Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review 2022: Is It Worth It?

This article (Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review) will provide you with the opportunity to read an in-depth evaluation of Martin Scorsese’s Masterclass, including information on how the lessons are presented, who the course is best suited for, the cost, and what I enjoyed about it, etc.

Film director Martin Scorsese, born in Italy and raised in the United States, is widely regarded as a pioneer of the New Hollywood movement. As an Oscar-winning director with a five-decade career, I was eager to enroll in Martin’s class.

It’s possible that you’re wondering if the MasterClass by Martin Scorsese is worth it. How long is the Masterclass with Martin Scorsese and is it worth my time and money?

These and other issues will be discussed in depth in my Martin Scorsese MasterClass evaluation. I’m not afraid to be open and honest about the good and bad points of a situation. including the key takeaways from each session.

Overall, he provides a wide range of examples, both from his own work and from the work of other filmmakers. It was a good method to get us interested in the world of film and show Martin’s passion for it. Most of your queries will be answered here, and you’ll also be able to identify any potential deal-breakers.

Who Is Martin Scorsese?

Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, four British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Directors Guild of America Awards.

From the 1970s up until the current day, many of Martin Scorsese’s best films have been nominated for or won multiple awards. Among these are Taxi Driver (1976), Goodfellas (1990), The Irishman (2013), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). (2019).

He was honored with an Academy Award in 2006 for the film The Departed, in addition to three BAFTA awards in 1990 for the film Goodfellas.

Martin has been honored with four Golden Globes for his work as a director. This includes the film Gangs of New York, which he made in 2002. (also receiving the AFI Movie of the Year Award).

Martin makes an attempt to give a realistic description of this subject by noting that if you are interested in a job in the film industry, you should not enroll in this class.

But if you absolutely have to make movies…if you feel like you won’t be able to relax until you’ve told this one particular narrative that you’re dying to tell in moving images and sounds,

THEN I might be able to help you.” So that wraps things up. This masterclass is designed for those individuals who are more interested in hearing about Best filmmaking MasterClass than learning how to make movies technically. Please keep reading below for further information.

In addition, you can find Martin Scorsese on Twitter, where he has over 39,000 followers, and he regularly posts interesting content there.

What Is MasterClass?

Yanka Industries, Inc. launched MasterClass in 2015 as an online instructional resource. There are approximately 150 video tutorials on the internet, all taught by specialists in their respective professions.

You’ve probably seen adverts for a Martin Scorsese Masterclass if you’ve recently searched for or liked anything online about filmmaking. Is the price of entry worth the value of the experience?

It is a new company that provides online courses in a wide range of subjects. They’ve built a reputation for themselves in the short time they’ve been there by luring some notable personalities to their platform.

Gordon Ramsay teaches cookery, Christina Aguilera sings, Aaron Sorkin teaches screenplay, and Martin Scorsese teaches filmmaking in his Masterclass. It’s not uncommon for German filmmaker Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN), who is widely regarded as a maverick, to instruct a class.

So much for the old saying that “those who can’t do, teach.” Scorsese’s filmmaking prowess hasn’t waned. It’s a different talent altogether to teach online when there is no face-to-face contact.

Course Overview – Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review

The Martin Scorsese Masterclass is comprised of thirty video lectures, each of which is accompanied by its very own workbook.

The video lectures primarily consist of interviews, with snippets from films directed by Scorsese and others thrown in here and there to emphasize his arguments. Even though he is a powerful and articulate public speaker, we have never witnessed in person how he directs actors or scenes on set.

As a consequence of this, the videos may have an appearance and a sound that are quite similar to one another, despite the fact that the information that Scorsese imparts varies greatly from one lesson to the next.

There is a strong urge to rush through all of the video lessons in as few settings as possible; nevertheless, doing so causes the movies and his words to become indistinguishable from one another.

Instead, it is recommended to spread them out over a longer period of time (there is no set amount of time required to finish the class) and to take notes as if he were lecturing in person.

It would have been intriguing to witness Scorsese directing personally, to see his counsel put into practice, given the drop in DVD releases in the age of streaming in comparison. Filming for THE IRISHMAN is presumed to have begun prior to him filming the class.)

However, in terms of what they cover, the classes are extremely extensive:

• Doing the scripting
• Actors are cast and directed
• Locations
• Design for the set and costumes
• Cinematography
• Editing
• Colour
• Sound and music production

People skills and ingenuity are just as crucial, if not more so, as being a director. In addition, the lessons cover:

• Development of one’s own personal style
• Filmmaking on a shoestring budget
• Being a part of a group
• Advertising your movie

More theory-based classes, in which Scorsese analyses iconic film moments, are also available. Many novice filmmakers get into the trap of not seeing enough and not comprehending what has come before, which is why these courses may seem overly theoretical or academic to some participants.

In a three or four-year filmmaking degree, you may not completely understand this. In other words, if you don’t know what visuals imply and how they convey meaning, how can you make your own?

The Martin Scorsese Masterclass has a great deal to offer here. You’ll be able to use what you learn about how to view and read images in your own work.

The Workbooks For The Martin Scorsese Masterclass

The workbooks supplement the lessons by providing suggestions for additional reading and viewing, as well as exercises that may be completed at your own pace. The workbooks and exercises aren’t developed by Scorsese, but he apparently approved of them because they feature resources from him, such as storyboards.

An alternative approach is to use each workbook as a summary of the lesson, which you can then use as a jumping-off point for developing your own ideas and projects.

In certain cases, the information they provide is redundant. If you’re here, you’ve probably heard of Martin Scorsese and his filmography. Because he’s filmed a few documentaries on the subject, you may have previously heard him speak about his early years, favorite films, and formative cinema experiences (about American and Italian movies).

Because this is an online course, there will be no face-to-face interaction between you and your instructor. A visit from Martin Scorsese to your short film set to offer personalized counsel isn’t possible. Follow the activities and put them into action on your own.

Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review: Pros & Cons

PROS

1. Learn from An Award-Winning Director

Martin Scorsese’s impact on current filmmaking cannot be overstated. It’s apparent he’s an expert in the field he works in since his movies have spanned an astounding period of time. In my opinion, this MasterClass is the finest way to learn from the best.

Aside from the quality of the films, MasterClass itself has excellent production values, and all of them are shot in HD. Both the videos and the workbook clearly highlight the sub-chapters of Martin’s courses to make the course more user-friendly.

I found Martin’s teaching style to be very effective because he demonstrated every point he made. Because we were able to see many videos, we were able to see the substance of the lesson “in action.”

2. Consider The Film History

One aspect of this class that really stood out to me was how much of a focus our instructor, Martin, put on learning about the history of film and gaining an understanding of the film industry. This was a topic that was touched on, albeit to a lesser extent, in other classes.

Martin demonstrates to us in particular how to carry out the following tasks:

• Make use of other movies as both direct and indirect sources of reference.
• Gain an understanding of the significance of voice-over in relation to the history of film.
• Having an appreciation for the development of film technology is important.
• Maintain a focus on artistic expression throughout the production of the film.

Hearing Martin talk about his enthusiasm for early film and the manner in which the production of movies has evolved was quite thrilling. I also enjoyed that Martin examined the ways in which we might pay homage to the past while simultaneously reimagining it in order to breathe new life into a well-established genre.

3. Connections With The Cast and Crew

It was interesting to have experience in both starting from scratch and working with a large group of people at the same time. Martin goes so far as to describe how he collaborated with his own friends and family members to create some of his first films. He also addresses the advantages of employing people who are not trained as performers.

In general, I think this was helpful information for budding filmmakers who may not have the same chances in terms of technical resources. I thought it was really cool that Martin kept this in mind during the whole class since it demonstrated that he was paying attention to his audience.

4. Design for Your World

Hearing Martin speak about production and costume design was one of the most enjoyable parts of this session. In particular, he utilizes Casino to demonstrate how he captures the film’s spirit through his visual interpretations. Using production design to convey particular feelings and themes is also discussed.

Drawing from memory is a key component of Martin’s approach and provides an insightful view on how we might achieve this for ourselves. Everybody has a source of inspiration they may draw from and use to imagine their film, according to Martin.

Martin’s advice on costume design is sound, and he provides some wonderful examples of how to use apparel to convey period and place. Barry Lyndon, in a later case study by Stanley Kubrick, illustrates how historical wear in the 18th century was used to evoke a sense of place and time in the film.

5. Make The Most Of A Small Budget

In spite of what some might think, I appreciated Martin’s consideration of low-budget filmmaking during his course. Additionally, he talked about growing up in the working class and the forms that were available to him at the time.

After the success of The King of Comedy, Martin tried to make a comeback in the film with After Hours, which he frequently alluded to. For him, the advantages of low-budget filming much outweighed the disadvantages.

His emphasis on these advantages was refreshing since it showed how an apparent negative could actually be beneficial. The timing of films and how they are shot realistically within limits were also discussed.

6. A wide Range Of Topics

Martin’s course has the advantage of covering all the bases in terms of material. In Martin’s talk, we learn about a variety of subjects, including:

• Creating a narrative.
• Casting and directorial work.
• Location-scouting.
• Editing.
• Sound engineering.
• Marketing for a movie.

MasterClass covers nearly every area of filmmaking in both the video lessons and the accompanying workbook. This implies that even if you only take one course, you’ll still save money.

7. Case Study Quality

Martin’s lessons are backed up by several examples from his own work and from other directors. I like that he gave me a taste of a variety of filmmaking approaches, rather than simply his own. For those who are more visually inclined, this was a helpful tool.

When it comes to “Scene Discussions,” Martin provides an excellent example of how his instruction is put into reality. Additionally, listening to his voice-over while watching the footage is a great way to learn about what works best in each situation. When discussing cinematography’s visual features, I found this to be a successful strategy.

8. Accessibility

There were subtitles in English, German, and Spanish for the Martin Scorsese MasterClass, which was a welcome change from the other MasterClasses I had taken. If you want to supplement your studies, you can use this Workbook as well. A break from the video content allows us to work at our own pace and revisit important areas of interest.

Among its features are as follows.

• Chapters and subchapters are listed here.
• A section called “Learn More” provides additional information.
• Continued study and evaluation.
• What Martin has done in films.

This PDF is a lot more thorough than any others I’ve seen. MasterClass includes Martin’s own filmography, as well as Martin’s recommended viewing, to assist us in our investigation.

CONS

Although there were aspects of Martin’s class that I appreciated, I do not believe it will appeal to everyone. This is an area in which I believe the class may use some improvement.

1. Largely Theoretical

Martin’s course has the drawback of being heavily theoretical. It seemed as though Martin was giving us an outline of cinema history in his own Introduction to Film Studies course.

It would have been good to have a glimpse of Martin’s hands-on work, despite the numerous examples he provides. This could have featured footage of him working on the set or even showing off his equipment.

In the end, I thought Martin’s counsel was ambiguous at best. I got the impression he was more concerned with the emotional impact of a proposal than the practical implications of its implementation.

2. Less Concerned About Making Movies As A Career

Martin explains to us at the beginning of the course that this is not intended to be a training program for future professionals. This seemed odd to me, considering that many of his anecdotes focused on the director’s own journey from working on low-budget films to those with larger production budgets.

Martin places a greater emphasis on the compulsion to make films and devotes a significant portion of his time to pushing for the advantages of having limited resources.

On the one hand, because of this, the course became more approachable, and it provided sound instruction to people who are just getting started. On the other hand, it gave the appearance that Martin was attempting to persuade us against making commercial films. It’s a shame that so many of his fans looked up to him as a director because he let them down.

Those students who engaged in film criticism appeared to get the most out of the class.

3. Technical Phrases

Martin’s usage of industry-specific jargon was something that came up frequently during our conversation. The fact that these were frequently mentioned without any or very little explanation gave the impression that we should already be familiar with them.

When compared to the other components of the theory, which Martin took the time to describe in great detail, this seemed quite odd. I got the impression that he wasn’t always in touch with his audience, and he used some phrases that required additional research to fully comprehend.

4. Beginnings Are Slow To Take Off

For a course with 30 courses to cover, it took a few chapters to get things going.

A large Workbook and a lot of things may have been shortened for some, and this could be a touch intimidating for some. It’s very uncommon for Martin to ramble through his words or divert his attention away from the topic at hand when he’s talking.

The “Scene Discussions” that follow, on the other hand, are well-organized and easy to follow. I believe this method of instruction would have been more effective in the earlier chapters since I found the later chapters to be easier to grasp.

5. Is It Cost-Effective?

On a regular basis, I look into online courses on Reddit to get a sense of the popular consensus on both quality and cost. A typical point of contention in relation to MasterClass is the cost of the course. The training was out of reach for several students due to the high price tag.

• “Is it possible for them to lower the prices? I’m behind on my rent back home “- Reddit user comment

Others, though, thought this was a great deal because Martin was the teacher. In addition, MasterClass’s strong production values and user-friendly lesson materials make it a popular choice.

• “For Martin Scorsese, ‘s advice, $90 seems like a bargain… On this one, I guess I’ll have to make a final decision “- Reddit user’s response

As I’ll explain in the following sections, there are also a few possibilities for purchasing. It’s important to put things into perspective before making a final decision on whether or not MasterClass is right for you.

Who Should Take This Course?

Despite the fact that the course is titled “Martin Scorsese Teaches Filmmaking,” most of it is more theoretical in nature and appears to be intended for students of film studies. Martin doesn’t show any equipment in action, and as a result, the course reads more like an interview than a hands-on workshop.

Insights on a typical day on set and what to expect from the shooting environment are provided. As a result, Martin expressly discourages professionals from enrolling in his program, referring to filmmaking as “a passion, not a job.”

You can expect to learn the following things if you take this course:

• Experiment with various filmmaking options.
• Take inspiration from previous films and use them in your own work.
• Create a film on paper, then bring it to life on the silver screen.
• Achieve success despite a shortage of time and resources.
• The cinematography of a scene can be studied.
• Adapt technology to your needs and goals.

On a scale of one to ten, I would say this course is best suited for those between the ages of two and six. However, there are sections of the course that appear to be tailored for more experienced students (such as when Martin cites technical jargon).

If you’re interested in studying film academically or trying your hand at making your own independent film, I recommend this course.

Course Pricing – Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review

At the time this article was written, MasterClass had three different subscription plans available. This is how much it will set you back (per month):

• Individual (1 user) $15
• Duo (2 users) $20
• Family (6 users) $23

All of these services are invoiced annually, which may appear to be prohibitively expensive at first glance. However, you might save a lot of money if you sign up with a group of friends or family members. As well as taking as many courses as feasible.

With more than 150 courses available, you’re sure to discover something you like. Even if you purchase an individual subscription and only use 10% of the courses, you’ll only pay $12 per course.

$180 / 15 courses = $12 per year for an individual subscription. You can save a lot of money if you sign up with a group of people you know. Our MasterClass review and cost articles will tell you more.

Considering the fact that these seminars are taught by global leaders in their respective industries, the value is unmatched. An online course taught by someone you’ve never heard of, much less a Grammy-winning musician!

Even more so, MasterClass offers a 30-day refund policy in the event you are dissatisfied. MasterClass can be given as a present as well.

Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review: Is It Worth It?

This MasterClass covered a wide range of topics with examples from both Martin’s own work and the work of other filmmakers in the room. To get us interested in the film industry, it showcased Martin’s passion for cinema.

If you’re trying to learn more about specific equipment and procedures, I don’t believe this course delivers enough practical information. Martin’s teaching is mainly theoretical and does not include any physical demonstrations.

Ron Howard’s MasterClass has a lot more practical demonstrations of equipment and technology, according to a member of the community. This course is best suited to students who plan to pursue a career in directing.

Although Martin’s MasterClass has its flaws, it also has its advantages. Great advice on how to collaborate with others while staying true to your original vision. They also found his storyboards beneficial for individuals who wanted to try their hand at scripting a movie on paper.

You’ll learn how to do the following things:

• Create your movie from the storyboard to the final cut.
• Find and construct your own editing and directing workflow.
• Think outside the box when it comes to technology.
• Create themes that are relevant to your concept and remain true to it at all times.
• Try low-budget filming as an experiment.
• Why it’s important to build excellent working connections with cast and crew

Those who are already admirers of Martin’s work will get a lot out of this course, in my opinion. If you’re interested in making experimental films on a tight budget, this is an excellent course for you.

Thank you for reading this article “Martin Scorsese Masterclass Review.” If you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions regarding this article, please write them in the comment section below. And don’t be hesitant about passing on this piece of knowledge to others.

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