Make Better Films: Master camera, lenses and visual structure.
Peter Salapatas
Cinematography professor / member G.S.C
Cinematography: Visual Storytelling
Learn to create a 10-minute short film with intentional visual structure.
You've made 2-3 short films. They're watchable—the story works, the performances are there. But when you watch them back, something feels off. They don't look like the films you admire.
The problem isn't your camera or your budget. It's that your films lack visual structure.
The result? Coverage that feels flat. Shots that record the action but don't shape how the audience experiences it.
What You'll Learn
Here's what most filmmakers don't realize:
A 24mm lens doesn't just show more of the room—it changes spatial relationships and makes a character feel isolated or overwhelmed.
Camera placement isn't about finding a "good angle"—it's about perspective, power dynamics, and emotional distance.
Where you place focus doesn't just create sharpness—it directs the audience's attention and reveals priorities.
How you divide the frame—foreground vs background, negative space, leading lines—tells the audience where to look, what matters, and how characters relate to each other.
By the end, you'll shoot a 10-minute short film that doesn't just tell a story—it looks and feels like the films you've always admired.
What you’ll learn
In this course, you'll learn how to make a ten minute short film. Learning how to do this will enable you to also shoot longer films.
You will learn how to structure visually a ten minute film.
You will learn how to structure individual scenes. lAnd you will do that by asking the right questions.
You will learn where to place your camera and what lenses to use in order to support your story.
Use three different lenses (wide, normal and telephoto) in a dialogue scene.
Case studies from my films
Case studies from films I have shot
Learn where to place the camera in a dialogue scene.
Learn how to use lines and shapes to shape your story.
Case studies
You will learn how to divide the frame in order to support your story.
You will learn how to create shot lists that work for your story.
I will show you how I approached a variety of scenes in my films. I will share with you the thinking behind every shot.
Understand to use cinematic space with a specific exercise
Case studies
Specific exercises to help you understand space, tone, movement. You will the concepts of affinity and contrast to built better sequences.
Learn directly from Peter
Peter Salapatas
Peter is a cinematography professor, GSC member and an active cinematographer.
Who this course is for
Anyone who wants to to create a short film. You will learn how to visually structure your films in such a way as to support your story.
Self-taught filmmakers or videographers transitioning into narrative work.
Film students who understand theory but struggle with practical application on set.
Prerequisites
Photography
Some basic skills of photography are required like aperture of a lens, types of cameras, depth of field.
Camera or smart phone
A basic knowledge of a video camera is a plus but not necessary. You can take this course even with a smartphone.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Peter Salapatas in a real-time, interactive format.
Weekly exercises
By doing specific exercises you will be able to tackle specific challenges you will be confronted in your films.
Clips from films I have shot which support each lesson.
By showing clips from my films I will be guiding you through the challenges and solutions that brought about the images I created.
Clips from international filmmaking
This is of immense value as I will be showing clips from films too that pertain to the lessons in this course.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
3 live sessions • 18 lessons • 12 projects
Week 1
How to use Lenses for Visual Storytelling
The curious case of DEPTH of FIELD
Mar
24
Session 1
Week 2
CAMERA POSITION and storytelling
COMPOSITION
Mar
31
Session 2
Free resource
Visual collection from my films
This collection presents frames from my films as a study in visual storytelling. Each image is analyzed through the lens of cinematographic technique—focus, depth of field, composition, and camera angle—revealing how technical choices shape narrative meaning. These are not just beautiful images; they are deliberate visual decisions made in service of story.
Schedule
Live sessions
2 hrs / week
During these two hours we will examine case studies, answer questions and discuss the exercises you have for the week. These exercises should take about an hour to complete. They are videos as well as photo-stories that can even be shot with a phone. Better though to have a camera with a lens.
Tue, Mar 24
5:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)
Tue, Mar 31
4:00 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)
Tue, Apr 7
4:00 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)
Projects
1-2 hrs / week
There are a number of projects designed to take you through the basics of filmmaking to help you make your own films.
Async content
1 hr / week
Frequently asked questions
€430
EUR