Get Into Filmmaking – Here Are 10 of the Best Online Film Schools Today

You want to write, direct, and produce a film but do not know where to start. Is there an online film school that is a perfect fit for you?

We have studied the best filmmaking schools and have pulled together a shortlist of the top film schools used by the most successful filmmakers, all from the comfort of your living room.

If you want to learn more about making films, you can read our articles on the essentials of filmmaking.

The top 10 best online film schools

1. Academy of Art university

• Skill level: AA, Undergraduate (Bachelor's) and Graduate (Masters)
• Price: $63,853 – $127,661

The Academy of Art University (AAU) is a San Francisco-based art school that offers an online film degree. The AAU has offered online degrees for almost twenty years, so they come with plenty of experience.

The AAU offers an online degree in Motion Pictures & Television (MPT). This degree covers everything you can think of within film and television, so you can be sure that you'll get a universal education.

This is great for people who are not entirely sure what they want to do and want to try different roles (and let's be honest, who knows what they want to do after high school?).

If you're doing the online degree, you're getting the same instruction that everyone else is getting, so there's no need to worry about a difference in quality.

2. Full Sail University

• Skill level: Undergraduate (Bachelor's) and Graduate (Masters)
• Price: $25,820 in average

Full Sail University (FSU) is a relatively young university established in 1979. FSU offers a bachelor's degree in Digital Cinematography and an undergraduate certificate in Film & Video.

The bachelor's degree in Digital Cinematography is an all-encompassing degree that takes you from pre-production to distribution. The tuition fee for a bachelor's degree in Digital Cinematography at the university comes to $64,900.

3. New York Film Academy

• Skill level: Non-degree (15-week online course), Undergraduate (Bachelor's), and Graduate (Masters)
• Price: $33,834 - $35,457

New York Film Academy is another university specializing in the art of filmmaking. New York Film Academy offers online workshops for part-timers and people who want to expand their craft.

They intentionally keep the number of students allowed in a class small so the teacher can interact with everyone. You can take courses in everything from Filmmaking, Digital Editing, and Screenwriting.

To apply to New York Film Academy, you have to have a high school Diploma. The fee for their online workshops can vary from around $1700 to $7000, depending on length and subject.

4. Masterclass

• Skill level: Any
• Price: annual membership is £168 (about $228) and provides unlimited access to all classes.

Masterclass is an online learning platform that's full of educational videos. The videos on the platform are educational, but there are no credits to be achieved when attending the course.

Masterclass has created online courses that feature filmmakers such as Spike Lee, Ron Howard, David Lynch, and Martin Scorsese. What you get with Masterclass is a set of pre-recorded videos that go in-depth with each respective subject.

This is an online education platform; it is accessible to everyone, meaning there are no prerequisites for joining a class.

5. UCLA online extension

• Skill level: Online courses to explore new topics or enhance current skills (in other words: any skill level)
• Price: Starting at $699.00

UCLA's online extension is an extension of the experience of studying at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

UCLA offers 24/7 access to their course materials and other interactive course elements, which means that you can follow along at any time of the day (or at any time zone).

UCLA offers courses in everything from Music Supervision for Film and Television to The Language of Filmmaking.

UCLA's courses are primarily made for post-baccalaureate, so you have to be at least 18 to enroll for most classes.

6. Arizona State University

• Skill level: Undergraduate (Bachelor's) and Graduate (Masters)
• Price: $10,566- $21,024

Arizona State University (ASU) has some of the best online programs in the United States. In terms of filmmaking, ASU offers an online bachelor's degree in Film & Media Studies.

The online degree features lectures, screenings, critical readings, and online discussions with your fellow students.

7. National university

• Skill level: Undergraduate (Bachelor's) and Graduate (Masters)
• Price: $19,990

National University is located in San Diego and offers a Master's degree in Film Studies. This degree is perfect for anyone who wants to know about film history and aesthetics.

You can also do a bachelor's degree in Film Arts or a master's degree in Creative Writing.

8. Yellowbrick: NYU Tisch Film & TV Industry Essentials

• Skill level: Any
• Price: $999 or subscription starting at $99 per month

NYU's Film & TV Industry Essentials program is an online course with 45 on-demand video lessons from various industry veterans. The class gives you everything you need to know about the film & TV industry and has assignments, projects, and hands-on learning.

Despite gaining a certificate from NYU after completion, there are no prerequisites for joining the program.

9. Udemy

• Skill level: Any
• Price: Starting at $10 (most around $20)

Udemy is yet another online education platform offering different uncredited classes.

Udemy is great for learning specific skills, such as editing in Premiere Pro or mobile filmmaking. They also have broader categories, such as documentary filmmaking or cinematography.

This is an online education platform; it is accessible to everyone, meaning there are no prerequisites for joining a class. The prices vary from $10 to $199 for a course.

10. Skillshare

• Skill level: Any
• Price: £10.25 (about $14) per month or £123.00 (about $167) billed annually

Skillshare is an online platform where you can find courses on any subject. On Skillshare, you can learn everything from cinematography to film editing, all from the comfort of your own home.

All you have to do is pay a monthly (or annual) subscription, and you get access to all of the content on their website. The courses vary from an hour to a couple of hours, and they frequently collaborate with celebrities like Marques Brownlee and Olaf de Fleur.

Up next: Can you become a filmmaker without film school with Tom Andrews

Are you not interested in film school but still want to become a filmmaker?

Read our article on how to become a filmmaker without film school, where we interview Tom Andrews about his journey to become a filmmaker.

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