The San Francisco Film School was founded by filmmakers with the core philosophy – “the best way to learn the art and craft of filmmaking is to make films!”  Our unique production-based curriculum combines traditional classroom learning with practical, hands-on instruction. Students study core areas of filmmaking including directing, screenwriting, cinematography, producing, editing & post-production, and audio for film.

The Professional Certificate (PC) program is offered both In-Person and Remote/Low Residency.  In-person students will be required to attend the majority of their classes on campus, though some courses may be offered exclusively online.  Remote/Low Residency students will take the majority of their classes online, but are required to attend in-person classes for at least one week every semester.  The Low Residency Week is designed to provide remote students with intensive hands-on training and team building skills.

Throughout the Professional Certificate (PC) program, students make their own films, collaborate on classmates’ projects, make industry contacts, and create a body of work that will help them launch their career.  The PC program can be completed in 3 – 5 semesters (12 – 20 months), depending on the number of credits taken per semester.  Please see the complete list of classes below for more details.

All full-time PC students (both in-person and remote/low residency) will receive use of a Professional Film Production Equipment Package in their first semester.  This package will consist of a 4K cinema camera, lens, film audio recording kit, and three-point lighting kit.  Students will receive ownership of the Professional Film Production Equipment Package upon completion of the program.  The Professional Film Production Equipment Package is designed to support and empower students in filmmaking both during school and after graduation.

The PC programs’ production-based curriculum emphasizes hands-on filmmaking.  Almost every semester students – Write, Produce, Direct and Edit their own films, as well as, crew on each other’s projects, working as Assistant Directors, Cinematographers, Sound Recordists, and Gaffers.  Over the course of the program, students will make at least four (4) short films, each project becoming progressively more challenging.

Visual Montage (2-3 mins)

Short Fiction Film (4-6 mins)

Documentary (5-7 mins)

Web Commercial (:30 sec)

The PC program focuses on creative expression and is designed to prepare students to pursue careers in commercial, documentary and web-based production.  Students completing this program will be able to work in all areas of content creation including getting jobs as directors, producers, videographers, screenwriters, editors, motion graphics and VFX, and audio recording & post.

Whether your goal is to start your own production company, launch a web-series, get a content creation job, or crew on commercials and documentaries, the PC program lays a firm foundation of knowledge and experience for you to launch your career.