The Art of
Filmmaking &
the Craft of
AI Cinema
A 15-day course that builds traditional filmmaking foundations first — then shows you how every principle of screenwriting, cinematography, direction and editing translates directly into AI production.
Why This Course Exists
Most AI filmmaking courses start with the tools. This one starts with the craft. The premise is straightforward: the better you understand traditional filmmaking, the more control you have over AI production. Prompt language is shot language. A generation plan is a shot list. Performance direction becomes instruction for expression, posture, and gaze.
The course is structured in two back-to-back modules — five days of traditional filmmaking foundations, followed by a ten-day AI filmmaking masterclass that builds directly on what came before. Participants leave with a completed short AI film, a structured production workflow, and the ability to use AI tools with cinematic intention rather than trial and error.
Course Structure
This module introduces participants to the complete traditional filmmaking process — from the first idea to a finished edit. Every concept taught here is chosen because it directly prepares participants for AI direction in the module that follows.
- Observation, theme, and finding a premise
- Story development — character, conflict, stakes, genre, tone
- What a screenplay is and what it is not
- Three-act structure and scene construction
- Visual writing, dialogue, and dramatic beats
- Story vs treatment vs screenplay vs dialogue draft
- How AI assists in brainstorming, formatting and research
- Script breakdown and master breakdown
- Location recce, scheduling, and shot listing
- Mood boards, look design, and production design references
- Shot sizes, composition, and screen direction
- Blocking, camera placement, and continuity
- Exposure, dynamic range, and basic lighting
- Directing performance — rehearsal, blocking, correcting takes
- Editing as rewriting — continuity and rhythm
- Sound design basics and final mix
- Colour correction, DI, and output
This module does not repeat the foundations. It converts them. Shot grammar becomes prompt language. The shot list becomes a generation plan. Performance direction becomes detailed instruction for expression, posture, gaze, and body language. The visual look of the film becomes a structured AI visual bible.
- Prompt hierarchy — scene, shot, frame, technical levels
- Negative prompting and continuity prompting
- Character consistency and location consistency
- Lens and lighting prompts
- Reducing the synthetic look of AI footage
- Building an AI visual bible
- Character cards and location reference systems
- Concept note, visual bible, and prompt stack preparation
- Shot-by-shot generation, review, and regeneration
- Continuity logs and quality control
- AI footage assembly and colour matching
- Sound design, titles, and export
- Workflow presentation and professional screening
Participants work in groups to develop and produce a complete short AI film — from concept to final output — by the end of the module.
How Every Day Runs
| Block | Time | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Days 1–5 | Foundation filmmaking — offline, in-person, Goregaon Mumbai |
| Module 2 | Days 6–15 | AI filmmaking masterclass — offline and online |
| Daily Hours | 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM | 6 hours per day including theory, practicals, and group work |
| Final Output | Day 15 | Group AI short film — workflow presentation and professional screening |
Course Details
Who Should Attend
info.cfol@ftii.ac.in · 020-25580085
7766967634