →

Phase 1 · Module 6

Editing Foundations

DaVinci Resolve workflow, storytelling cuts, and your M4 Mac Studio pipeline

Six types of edit (match cut, J/L, cutaway, montage, jump cut, cross-cut), project setup and proxy workflow on M4 Mac Studio, pacing theory, and your first fully assembled short. The Kuleshov effect practical exercise is a highlight of this module.

← M5

Phase 2: M7 →

Phase 2 · Module 7

Colour Science & Grading

From log to final look — colour spaces, LUTs, node structure, and building your signature grade

S-Log3, S-Gamut3.Cine, Rec.709, Rec.2020, DCI-P3. LUT theory and construction. Full Resolve node structure. Wheels, curves, qualifiers, and secondaries. Matching FX30 and a6700. Building signature cinematic looks. Four weeks of grading assignments.

← M6

M8 →

Phase 2 · Module 8

Sound Design & Mix

Building an audio world in DaVinci Resolve Fairlight

Layers of sound design (ambience, foley, SFX, music, dialogue), EQ and compression for dialogue, spatial audio and stereo field, loudness standards for YouTube (-14 LUFS) and broadcast (-23 LUFS). Monitoring with your ATH-M40X throughout.

← M7

M9 →

Phase 2 · Module 9

Drone Cinematography

DJI Mini 4 Pro and Avata 2 mastery — CASA regulations, shot design, and hyperlapse

CASA Part 101 regulations for South Australia, Mini 4 Pro obstacle avoidance and QuickShots, Avata 2 FPV modes (normal, sport, manual), ND selection for drones, shot vocabulary (reveal, establish, descend, orbit, dive), and Gyroflow stabilisation workflow.

← M8

M10 →

Phase 2 · Module 10

Gimbal & Camera Operating

DJI RS5 fluency — balance, modes, operating technique, and transitions

Balance theory and three-axis adjustment, follow modes (pan follow, pan & tilt, FPV, lock), body mechanics and pivot points, low-mode technique, transitions from handheld to stabilised. Assignment: a 3-minute uncut sequence using only RS5 movement as the edit.

← M9

M11 →

Phase 2 · Module 11

Advanced Composition & Storytelling

Visual narrative structure, shot lists, storyboards, and coverage

Three-act structure in a single shot and an edit, the hero's journey in short-form content, shot lists and storyboards in Figma, B-roll strategy, pacing theory (long take tension vs rapid montage energy). Assignment: a fully pre-produced 3-minute mini-doc.

← M10

M12 →

Phase 2 · Module 12

360° & Immersive Shooting

Insta360 X4 creative mastery — reframing, overcapture, and invisible rigs

Equirectangular projection, reframing in Insta360 Studio, overcapture workflow, invisible selfie-stick technique, X4 timelapse and star trail reframing, 360 vs reframed delivery workflows. Assignment: a complete 2-minute video made entirely from 360 footage.

← M11

Phase 3: M13 →

Phase 3 · Module 13

Astrophotography

Night sky stills and video — NPF rule, South Australian dark sites, and stacking

NPF rule for sharp stars on APS-C, Milky Way seasons and galactic core window for South Australia (April–September optimal), dark sky maps (Light Pollution Map, Stellarium), infinity focus technique, star trails vs sharp stars, foreground + sky composites in Affinity Photo, and noise stacking. Primary lens: Sony 20mm f/1.8 G.

← M12

M14 →

Phase 3 · Module 14

Timelapse & Hyperlapse

Motion and time compression — intervals, flicker, holy grail, and Gyroflow

Timelapse interval calculation, exposure flicker and deflicker in Resolve, day-to-night holy grail technique, foot hyperlapse with Gyroflow stabilisation, DJI Mini 4 Pro hyperlapse modes (circle, waypoint, free), ND for motion blur in timelapse. Assignment: a 60-second edit combining foot hyperlapse, drone hyperlapse, and standard timelapse.

← M13

M15 →

Phase 3 · Module 15

Advanced Colour Grading

ACES workflow, Resolve Colour Management, print emulation, and HDR delivery

ACES scene-referred pipeline, Resolve Colour Management (RCM) input/timeline/output transforms, skin tone protection via hue-vs-sat curves, Kodak/Fuji print emulation LUT construction, HDR delivery for YouTube (PQ/HLG). Assignment: a fully graded 5-minute film with a written grade rationale.

← M14

M16 →

Phase 3 · Module 16

Advanced Drone Operations

Waypoint missions, Avata 2 manual mode mastery, and complex cinematic sequences

Waypoint mission planning, Avata 2 angle mode and airmode, rates tuning, follow-me modes, CASA Part 101 advanced operations and RePL considerations, wind and battery management, emergency procedures. Assignment: "The Chase" — a 2-minute seamless sequence combining FPV, Mini 4 Pro, and RS5 ground shots.

← M15

M17 →

Phase 3 · Module 17

Motion Design & Graphics

Cavalry + Figma integration — animated lower thirds, title sequences, and graphics packages

12 principles of animation applied to motion graphics, Cavalry procedural animation and data-driven motion, lower thirds and broadcast graphics, kinetic typography, ProRes Alpha export and Resolve integration. Figma → Cavalry design system handoff. Assignment: a complete motion graphics package for a short film.

← M16

M18 →

Phase 3 · Module 18

Advanced Photography & Retouching

Affinity Photo mastery — frequency separation, luminosity masking, and compositing

RAW development philosophy, frequency separation for portrait retouching, luminosity masking for landscape work, compositing (multi-exposure blend, focus stacking, HDR merge), print vs digital output profiles and sharpening. Assignment: 10 retouched images across portraits, landscapes, and composites.

← M17

M19 →

Phase 3 · Module 19

Creative Optics & Filtration

Black mist, polarisers, and lens character as intentional creative tools

1/4 vs 1/8 black mist science and highlight diffusion, polariser for sky saturation and water transparency, ND selection strategy, anamorphic adaptation mindset, flare and aberration as creative tools. Drills compare all your filters side by side. Assignment: a lifestyle sequence designed around the black mist filter — impossible to replicate without it.

← M18

Phase 4: M20 →

Phase 4 · Module 20

Client Workflow & Production

From brief to delivery — contracts, call sheets, data management, and on-set communication

Discovery call to creative brief to shot list to call sheet, contracts and licensing for Australian creatives, budget templates (day rate, licensing, equipment, post), on-set communication and talent direction, dual-card backup and data management. Assignment: produce a 90-second brand video for a local business as a portfolio piece, run as a paid job.

← M19

M21 →

Phase 4 · Module 21

Post-Production Pipeline

M4 Mac Studio optimisation — ProRes, proxies, and multi-format delivery

ProRes vs H.265 vs H.264 codec strategy, M4 hardware decode optimisation in Resolve, proxy workflow for 4K multicam, Resolve project templates and Power Bins, export presets for YouTube HDR, Vimeo, Instagram, and broadcast ProRes. Assignment: one project delivered in five formats from a single timeline.

← M20

M22 →

Phase 4 · Module 22

Platform Strategy & Distribution

YouTube, Instagram, Vimeo — algorithms, metadata, and building an audience

Platform algorithm fundamentals (watch time, completion, shareability), long-form vs short-form content strategy, YouTube SEO (metadata, thumbnails in Figma, chapters), Instagram Reels and Stories format differences, building a portfolio site. Assignment: launch a real portfolio piece and track analytics for 4 weeks.

← M21

M23 →

Phase 4 · Module 23

Signature Style Development

Finding your creative voice — reference, influence, and articulating your vision

Reference vs imitation, visual signature development, director's statement writing, niche vs generalist positioning in the Australian market, awards and festival submission strategy. Assignment: a 3-minute "signature film" — no brief, pure vision — with a 1-page creative statement explaining every major decision.

← M22

M24 →

Phase 4 · Module 24

Business of Filmmaking

Running a sustainable creative practice in Australia

Sole trader vs Pty Ltd, GST and super for Australian creatives, equipment deductions, pricing strategy (day rate, project rate, licensing), networking in Adelaide's film community, long-term kit investment planning. Assignment: a 12-month business plan with target clients, income goal, kit investments, and a marketing strategy.

← M23

Course complete ↑