Shredded Lens Academy for Independent Film
Learn How to Create Independent Films with AI
Attend our live Zoom courses to learn film making with AI and meet like-minded creatives. Then join one of our teams, make a movie, and get paid when your film makes money.
Welcome to Shredded Lens Academy
We’re not just a studio – we also offer live film training over Zoom to build the next wave of AI-powered, artist-led productions. If you’re here, you already feel it: the industry is changing. And creators like us need more than inspiration—we need tools, a tribe, and a roadmap.
That’s what this Academy is for.
We built Shredded Lens Academy to train the kind of filmmakers we want to work with—innovators who think like artists and build like engineers. Every course we offer is rooted in the exact protocols we use on real productions. You’ll learn hands-on, in a collaborative environment, from professionals who’ve walked the road—and in many cases, you’ll walk it with them.
Students here don’t just study; they create. They pitch ideas, test tools, tear apart scripts, and build scenes. Our classrooms are filled with passionate creatives—from first-timers to working industry pros—sharing, learning, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The energy is contagious, and the friendships turn into partnerships.
And here’s the part that makes us different: when your work is ready, you don’t have to go searching for a way in. We built the doorway. Joining our Academy puts you on a real track to join our studio, form a team, and make actual films. Many of our top students go on to paid projects, co-productions, and collaborations with the very mentors who taught them.
You’re not just learning how to make movies—you’re becoming part of a studio that does.
What Makes Us Different
We’re not here to teach film theory and wish you luck. We’re here to build films with you.
What sets Shredded Lens Academy apart is simple: every class, every tool, every critique is tied directly to the way we create real productions in our studio. There’s no guesswork. No fluff. Just battle-tested workflows, creative breakthroughs, and a clear path from learner to collaborator.
Here’s what makes our Academy stand out:
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AI-Enhanced Everything
We don’t treat AI as a gimmick—we treat it like a co-creator. From writing and design to voice, pacing, and story logic, we train you to use AI the way we do: with precision, purpose, and personality. -
Studio Integration
Our students aren’t building projects for a grade. They’re building for potential inclusion in Shredded Lens features and series. When we see standout work, we don’t just applaud—we invite. -
Protocols, Not Just Practice
You’ll learn the actual protocols we use every day: Script Forensics. The Audience Resonance Protocol. The PRISM scoring model. These aren’t just ideas—they’re our operating system. -
Real-World Collaboration
Our classes often include visiting industry professionals—writers, directors, producers, and showrunners. These aren’t lectures from a distance. These are working artists stepping in to collaborate, critique, and sometimes even recruit. -
Paid Opportunities
When you’re ready, you’ll know—and so will we. Many of our graduates earn a spot in paid project teams inside our pipeline, with smart-contract revenue sharing and real credit on screen.
If you’re serious about storytelling, and ready to join a creative force that’s already building the future—we’ve saved you a seat.
HOW IT WORKS
We’ve designed the Academy to be streamlined, flexible, and production-ready. Whether our goal is to write, direct, design, or lead a team—here’s how we guide our students from curious creator to confident collaborator:
1. Enroll in a Course
Choose the course that fits where you’re at—or where you want to go. Scriptwriting. Worldbuilding. AI-powered editing. Whatever the path, we walk it step by step, using real studio workflows.
2. Learn by Doing
Each class combines live instruction, AI demonstrations, creative assignments, and feedback from instructors and peers. No busywork. Just high-impact creative training designed to elevate our craft fast.
3. Build in Public
You’ll be creating in a shared, supportive space—where instructors, peers, and even industry visitors can see what we’re making. When something clicks, we notice. And we keep watching.
4. Earn a Seat at the Table
Submit your work. Get scored. Get invited. Our scoring protocols help us track who’s ready for more responsibility—so if our work stands out, it might just get greenlit for studio integration.
5. Collaborate, Create, and Get Paid
Top students are invited to join real production teams inside Shredded Lens. You’ll collaborate with other graduates, mentors, and staff to make actual films—and if your work makes it to screen, you share in the profits.
This isn’t just about becoming better. It’s about becoming part of something real.
courses offered
These aren’t your typical online classes. Every course we offer is built around the real creative and technical processes we use at Shredded Lens to develop, test, and greenlight our films.
Whether we’re just starting out or sharpening an advanced skill, each course is an opportunity to work with purpose—and build work that could live far beyond the classroom.
Click any course below to view the full syllabus, schedule, and enrollment info.
Each course is built to stand alone—but together, they form a powerful launchpad into real studio production.
AI-Assisted Scriptwriting
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to co-write with AI, diagnose script weaknesses using our Script Forensics protocol, and revise drafts for both artistic depth and market viability.
Why it matters:
Every great film starts on the page. If our writing doesn’t work, nothing else will.
Outcomes:
You’ll complete a full script treatment or pilot draft—and may be invited to pitch it for Shredded Lens development.
Worldbuilding & Lore Engineering
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to construct immersive, internally consistent worlds—complete with lore, factions, histories, and visual reference packs.
Why it matters:
World coherence and IP scalability are often the difference between a one-off script and a cinematic universe.
Outcomes:
Use AI to generate layered world documents and mythologies that align with our studio’s genre development pipeline.
Cinematic Image Creation
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to write visually expressive prompts and guide AI art tools to generate cinematic, story-consistent images and previsuals.
Why it matters:
Visual language is central to mood and tone. Promptcraft bridges the gap between concept and execution.
Outcomes:
Build pitch decks, moodboards, and asset libraries that feel production-ready.
Voice, Dialogue, & Character Continuity
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to create distinctive character voices, consistent dialogue arcs, and AI-driven continuity maps across scenes.
Why it matters:
Audiences bond with characters. If our voices break or shift without reason, we lose them.
Outcomes:
Produce multi-character scene packs and a full voice map usable for animation, live-action, or voice synthesis.
AI-Enhanced Storyboarding & Scene Assembly
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to convert written scenes into visual sequences using AI tools—from layout frames to rudimentary motion previews.
Why it matters:
Being able to see the story early unlocks stronger collaboration and fewer missteps in post.
Outcomes:
Deliver a scene assembly reel or hybrid animatic that can be presented to investors or production leads.
Postproduction with AI Tools
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to use AI to assist with rough cuts, visual polish, pacing, and tone balancing—without replacing human vision.
Why it matters:
Postproduction is where good films become great. We teach how to use AI as a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.
Outcomes:
Edit sample sequences with stylized treatments and pacing protocols for studio review.
Producer’s Lab: Managing AI Crews & ROI Scoring
(9 Weeks)
What you’ll learn:
How to manage AI-integrated teams, assess creative risk, and score projects using our PRISM model and ROI forecasting tools.
Why it matters:
If we want to lead creative projects, we have to understand the business—and how to prove the value of great ideas.
Outcomes:
Develop a pitch-ready budget, creative strategy doc, and contribution scoring map.
Enrollment & Access
Getting started with us is simple—and entirely remote. Whether we’re in New York, Nairobi, or a small town in the middle of nowhere, if we’ve got the hunger to create, we belong here.
Here’s how access works:
Flexible Access, Real Expectations
We run our Academy on real schedules with real deadlines—but with enough flexibility to fit around work and life. Most classes meet once per week via live Zoom sessions, with optional assignments and feedback channels open throughout.
We keep class sizes small on purpose. That’s how we maintain quality and give every student a real chance to shine.
What We Use
- Zoom for live instruction and guest speakers
- Discord for community, feedback, and collaboration
- Google Drive & Docs for submissions and shared workspaces
- AI Tools we provide or recommend (depending on course)
If you’ve got a laptop and a good connection, you’ve got everything you need.
Pricing
We keep our courses affordable—and we offer full scholarships for select applicants who show talent, commitment, or alignment with our studio’s current needs.
Some students pay per course. Others enroll through studio grants or partner programs. If we’re unsure, we can reach out—we’ll find a way if we’re the right fit.
Pseudonym Policy
Because we work with real professionals, some of whom are under NDA, some students may use pseudonyms in class. This keeps everyone safe and focused, and ensures our professional contributors can participate freely.
Please check our name tile when joining class. It’s how we’ll call on each other, give credit, and share work.
Non-Circumvention Requirement
Your agreement to non-circumvention is required. This simply means we ask that students and professionals don’t exchange personal contact details for contact outside the Academy. If we want to work together, we’ll do it through the studio—that’s how we protect everyone’s opportunity and trust.
What You Get
- Access to course recordings
- Feedback from working professionals
- Project-ready creative assets
- Studio visibility for advancement
- Potential inclusion in revenue-sharing projects
We’re not here to gatekeep. We’re here to light torches.
Join the Academy
This is where we stop watching from the sidelines—and start building the kind of creative future we actually want to be part of.
If we’re ready to sharpen our skills, meet other serious creators, and learn how to work inside a real studio pipeline, then we’re ready to join.
Enrollment is Open
Most of our courses run in rolling cycles throughout the year. Some fill up fast—especially when they’re tied to upcoming productions—so we recommend applying early.
Cohorts Start Every Few Weeks
Apply in Minutes
We don’t need essays or film degrees. We just want to know who we are, what we want to learn, and what we’re hoping to create.
Click below to apply.
We’ll review every submission with care—and if we’re a match, we’ll follow up with next steps.
Questions First?
If you’ve got questions, or you’re not sure which course is right for you, we can book a quick info call with a member of the studio team.
This isn’t just another class. It’s an invitation to step into the craft—for real.
And for some of us, it might just be the start of a career.