About the course
Launch your career as a filmmaker and Director of Photography as you learn to curate a striking look and feel for your screen work with our Hands On Cinematography Masterclass Part 1.
Learn how to successfully transfer the visuals of the film from your head onto the screen via the tools you have at your disposal, such as lighting, lenses, filters, framing and much more. Classes are a mix of lecture-style, demonstration and also practical instruction with tutor guidance.
*Attend the Hands On Cinematography Masterclass Part 1 and follow up with the Hands On Cinematography Masterclass Part 2.
Who should take this course?
This course is suitable for those new to the art and science of cinematography, as well as directors, 1st ADs and camera assistants who want to gain a better understanding of film photography and lighting. It is also a great course for those seeking to refresh their existing knowledge.
What you’ll learn
Day 1: Aesthetics
- Attributes of the visual image
- Framing
- Lighting
- Lighting set-ups and variations
- Three-point setup
- Creating the look
Day 2: Film
- Film camera
- Film stock
- Lenses
- Filters
- Contrast
- Light ratios
- Light meters
Day 3: Digital
- Digital cameras
- Comparison of film and digital cameras
- HD and SD formats
- Digital exposure
- Digital signal
- Timecode
Weekend: Hands-on workshop
Over the weekend, students will then have the opportunity to put into practice the theory they have learned by setting up and shooting a short scene with a specific “look”.
Suggested Reading
Cinematography by Kris Malkiewicz and David Mullen
Masters of Light by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato
Film Lighting by Kris Malkiewicz
About Zoran Veljkovic
Zoran Veljkovic is British Cinematographer (born in Serbia) with over 30 years behind the camera.
A DoP since 1985, Zoran has assembled a serious body of work. His feature films have won BAFTA and EMI nominations as well as prestigious festival awards around the world. He received Best Cinematography Awards for his work on feature films “Bridge”, “After Fall, Winter” and “Sicilian Dream”.
Visit Zoran’s website www.zoranveljkovic.com
Did you know?
- Raindance members save 20% on this course? You can join online >HERE< and start saving immediately
- This course is FREE for our HND and postgraduate/MA/ students
antonio –
Dear Elliot Grove ,
I found the course really interesting, with an extraordinary tutor Zoran Veljkovic whose deep knowledge about the magic of light is amazing. Cinema is a question of light!
Jon Morby –
An excellent course, presented by a real professional!
Zoran goes through the basics in a methodical and yet detail fashion ensuring everyone comes away with a solid grounding, ready to become a true alchemist of light!
Our class was apparently the largest Raindance Zoran had seen, with 23 students – which meant it was a little packed, which also meant Zoran couldn’t spend as much time as he had wanted / we would have liked with everyone on the course and we had to split into two groups for the final 2 day practical.
That said, the knowledge gained was excellent and I still think the course was great value for money!
Lucie Goodayle –
This was an amazing short course! Zoran’s experience, creativity and wealth of knowledge were simply awe inspiring. I learnt so much in a short time due to Zoran’s generosity and enthusiasm for the field. Everyone got some hands on experience with an array of lighting and we even got to handle a Red camera. On the last day we didn’t want to leave. I would definitely do a follow up course should the opportunity arise at Raindance. Some of the best insights were not just from excellent practical practice but also with examples from Zoran’s work with detailed explanations of set ups and tricks. This gave it such an individual personal touch. Hands down favourite short course I have been on so far and highly recommended to anyone interested in film. I came away enthused, inspired with a thirst to know more.
Alison Wilson (verified owner) –
I think I could found a new religion around Zoran – he is that freakin’ awesome! He has a fantastic cinematic education and 30 years working history, he didn’t brag about it but shared his knowledge and incredible kit with equal vigour and enthusiasm. I came over from Spain for the course as I was disappointed with a Cinematography course here BUT Zoran as an individual, artist and DOP completely exceeded my expectations. I would take any of his courses again without hesitation. Raindance are incredibly lucky to have such an incredible human being as a guest lecturer, a true artist.
Olly Poulter (verified owner) –
This course packs not only the basics of cinematography but also years of on set experience from the course Tutor Zoran, into what is a substantial learning experience.
It levels knowledge for the first few days but come the weekend the hands on use of Digital Cinema Camera (Red Dragon), full lighting array turns your small class ( I was in a group of 12) into a functioning crew on set. I am very happy with my time at Raindance and would recommend it to those interested in becoming a Cinematographer, those interested in film production in general as well as people who are currently shooting wanting to improve their skills.
I have also met a group of individuals who have a strong interest in film making who I will be keeping in touch with.
Sergey Shishkin (verified owner) –
Great course with lots of useful information, tips, and an opportunity to practice skills
sonnyshs (verified owner) –
The course was very informative and well paced. Zoran is unbelievably knowledgable and clearly gifted in what he does. I joined this course as an absolute beginner and got so much from it. I understand much more about cinematography now and as a result, I think quite differently about lighting and how to approach a scene, or how to solve a lighting problem now. It was an eye-opener. Zoran adjusted the pace of the course continuously, ensuring that everyone could keep up and he did this with a good portion of humour as well. The class size was a little large, which is of course completely out of Zoran’s control, but other than that, I have nothing negative to say.
Nick Wood –
Zoran starts with three evenings of preparation which give a grounding in technical issues and then let’s you loose on the equipment. Zorans approach is to tailor the course to the student and this is excellent because he is able to illustrate his answers to queries with a video.
In practical exercises he is able to show tweeks to lighting which vastly improve the look. Highlights are examples of how he improvised to get certain effects. By distilling his ample knowledge, he is able to give any elementary cinematographer a head start.
Large class size only negative . See Jon Moresby’s review 29 January.
Mazlum Bahceci –
Zoran was absolutely amazing! So much knowledge and using that practically throughout the weekend to perfect shots was really brilliant! Really skilled DoP, thank you. I would love to see a part 2 if possible. Its exactly this kind of practical guidance that Zoran provides that helps me the most and I really enjoyed it!
Maggie V. (verified owner) –
I would highly recommend this course! Zoran is an amazing teacher. His passion is contagious. He goes through all the basics of cinematography in a clear and inspirational way and encourages you to keep on learning and practising. After those classes you have an idea what the role of a cinematographer is and what you need to expand. The knowledge he shares is extremely useful. Also the practical part and the exercises were very good. They helped a lot to truly understand what we were learning during the course.
Jason Sedon –
This course is highly recommended as an introduction to cinematography; Zoran has just 5 days to teach you his decades of experience in the craft and this introduction was invaluable to me not just in teaching the basics of lens, lighting, composition and the differences between cameras but also how much more I needed to learn, practise and know; Zoran lit the way forward if you can excuse the pun! A fantastic course by a highly accomplished teacher!
Martin Kentish –
I found this course one of the most useful cinematic courses I have been on. Its informative whilst being fun, and extremely hands on whilst teaching you the theory. I found Zoran’s Technical breakdown of things that used to baffle me very easy to understand as he is an excellent teacher. I’ve found new film friends and contacts that I have already worked with since I took the course a month ago!
I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone with any interest in cinematography whatsoever.
Emma Frayne-Ford (verified owner) –
Zoran is a great teacher and this is a fantastic course that enables you to get a good cinematic grounding.
Theo (verified owner) –
The course was amazing. Zoran is an excellent tutor, very knowledgeable, experienced and passionate about the subject. He is very patient was answered every single question thrown at him on the technical, creative and business aspects of the subject.
The course content was well chosen and structured and a great introduction to the subject.
Ivan Phillips –
This course really helped with providing me with a solid foundation for cinematography. It was fascinating to have our lighting direction critiqued and improved on as practical exercises using objects needing a particular set-up were used to show how the power of light can transform what is showed on the screen. Zoran knew exactly how to do this, and was happy to show us, as well as dealing with any questions we may have had about camera equipment, lighting or theoretical aspects of cinematography.
I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who has interest in learning more about cinematography, camera operation or the technical detail of film-making.
I know that I’ll never look at a wine glass the same way again!
Sean Palfrey –
This was a wonderful course. As someone who is completely self-taught and tends to work in isolation it has been fantastic to work with someone like Zoran who has a huge amount of experience and expertise on every aspect of the craft. The balance of technical information and hands-on practical work was great and I feel inspired to put all of these techniques and ideas into practice. I’m looking forward to Cinematograpy 2!
Sheridan Morley (verified owner) –
Zoran is an amazing teacher, he freely shares all of his expertise and experiences which leaves students enpowered and very well informed. His passion for Cinematography is infectious, a true professional in every sense. Thank you
Marina Pires (verified owner) –
It was a great experience! Zoran is really passionate by the craft and is truly inspiring to his students. Also, the course is hands-on, and you can learn a lot by operating these cameras; I only wish we could have more days like these. Totally recommend it.
Rowan Grove –
Great enthusiasm and great knowledge of all things cinematography from Zoran – the teacher of this course. Breaks down the components of a camera and makes you realise how important lighting actually is. Amazing tips from an industry professional and the course teaches you things that you wouldn’t think you needed to know and would take ages until you come across it online. Really good exposure to the hands-on side which is what you want from this course and need when first getting involved in cinematography! Zoran was happy to explain everything asked!
Thanks!
LPD –
Zoran is a really engaging teacher. Getting to experience how the equiptment works in the flesh is great. All of the example video clips are invaluable as are his anecdotal experiences that you simply can’t get in a text book. His enthusiasm for the subject area is infectious. I really recommend
Anna –
What an amazing course! I left absolutely inspired and even more excited about cinematography than before! Zoran is a true inspiration and he’s personality is shining through with passion and excitement! What else you need to fall in love with film again? Zoran will answer your questions with details. It was a fantastic journey to learn how to paint with light and shadows and a great insight to useful tricks on a film set. I would recommend this course to anybody, as it will spark the joy of life itself! I’m taking the second course as well, as I found the first one of great value and now I want to learn more!
Thank you Zoran for your generous knowledge shared with fun and excitement! And thank you Raindance to make it all happen!
Samar Khanna (verified owner) –
I liked Zoran’s approach of covering all the theoretical background before proceeding to the practical side of things. His personal examples when on set were particularly insightful – what issues he faced, how he used clever techniques to overcome them, etc. I will definitely be signing up for more courses by him since I enjoyed this one so much!
Jay Whittington –
I have recently attended this course and was pleasantly surprised. Zoran is a good teacher and has a huge amount of experience. There is no question he can’t answer. I think this course is good for people with absolutely no experience as well as to those who have already started a path cinematography. There is a chance to answer any questions you might have. Overall satisfied with this course.
McColgan Beal (verified owner) –
Fantastic course! I enjoyed how the course was structured with three evenings of theory and then practical hands on workshops at the weekend. Also, Zoran’s passion and enthusiasm for the craft of cinematography is more infectious than Covid!!! looking forward to the advanced weekend in two weeks time
Acacia –
Zoran’s enthusiasm has inspired me and I am very much looking forward to trying techniques learnt on this course in my films.
Vanda Ladeira –
Absolutely amazing course with Zoran Veljkovic who is a fantastic teacher and has thousands of hours of experience as a Director of Photography. The course is packed with practical hands-on tips, analysis of shots, theory and inspiration to develop our own visual storytelling. Zoran’s enthusiasm and knowledge have transformed the way I think about my next steps of my journey in filmmaking.
Kelly King –
Zoran is truly inspirational. His level of knowledge and experience is only paralleled by his enthusiasm to pass what he knows and encourage others to find their way. A fantastic teacher and a very talented and resourceful DOP. Time spent with Zoran is extremely valuable and I recommend both his courses and services as a DOP to others often and without hesitation.
Richard Parker (verified owner) –
Amazing course by a very enthusiastic and experienced teacher with an obvious passion for the subject. 5 very enjoyable days – I actually came away wishing it was longer! If I may make one small suggestion for a way to improve it slightly – the first 3 sessions were all very theoretical, about aperture, lenses, white balance etc. It may have been helpful to have had a camera set up and connected to a monitor or projector so the concepts could be demonstrated ‘live’ as they were discussed. Either way – I’ll be back for part two in a fortnight!
Holly Smith (verified owner) –
For anyone interested in filmmaking, I can’t recommend this course enough – I learnt so much more than I thought I would and the best part is, it happened so naturally. If you sign up, prepare to have your mind blown by Zoran, who is such an incredible teacher – he has the perfect balance of obvious expertise and experience (he’s clearly a genius at what he does!) but with so much calmness and openess no one felt afraid to ask questions, which made this course so engaging. Zoran talks technical as well as the philosophy behind cinematography, which for me was perfect, and he keeps his subject fascinating throughout. I’ve never been on a course like it, seems like our whole group (who were all different levels and backgrounds) came away talking about how inspired we were, and I think you can’t ask for much more than that. Excellent course.
Elliot Grove –
What a joy to read this! And we at Raindance are so glad you were able to enjoy this class. I have worked with Zoran since early Raindance days. I would totally agree that he is both talented and easy to work with.
Edson Sithole (verified owner) –
As a director, I needed to understand basic cinematography to be able to communicate my vision clearly to the cinematographer in my next project. This course delivered exactly what I needed, the key concepts of cinematography such as the camera (lens) and lighting of a scene. The class was a diverse group with different levels of experience in the film industry which led to interesting questions that Zoran was always happy to answer. I also took Part 2 of the course and I can say that I now feel a bit more confident telling my stories with a camera.
Brian Mullin (verified owner) –
This course is excellent value for money. Zoran brings a huge amount of industry experience to this course; as someone who is just getting into filmmaking I felt like I absorbed so much incredibly useful technical information about the camera and lighting – but all of it was consistently put into a real-world context. The chance to use professional lights and camera equipment during the hands-on weekend portion was incredibly valuable. Having gone on this course, I have such a deeper understanding of what is happening during a shoot. A great resource!
sushant.nair (verified owner) –
I absolutely enjoyed the course. Zoran is a genius! Having studied the basics of filmmaking previously, and pursuing a career in acting currently, I wanted to brush up on my skills in Cinematography. I’ve had some experience in making shorts, however, I needed professionally supervised practical experience, and this where this course helps, as it combines technical knowledge with practicals, and I’m confident this would help me take my work to the next level. I needed to work with a cinema camera, and Zoran made that happen. Familiarising with professional gear is extremely key in my opinion, and he ensured that my classmates and I got the opportunity to do so. Most importantly, Zoran kept sharing his experiences at every stage, which gave me a lot of context to what was being taught. I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who has little/some experience in filmmaking, and would like to work in a professional environment and gain expertise. I can’t wait to start Part 2 of this course!
Maja Merljak –
This course is a MUST for everyone who is pursuing a career in directing and have basic/zero knowledge of technical aspect of visual design but wants to be able to communicate his/her vision with the crew. He is absolutely amazing teacher who manages to give you so much in such a short period of time and is more than happy to repeat things for those struggling to recall laws of physics and/or mathematics 🙂 And then the weekend comes and the party starts – he brings professional cameras, lenses, lights … and lets us create the shots and the scenes – make decisions and learn from mistakes. Priceless!
Oliver Hollis-Leick (verified owner) –
How precious it is to have a highly skilled, working professional share their time and knowledge with a group of students. The thirty plus years of experience that Zoran brings to this class is priceless. Youtube seems to be the place people go to learn skills now but it cannot compare with the real life stories, challenges and solutions that Zoran explores in this class. Covering everything from basic technical principles to lighting master shots, this class taught me a huge amount. The practical exercises were a great balance between freedom and guidance. Zoran kept the mood light and positive, always encouraging us to step up and make something magical. I immediately signed up for the next level class when it became available. Thank you Zoran and Raindance!
Doulla Panaretou (verified owner) –
This course is an excellent introduction to cinematography, Zoran is a highly experienced professional and the course is a great mix of theory and practice in the field
Very highly recommended, a fantastic course!
Doulla Panaretou (verified owner) –
This course is an excellent introduction to cinematography, Zoran is a highly experienced professional and the course is a great mix of theory and practice in the field
Very highly recommended, a brilliant course!
Mick Spencer (verified owner) –
Firstly, I have to say that the film industry is out of my comfort zone, it’s a possible massive career move.
This makes me very aware that I will ask silly questions, at no point did I feel that I was out of my depth, the whole class was very supportive of each other and Zoran explained everything in precise detail to ensure that concepts were understood by the whole group, he gave plenty of opportunities for questions to be raised and got concerned when everyone sat there in silence.
Anyone that is willing to spend their valuable time sharing 40 years of experience should be applauded.
Zoran covered a plethora subjects with enough detail to allow for further in-depth study in those areas that created interest.
The practical exercises were great and also an opportunity to build relationships with the rest of the study group.
Do not expect to be a fully fledged Cinematographer after attending this course, it’s a fantastic insight into the industry and will give you the opportunity to build your career.
Thoroughly recommended to anyone that is starting out and wants to get their feet wet.
karine chevalier (verified owner) –
This is an excellent introduction to cinematography both from the theory side and the practical side. It really reveals how technical, crucial, challenging and creative is the job of a cinematographer. I strongly recommend it for anyone who loves film, and Zoran is absolutely brilliant.
Ioana Batis (verified owner) –
Just finished the Basic Cinematography course, expertly and brilliantly led by Zoran. It was hands-down the best introductory course I could have done. I now have a deeper sense of what a DOP does, and the balance they have to strike between the creative and the technical / practical. I thought the course had the right mix of theory and practice, and Zoran made it equally engaging, challenging, and creative all in one.
Most importantly, it was also fun. Strongly recommend!
Igor Ismail (verified owner) –
this course is so interesting and informative! Zoran is a great professional and amazing tutor who explained me all the details clearly! and I can not wait for his advanced course in September! thank you so much , Raindance!
Yi Ning Wong (verified owner) –
Very instructive, many thanks Zoran for the theoretical + hands on experience!
Justin Presser (verified owner) –
Wow. What a privilege to be taught by Zoran, a veteran cinematographer of superb skill, love for his art and complete humility. It is the course I was looking for. The perfect balance of theory and hands on experience that has given me the confidence to get out frame, light and shoot scenes with some solid thinking and practical skills behind each choice. I can’t wait for the intermediate course. Thanks again Raindance.
Mark Fryers (verified owner) –
Thoroughly recommended. An inspired and inspiring and informative hands-on course that adeptly blends theory and practice. The tutor is reflective and open – a true master of the art of cinematography.
Duncan Hoffman (verified owner) –
This was a really excellent course, and I got exactly what I’d hoped to get out of it: practical, hands-on experience with the equipment and insight from an experienced cinematographer about the choices he makes and how he considers things. Zoran was a great teacher: exceptionally knowledgeable but also patient with we the inexperienced students. He went to great lengths to help us understand everything and let us make our own choices before then stepping in to give his guidance so we can really see the difference. Would highly recommend taking the course to anyone considering it.
Minyan Zhang (verified owner) –
Even though it was only a short course, Zoran designed this course to benefit people with different level of industry experience. The classes has a balanced blend of gear physics, lighting principals and shooting practices. His experience and teaching were both top notch. Recommend.
ziyad kudus (verified owner) –
A very condensed and active short course both the theory and practical. All to thanks Zoran and Raindance for giving us this amazing brief introduction to cinematography. I wish I had much longer time to participate for the advanced course. Hopefully next time.
Simon Roberts –
I would highly recommend this course. Although I’ve worked in and around photography for the past twenty years, Zoran was able to offer a fascinating new perspective, particularly in the art of lighting, which he treats almost like a mix of science and magic. The weekend’s intensive shooting I found particularly rewarding, working with a team of people to create a short film sequence. I’ll be booking myself on to his intermediate masterclass very soon!
Naushin Ahmed (verified owner) –
I’m so glad I took this course! An an enthusiast who only considers this a hobby: this course really opened up my imagination to all the magic light and ideas can create. Zoran is an incredible teacher: he spoke of his many adventures on set (Some on a boat! Some with a raven!); he shared his expert ‘behind-the-scenes’ tips, broke down the physics behind cinematography, showed how simple tweaks can make glass into art and best of all, he made it fun. The class size of 8-9 was perfect. I would suggest keeping class size capped at this so everyone has a chance to use the gear. Another idea is to have everyone have a crew title (DoP, camera assistant, set designer, etc.) and they switch to another role halfway through the weekend. I appreciate the class structure: mix of theory, career anecdotes, and hands on time setting up a scene. Having an hour lunch was fab to chat with course-mates. Thank you again Zoran (and Denise who patiently let me play around with the central lights for my own mini takes)! Cheers.
Adam Cunningham (verified owner) –
This course was absolutely fantastic. I was searching for something that covered all aspects of cinematography but with a strong emphasis on lighting setups and strategies for handling various challenges—and this was exactly what I needed.
The tutor, Zoran, was incredible. His passion and deep expertise were evident throughout, and he provided incredibly detailed breakdowns of his past work. The practical exercises were particularly engaging, and it was fascinating to watch Zoran tackle the same scenarios, demonstrating his problem-solving approach in real time.
Overall, it was both highly educational and truly inspiring. I can’t wait to take the intermediate-level class in a few weeks and discover even more of Zoran’s techniques.
Catherine Phillips (verified owner) –
This course was fabulous. It really opened a door into a greater world of film making. Zoran opened my eyes as to how moving a light slightly can change how the character, scene feels. It was like watching magic. I loved the hands on weekend. Really taught me to persevere to achieve the right effect. I learnt how attention to detail is so important and raised the bar on what I thought was achievable. Thank you Zoran. I have a lot of work to do to be ready for your next course.
Hugo (verified owner) –
Excellent cinematography course with a great teacher. Zoran’s personal experiences and stories brought everything to life and made the sessions even more engaging. The course was very informative, and Zoran’s knowledge really showed throughout.
Rich Lee (verified owner) –
Fantastic course — I really cannot recommend it enough.
I went in expecting it to be all about camera, but Zoran’s knowledge of lighting is astounding. We would have a go at setting something up, and then Zoran would show us how to improve it — and that was where the magic happened.
His experience really shows. Sometimes he does the opposite of what “lighting 101” would suggest, and yet the beauty of the result is astounding.
There were great examples, lots of slides and clips to take away, so your learning can continue beyond the classroom. I’ve done a few RD courses, but this one really was next level.
If you’re thinking of doing a course not just on camera, but on lighting too — trust me, choose this one!
Rod Hughes (verified owner) –
This was a good intensive course which is inspirational and informative. I know this is not the last time I shall be working with Zoran.