MZed PRO Review
Here's my review of MZed PRO, a fantastic online education site, that I've been using for almost a year.
I've completed 22 of the 36 courses they currently have on offer and I'm trying to finish a few more before my subscription runs out!
MZed Pro is a great option for filmmakers who are looking to improve their knowledge through online education.
If you are interested in giving MZed Pro a try, this is my referral link:
I will receive a small commission if you do decide to become a member and this goes towards supporting me and this channel, thank you!
*Full disclosure - I wasn't paid to make this video and at the time of making it, I wasn't a part of the MZed associate scheme, however, I am now.*
In this video, I'm going to give you my review of Mzed Pro along with my personal top 5 courses that they offer.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with MZed, it's an online education platform, primarily focused on helping people become better filmmakers. It has a wide range of courses ranging from beginner to advance, and these are taught by some of the worlds leading filmmakers and educators.
MZed pro is the subscription service they offer, which gives you full access to the majority of the courses they have available. The only ones not included in this are the most recently released, however, these are later added. I should mention that I'm not associated with MZed in any way, I'm just a big fan!
Ok, so let's jump into the review!
I've been a member of MZed Pro for almost a year and I've completed 22 of the 36 courses currently on offer.
In comparison to other online education sites, one of the main things that sets MZed apart, is the quality of the courses on offer.
They cover a wide variety of areas, including; Cinematography, Editing, Colour Grading and Writing.
Each course is broken up into small sections that you can rewatch as needed. Within each section, there is a brief description of what that module is about, the transcript and it's here you will also find any resources that are related to that particular module.
Once you've watched a module to the end, it will be marked as complete and once you have completed all of the modules for that course you will be given a certificate of completion.
Some of these courses such as the Arri ones, will give you an official certification. It's worth mentioning that you will still get a certificate from MZed for the Davinci Resolve courses, however, you will need to complete the official Black Magic Design Tests, which are timed, to get their official certification. These tests are free and links to them are available in the resources section for those courses. These official certifications are one of the main things that initially drew me towards MZed.
They also offer an App where you can watch the courses on the go or offline.
Another benefit of the MZed Pro membership is that you get discounts for a range of other things, including Vimeo Pro, FilmConvert and Musicbed.
So what are my favourite courses?
I'll give you a quick rundown of my Top 5.
Starting at number 5 is a group of courses from Shane Hurlbut:
You can of course watch these individually, however, I would highly recommend giving them all a go.
Shane Hurlbut ASC is a director of photography, known for big blockbusters such as Terminator Salvation and Need for Speed. He is also known among the DLSR community as one of the first filmmakers to shoot a feature using Canon DSLR's. He has a range of courses on MZed and that cover the theory and practical elements of cinematography. I would recommend these to those of you who are used to filming on smaller budgets sets and are looking for an insight into the how it's done on bigger productions.
Number 4:
At number 4 is Alex Buono's visual storytelling courses. While the gear he uses is slightly dated now given that these were made a couple of years ago, and the world of cameras changes so frequently. The main techniques and ideas he explains will always be relevant. Alex is a Cinematographer, Producer, Director who's worked on a wide variety of things including feature films and Saturday night live. His courses cover everything you need from pre-production to delivery and he gives a range of demonstrations for a variety of different filming situations, including corporate interviews, crime dramas and much more. I'm a big fan of these workshops as Alex not only covers the practical side but he also dives into the theory behind the decisions we make as filmmakers as well.
Number 3
At number 3 we have the official Arri Academy training courses. Now these may not be relevant to everyone but if you're an aspiring cinematographer who hasn't worked with Arri camera systems before, then they are a must. These are in-depth, 10 hours plus each, that go into every little detail on using Arri Camera systems from the Alexa Mini to the LF. As mentioned earlier, when you complete these courses, you will receive an official certification from Arri. I think even if you have been using Arri for several years, you will still learn something new form these courses.
Number 2 -
At number 2 we have a range of courses from Ollie Kenchington. Ollie is a Filmmaker, Editor and Colorist, he is also one of the most highly qualified and respected film production and post-production trainers in the UK. Ollie's courses focus on colour and they will give you everything you need to get you started in DaVinci Resolve. Before watching Ollie's courses, I knew basically nothing about Resolve and now I'm as confident with it as I am Premiere Pro, which I've been using for almost a decade.
I'd recommend starting with directing colour to give you a solid theoretical starting point. Then you can move onto The Definitive Guide to DaVinci Resolve which as the name suggests, explains everything you need to know to get you started, and from here you can move onto Colour correction and mastering colour, which go further into detail into the world of colour correcting and grading.
As I mentioned earlier, after completing these courses you will be able to take the official Black magic exam to become a certified Resolve end-user. These are timed exams with multiple-choice questions but don't panic, these courses are so detailed, they cover everything you need to pass with flying colours...see what I did there...no...ok.
Number 1 -
Last but not least at number 1 is Directing Motion from Vincent Laforet. Vincent is a Director, Filmmaker and Photographer. Chances are you've probably heard of him already if you're watching this video but for those of you who haven't, Vincent works with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Apple and Nike. He is also known for his 2008 short "Reverie" which he shot on the Canon 5D mark ii and pretty much started the whole DSLR filmmaking revolution.
Directing Motion teaches everything you need to know about camera movement.
I actually bought this course separately on MZed before MZed pro was available a good few years ago, and yet it remains an invaluable educational resource for filmmakers. It truly changed the way I watch films and television. You will know what I mean after you watch it!
So that's my top 5!
I would highly recommend MZed Pro to anyone looking to improve their filmmaking game. The price you pay is worth every penny but keep an eye out this month as they may have a Black Friday sale as they did last year when I got it. Given the current situation with the global pandemic, I can't think of a better time to focus on improving your filmmaking knowledge through online education.
