Course

Directing and Cinematography

Course description

The Directing and Cinematography program at AMA WARSAW is a one-year, intensive program for aspiring filmmakers who want to learn the fundamentals of directing and cinematography through hands-on experience.The program combines knowledge of film production, camera work, and visual storytelling—with a focus on film, television, advertising, and interactive media. You’ll learn how to tell stories through images, think in terms of scenes, and build a film from concept to finished product. It’s an excellent choice for those who want to start their journey in film with a solid foundation and quickly get hands-on experience on set.

Directing and Cinematography

This program provides students with general skills and knowledge in the production of audiovisual content for film, television, advertising, and interactive media. The program is offered at AMA Warsaw.

Space is limited—groups of 10 people.

In addition,

We have prepared special terms for those committed to pursuing their education at AMA. Candidates who pass the admissions process and sign a student contract by the end of June 2026 will receive a 30% discount on their final semester—as support during the final stage of their education.

Duration

1 year, 2 semesters. Classes are held from Tuesday through Friday.

Number of hours: 400.

Start your education in this course

The program is primarily practical and hands-on. However, graduates’ professional skills are grounded in a solid theoretical foundation. The intensity of the program is reflected in the number of course hours: 352 hours of instruction per academic year.

The Film Production (Directing and Cinematography) program provides students with foundational skills in the production of audiovisual works for film and television, while also preparing them to continue their studies in other programs at AMA FILM ACADEMY

The faculty members of the Film Studies Program in Directing and Cinematography are active professionals in the film industry: television producers, directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, sound engineers, editors, specialists in special effects and post-production, as well as film and television producers. Lectures are also given by film and art theorists and historians.

The Film Directing and Cinematography Program is part of the AMA FILM ACADEMY’s structure: It offers students the opportunity to participate in its supplementary programs, such as taking part in film productions and visiting professional film sets, working in the AMA TV editorial office, which produces commercials and news reports, attending additional film screenings, workshops, and master classes, as well as attending guest lectures.

Students in the program step behind the camera on the very first day of class, taking on numerous challenges in the fields of cinematography, screenwriting, and technology. In addition to writing, directing, filming, editing, and producing their own graduation film, participants take part in productions by other film school students as assistants to the production manager, director, cinematographer, and sound engineer. This gives every course participant the opportunity to gain additional experience.

Degree in Film Directing and Cinematography

To pass the course and earn a diploma, students must submit a graduation film to be screened in front of an audience during an open exam and pass a theoretical exam. Students who pass receive an AMA FILM ACADEMY diploma.

AMA students have access to a well-stocked rental facility for camera, lighting, sound, and grip equipment, as well as advanced editing suites and a film studio.

A program supported by the Polish Film Institute

 

Related courses

Operational

A day-long course on the camera, lighting, composition, and the cinematographer's role on set.

Film Directing

A program for those who want to develop their skills in directing, working with actors, and the language of film.

Editing, Color Grading, VFX

A program focusing on editing, color correction, VFX, and comprehensive video post-production.

Registration Guide

Registration begins on: April 15 , 2026

Recruitment begins on: May 5 , 2026

Course start date: October 6, 2026; end date: June 25, 2027

Exam fee: 250 PLN

Accident Insurance: 70 PLN

Entry fee: 1,900 PLN

Tuition: 8,000 PLN per semester / 16,000 PLN per year

Payable per semester in advance by October 1 and February 15 of each year

or in monthly installments due by the 5th of each month:

October–June: 1,630 PLN
July–September: 1,000 PLN

» We’ve prepared special terms for those committed to pursuing their education at AMA.
Candidates who pass the admissions process and sign a student contract by the end of June 2026 will receive a 30% discount on the final semester—as support during the final stage of their education.

Practice

The course will cover the following practical topics:

  • camera work: video
  • Film exercises: master shot, on-camera editing, multi-camera systems
  • On-set operator job
  • Lighting in Film
  • working with the team
  • multi-shot staging
  • photojournalism, creative photography
  • film dramaturgy
  • a workshop-style film analysis
  • The Basics of Film Post-Production
  • working with an actor
  • Video editing: Final Cut, Adobe Premiere, Avid
  • TV studio production
  • Production of a final film project
  • projections

Theory

The course will cover the following theoretical topics:

  • History of Film
  • art history
  • aesthetics
  • Analysis of Paintings and Photographs
  • operational issues
  • lighting in film
  • cinematographic analysis
  • Film Analysis and Editing
  • Director’s Film Analysis
  • Feature Film Directing – The Basics
  • Documentary Filmmaking – The Basics
  • Creating a Film Project
  • elements of film production
  • media production systems: audio, video, multimedia
  • media post-production systems

Faculty Members in the Following Programs

Faculty members teaching courses in the following major:

  • Małgorzata Imielska
  • Iwona Strzałka
  • Michał Ozierow
  • Konrad Aksinowicz
  • Piotr Lenar
  • Krzysztof Mieszkowski
  • Jan Paweł Pełech
  • Jarosław Wierzbicki
  • Hubert Pusek
  • Amadeusz Andrzejewski

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Film Program, applicants must participate in an interview and submit their resume along with film, photography, visual arts, or literary works that demonstrate their aptitude.

We schedule interview dates with participants on an individual basis.

Please send your resume and portfolio to the following email address: rekrutacja@amafilmacademy.pl

» We’ve prepared special terms for those committed to pursuing their education at AMA.
Candidates who pass the admissions process and sign a student contract by the end of June 2026 will receive a 30% discount on their final semester—as support during the final stage of their education.

Registration Guide

Registration begins on: April 15 , 2026

Recruitment begins on: May 5 , 2026

Course start date: October 6, 2026; end date: June 25, 2027

Exam fee: 250 PLN

Accident Insurance: 70 PLN

Entry fee: 1,900 PLN

Tuition: 8,000 PLN per semester / 16,000 PLN per year

Payable per semester in advance by October 1 and February 15 of each year

or in monthly installments due by the 5th of each month:

October–June: 1,630 PLN
July–September: 1,000 PLN

» We’ve prepared special terms for those committed to pursuing their education at AMA.
Candidates who pass the admissions process and sign a student contract by the end of June 2026 will receive a 30% discount on the final semester—as support during the final stage of their education.

Practice

The course will cover the following practical topics:

  • camera work: video
  • Film exercises: master shot, on-camera editing, multi-camera systems
  • On-set operator job
  • Lighting in Film
  • working with the team
  • multi-shot staging
  • photojournalism, creative photography
  • film dramaturgy
  • a workshop-style film analysis
  • The Basics of Film Post-Production
  • working with an actor
  • Video editing: Final Cut, Adobe Premiere, Avid
  • TV studio production
  • Production of a final film project
  • projections

Theory

The course will cover the following theoretical topics:

  • History of Film
  • art history
  • aesthetics
  • Analysis of Paintings and Photographs
  • operational issues
  • lighting in film
  • cinematographic analysis
  • Film Analysis and Editing
  • Director’s Film Analysis
  • Feature Film Directing – The Basics
  • Documentary Filmmaking – The Basics
  • Creating a Film Project
  • elements of film production
  • media production systems: audio, video, multimedia
  • media post-production systems

Faculty Members in the Following Programs

Faculty members teaching courses in the following major:

  • Małgorzata Imielska
  • Iwona Strzałka
  • Michał Ozierow
  • Konrad Aksinowicz
  • Piotr Lenar
  • Krzysztof Mieszkowski
  • Jan Paweł Pełech
  • Jarosław Wierzbicki
  • Hubert Pusek
  • Amadeusz Andrzejewski

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Film Program, applicants must participate in an interview and submit their resume along with film, photography, visual arts, or literary works that demonstrate their aptitude.

We schedule interview dates with participants on an individual basis.

Please send your resume and portfolio to the following email address: rekrutacja@amafilmacademy.pl

» We’ve prepared special terms for those committed to pursuing their education at AMA.
Candidates who pass the admissions process and sign a student contract by the end of June 2026 will receive a 30% discount on their final semester—as support during the final stage of their education.

Registration form

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