Jacob Burns

 Registration Info

Production

Lights, Camera, Action: Introduction to Hands-On Filmmaking
6 sessions
In this lively, fun course, experience each part of the collaborative, step-by-step process of making a film.
- Explore a different facet of filmmaking each week, including scripting, location shooting, shooting on the sound stage, editing, sound mixing, and sound effects.
- Learn about composition, lighting, and directing.
- Work with HD cameras, Final Cut Pro, and more.
- Great for anyone who has ever wanted to understand how a film is made.
- Class size: 12
6 Wednesdays, Sept. 14–Oct. 19
6:00–8:30 pm
A65FA11A
$280/$252 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Through the Lens: Composing, Creating, and Constructing Images
8 sessions–Daytime program!
This new course is a fantastic blend of hands-on production, study of the art of the image, and rich discussion.
- Learn techniques of digital photography and video.
- Create images that communicate with focus, depth, color, and light.
- Produce short visual stories that incorporate image and sound.
- Great for beginners as well as those with some production experience.
- The only course requirement is creativity.
- Led by JBFC faculty member Brady Shoemaker.
- Class size: 8
8 Thursdays, Sept. 22–Nov. 17
(no class Sept. 29)
9:30–11:30 am
A72FA11A
$350/$315 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Works-in-Progress: A Filmmaker’s Salon
7 sessions
Are you making a narrative or documentary film, a digital story, or embarking on a series of webisodes? Come be part of a creative community! This new workshop is the place to share your works-in-progress, be mentored by our faculty, and receive feedback from your peers. Workshop your projects, learn new production and editing skills, watch clips, and participate in a storyteller’s community.
- For those working in any digital medium: video, audio, interactive, animation, or multimedia.
- Enjoy access to our facilities and cameras.
- Every session begins or ends with skill building.
- Projects can be in any stage of the process, from pre- to postproduction.
- Group size: 8
7 Wednesdays, Oct. 26–Dec. 14
(no class Nov. 23)
6:00–8:30 pm
A68FA11A
$320/$288 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Registration Info
Registration Form
More Info: Call the Registrar: 914.773.7663, ext. 8 or email registrar@burnsfilmcenter.org

Writing

The Power of Story
7 sessions - Daytime program!
A great film begins with a great story. Come to this intimate seminar to find, feel, and focus on the great story you were born to tell.
- Explore how first-time screenwriters get their story into the world.
- Writing, collaborative activities, film screenings, and guided reflection provide the spark for your imagination.
- Taught by award-winning program designer, author, and educator Anne Marie Santoro.
- Class size: 10
7 Wednesdays, Sept. 21, Oct. 5, Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Dec. 7
9:30 am–12:30 pm
A08FA11A
$400/$360 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

The Power of Story II
7 sessions–Daytime program!
Burgeoning writers continue their creative exploration with further development of story concepts and drafts.
- Examine how master storytellers from around the world move us through their use of images, words, sound, and light.
- Explore how some of your favorite films got from the page to the screen.
- Taught by award-winning program designer, author, and educator Anne Marie Santoro.
- Class size: 10
- Prerequisite: The Power of Story
7 Fridays, Sept. 9, Sept. 23, Oct. 14, Oct. 28,
Nov. 11, Dec. 2, Dec. 16
9:30 am–12:30 pm
A32FA11A
$400/$360 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

The Power of Story III: A Writer’s Group
7 sessions – Daytime program!
Receive the encouragement and resources to inspire and sustain your writing practice.
- Every participant reads and is given feedback and support during each session.
- Share your own writing process and discover the techniques that others practice to keep the story flowing freely.
- Led by award-winning program designer, author, and educator Anne Marie Santoro.
- Group size: 10
- Prerequisite: The Power of Story I and II
7 Fridays, Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Nov. 18, Dec. 9, Dec. 23
9:30 am–12:30 pm
A73FA11A
$400/$360 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Scene Writing Workshop
6 sessions – New Course!
In this innovative new course, the pressure to write an entire movie is removed as we focus on the building blocks of every screenplay: scenes.
- A series of in-class exercises will train you to find the right set-ups, characters, and conflicts to effectively
dramatize your scenes.
- Find out how your scripts sound by hearing your dialogue performed.
- Develop the tools to write more quickly and efficiently.
- Recommended for writers with experience in any genre.
- Taught by Joy Goodwin, working screenwriter and producer of eight independent features.
- Class size: 10
- Admission is by application. Please e-mail a sample scene of 2–4 pages to: registrar@burnsfilmcenter.org with “scene writing” in the subject line no later than Aug. 29.
6 Tuesdays, Sept. 20–Oct. 25
6:00–8:30 pm
A62FA11A
$300/$270 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Writing for the Screen
6 sessions – Daytime program!
Do you have an idea for a movie, but are unsure of how to take the next step? This examination of the differences between screen stories and other kinds of stories will help you transform your ideas for the screen.
- Learn the unique characteristics of stories that work best for film, TV series, and miniseries.
- A series of in-class exercises will help you quickly and painlessly find your core idea, characters, and themes —and build on them.
- You’ll come away with a completed outline for the best version of your idea.
- Recommended for educators as well as screenwriters.
- Work to be completed outside of class will take less than two hours per week.
- Taught by Joy Goodwin, working screenwriter and producer of eight independent features.
- Class size: 10
6 Tuesdays, Nov. 8–Dec. 20 (no class Nov. 22) 
4:30–7:00 pm
A69FA11A
$300/$270 (JBFC members, Family level and above)  

Registration Info
Registration Form
More Info: Call the Registrar: 914.773.7663, ext. 8 or email registrar@burnsfilmcenter.org

Film Studies

Crossing the Line: Watching Hybrid Films
8 sessions
View and discuss an array of boundary-crossing films that challenge our notions of “documentary" and “fiction.”
- Watch genre-bending movies from great directors including Billy Wilder, Luis Buñuel, John Cassavetes, Haskell Wexler, and others.
- Discover documentaries that use fictional techniques, narratives that employ cinéma vérité, and films that resist classification altogether.
- Explore the conventions of representation, re-enactment, and improvisation.
- Expand your technical vocabulary through discussions about image, sound, writing, and editing.
- All film lovers welcome!
- Taught by film critic and writer Elizabeth Brown.
- Class size: 20
8 Mondays, Sept. 19–Nov. 14 (no class Oct. 10)
5:30–8:30 pm
A67F11A
$180/$162 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

The 1970s: The Golden Age of American Cinema
8 sessions – Daytime program!
See and discuss some of the most captivating and influential American films.
- Explore the work of great filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, Steven Spielberg, and Terrence Malick.
- Improve your understanding of film language and film style as you explore some of the decade’s innovations in film style and narrative form.
- Consider how films from this era reference cultural and historical contexts.
- Taught by film studies scholar Theresa Dawson
- Class size: 20
8 Tuesdays, Sept. 20–Nov. 8
10:00 am–1:00 pm
A75FA11A
$180/$162 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Final Cut Pro, v.1
3 sessions
Master the fundamentals of Apple’s Final Cut Pro, the industry standard editing software. After you understand the power of editing, you’ll never watch a film the same way again.
- Learn basic system setup, and assemble and cut footage.
- Find out about the most effective ways to manage workflow and organize files.
- Enjoy access to editing suites outside of class time.
- No editing experience necessary. Familiarity with Macs and video is recommended.
- Class size: 10
3 Saturdays, Oct. 1 Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22
10:00 am–1:00 pm
A29FA11A
$200/$180 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Final Cut Pro, v.2
3 sessions
Advance your skills and learn more sophisticated features of Final Cut Pro, such as mixing audio tracks, titling and effects, transitions, and color correction.

- Enjoy access to editing suites outside of class time.
- Some experience necessary.
- Class size: 10

3 Saturdays, Oct. 29, Nov. 5, Nov. 12
10:00 am–1:00 pm
A30FA11A
$200/$180 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Registration Info
Registration Form
More Info: Call the Registrar: 914.773.7663, ext. 8 or email registrar@burnsfilmcenter.org

Lab Workshops
These one-day workshops offer the perfect opportunity to get a taste of all the Media Arts Lab has to offer—it’s not just for aspiring filmmakers! No special training is required. The only prerequisites are curiosity and an open mind. Photographers, writers, painters, technicians, and actors will all find something that’s just right. Students enrolled in any semester-long Lab course receive a 50% discount on these workshops!

Intro to the Mac
1 session
Designed for PC users who want to learn how a Mac works.
- Recommended for anyone who has never used a Mac and is interested in enrolling in a Media Arts Lab course.
- Learn to navigate the operating system.
- Get guidance on workflow and file organization.
- Class size: 10
Saturday, Sept. 24
9:30 am–noon
A44FA11A
$50/$45 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Art of the Interview
1 session
Hands-on workshop for aspiring digital journalists and documentary makers.
- Explore techniques for drawing out your subject.
- Create compelling interview compositions.
- Learn how to shoot to edit: interview first and cut later.
- View and discuss clips.
- Class size: 10
Saturday, Oct. 15
10:00 am–4:00 pm
A70FA11A
$140/$126 (JBFC members, Family level and above)

Registration Info
Registration Form
More Info: Call the Registrar: 914.773.7663, ext. 8 or email registrar@burnsfilmcenter.org