Full-Time Filmmaker Review
In this quick read, I’ll share with you a quick review of Full-Time Filmmaker an online film school that has been growing in popularity due to the success of its students and the fact that it’s been created by filmmaking legend and evangelist Parker Walbeck. But before we jump into I’m not just someone who took the course and am posting a review as a thank you. I implemented a lot of what Parker taught and it took my videos to a level I’m very proud and to a point where I have clients actively reaching out to me for a variety of different projects.
So let’s start with the question who is Parker Walbeck?
Parker is an incredible filmmaker who got his start working for Devin Supertramp. He put in the time working for him and eventually became skilled enough to go out on his own. There is a great lesson here, for whatever you want to do find a mentor that is ahead of you in the space you want and figure out how to provide value and just get around them.
Since parting with Devin and working for himself Parker has made hundreds of videos for companies all over the world. Huge brands such as Hyundai, Canon, and LG. Not only has he been able to make a full-time income from his films hence the name of the course. But he has also amassed a huge following over 900k subscribers on Youtube and for a good reason too.
The amount of free value Parker provides for the film community in terms of gear reviews, tutorials, business advice, and on such a consistent basis is second to none. If you haven’t checked out Parker and are considering buying FTFM take a look at his youtube to get a feel for his style and see the value he provides.
They are all concise, to the point, communicated exceptionally well, and to put it simply provide a ton of value. If you’re interested in FTFM check out the full offer here.
If you want to take a look at Parker’s teaching style and if he’s someone you’d like to learn from I recommend you check out this video that’s just part of one of the mini-courses within FTFM
Also, for the people thinking that he chose to share this video because it was the best content and the rest is nowhere near as strong that’s totally wrong.
He maintains this level of quality throughout the other videos in the course and I’ve actually noticed he has replaced videos with improved versions. So he not only gives it his all with every take but if he feels they could be improved he takes the time to reshoot and remake the videos.
Pretty incredible, that’s a testament that he truly cares about his students and always wants to deliver.
Here’s where I’ll breakdown the modules so you can see what’s inside yourself. First, it’s constantly being updated with new content that always lives at the top, then the intro to get yourself acquainted and some discounts on all your filmmaking needs.
The equipment -here Parker gives a great breakdown of all the gear you might need in your videography career. Granted you honestly have endless options when it comes to lights, audio, rigs, etc but Parker provides a great overview for you if you are a one-man/woman show or work in a small team.
Next is technical which is very important because if you don’t understand this it’s kind of like having a really nice and expensive espresso maker. If you don’t know how to tune it right to start and set everything right -you might as well be making drip coffee out of Keurig. Parker goes into everything here to a level that could take anyone from rookie to understanding virtually everything you need to know when it comes to being ready for a shoot.
The next section is “The Creative” which is something that I honestly think everyone can only really develop over time by simply getting familiar with their camera and developing their own look and style.
But Parker provides some great insight into his style and there are great ideas to establish your foundational style.
“The Editing” is the next section, now if you’re using Premiere Pro to edit you’re in luck because Parker edits in Premiere. But if you use Final Cut Pro you’re also in luck because he actually replicated almost all the videos he made Premiere for Final Cut. So there are two editing sections in total, one for FCP and one Premiere. Parker goes beyond in-depth and any editor can get a ton of value from this section alone. It will help with time management, composing shots, and all in all delivery a much better product.
If you’re looking to sign up for the Adobe suite you can sign up here, I personally use Adobe suite and love it for the wide range of resources for all your creative needs.
They even have a very easy to use portfolio building option called Adobe portfolio which I built my portfolio literally in minutes.
The editing here is great because he gives a number of tips that normally takes years to know that you normally learn from stumbling around Premiere Pro. In my opinion, some of the most helpful videos were the keyboard shortcuts video to speed up workflow and the time remapping video where you learn to create beautiful speed ramps.
The next section is all about the business of videography and Parker definitely isn’t one of those creatives who makes beautiful work but also has an empty bank account.
He gives full walkthroughs on how to gain clients in various industries as well as over the shoulder job shadows for those projects.
There are walkthroughs for weddings, real estate shoots, music videos, high budget commercials, and more.
He walks through how to handle all aspects of the shoot. Each of these walkthroughs are actually individual courses Parker sells on their own!
That’s how in-depth they are, the wedding video section is over 50+ videos!
Parker doesn’t just leave you hanging either when it comes to the legal side of the business. He shares his contracts with you, invoice templates, how to set up an LLC, tax advice, and really all the nuances that come with a business that is very easy to forget about.
Honestly, after I saw this I was ready to buy the course and I was happy that I did. But as you can tell by everything I’m already shared Parker loves to overdeliver, and he truly loves this course as well as his students so I’m just quickly going to list all the bonuses.
He includes a few mini-course and honestly since these “mini-courses” are sometimes over 50 videos long that makes me think they’re a bit more than that.
Wedding Video Pro
Seamless Video Pro
Real Estate Video Pro
Music Video Pro
Action Sports Video Pro
Commercial Video Pro
Travel Video Pro
Keep in mind all these courses sell individually for $129 — $297
Facebook Filmmaker Community -which is an awesome resource to connect with filmmakers and get inspired to level up your craft.
As you can see there is a ton of value, but I wanted to introduce myself.
I was initially a lost filmmaker not really knowing how to improve and how to grow my filmmaking business. But after buying this course and more importantly taking action everything changed.
Check out my 90-second reel here at www.italo.life if you’d like to see the product of my work after taking this course.
I started gaining clients, enjoying filming more, and people started asking me where I went to film school. I laughed because I was a business major in college and just took an online film school.
I referred a ton of people over and later found out there was actually an affiliate program.
That’s why I took the time to write this, to share my true opinion on the course and what I think it can do for you.
My promise to you is that I’ll use the commission check for my videography career.
Regardless of whether or not you choose to purchase this program, I wish you luck and wish you the best in your career in film!
Italo
