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VISUAL STORYTELLING

CINEMATOGRAPHY INTENSIVE WORKSHOP

Shoot cinematic scenes with actors and professional camera equipment
in an intensive 7-day workshop led by award-winning filmmakers.

16th – 24th November 2026, Warsaw

Visualize narrative into film form under the eye of renowned cinematographers and filmmakers. The cinematography workshop covers visual form creation, film location analysis, shooting scenes, script interpretation, storyboarding, and color grading process.

Each participant will be given the opportunity to work individually with the camera, enabling to produce short material for his/her own portfolio. Teachers (DOPs) guarantee individual consultations of your work during each class.

We will work for 7-days on film locations with camera and lighting departments, with actors on film scenes to visualize our ideas, as to undergo color grading in the last day of the course.
11th and 15th June are off days for regeneration.

Łukasz Żal

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Twice Oscar Nominee, Thrice BAFTA Nominee, European Film Awards Winner

Famous works include: “The Zone of Interest” directed by Jonathan Glazer, “Cold War” and “Ida” directed by Paweł Pawlikowski, “Loving Vincent” directed by Hugh Welchman and D.K. Welchman.

Michał Marczak

CINEMATOGRAPHER / DIRECTOR

Sundance Film Festival Winner

Michal is also a commercial director whose work among others includes: Sprite, Ikea, Johny Walker, Coca-Cola have brought him numerous awards.

Rafael Kapelinski

DIRECTOR

Berlinale Film Festival Winner

His feature ‘Butterfly Kisses’ won the Crystal Bear at the International Film Festival in Berlin (2017). His feature project ‘Up On The Roof’ won Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Cinefondation Residence Award.

Jacek Podgórski

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Gdynia Film Festival Winner for Cinematography, awarded the North American Film Award and Los Angeles Movie Awards.

Famous works include: “The Mute” directed by Bartosz Konopka (Oscar-nominated director), “Getaway King” (at Netflix Worldwide) and “Bikini Blue” 

Piotr Kukla

CINEMATOGRAPHER

He shot ‘Twin Sisters’ – nominated for an Oscar in 2004 in the category of Foreign Language Film

 He is a member of the Dutch and Polish Society of Cinematography. He worked for Dutch television, creating pictures for series and commercials. His output includes many feature films.

Bartosz Bieniek

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Twice Camerimage Festival Winner

Bartek works with feature fiction, film series and documentaries. He is an expert on handheld camera style.

Kacper Czubak

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Locarno Film Festival Winner and Docs Against Gravity for best Cinematography

Worked in Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, Southern Sudan, Myanmar, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Indonesia, in the Philippines, Dagestan and many other countries. 

Weronika Bilska

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Shot “The Whistle”, Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

The movie of Zofia Kowalewska’s “Close Ties”, was shortlisted for an Oscar; She shoots feature films, documentaries, music videos.

Nicolas Villegas

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Silver Tadpole during 2011 Camerimage Film Festival

Polish-Canadian cinematographer, originally from Colombia. For over 15 years I have been working with most formats available to cinematography, ranging from Fisher-Price PXL cameras to 35mm, in traditional cinema, stop motion animation and video-art.

Bartosz Nalazek

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Associate of the legendary Janusz Kamiński

Assisted J. Kamiński on: “The Post” and “The Fablemans” directed by Steven Spielberg. Nalazek worked with Uma Thurman, Andie MacDowell, Meg Ryan, Jessica Chastain, Robert Downey Jr., Noah Centineo.

Bartosz Konopka

DIRECTOR

Oscar nominated director for the Rabbit a la Berlin (2009) documentary

Bartek is a graduate of film studies at the Jagiellonian University Cracow and of directing at the Silesian University Katowice, plus Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing. Member of European Film Academy and the Board of Polish Film Institute. A lecturer in film schools of Katowice and Warsaw. He is a member of European Film Academy and was a member of the Board of Polish Film Institute.

Nils Croné

CINEMATOGRAPHER

A cinematographer working both in Poland and internationally. He is a member of the FSF – The Swedish Society of Cinematographers. He works on both feature films and television series.

In 2022 and 2023, the projects Sexify 2 (TV series) and The In-Laws 2 (feature film), both directed by Kalina Alabrudzińska, were released, with Nils serving as the director of photography.

In 2024, the Netflix series 1670 premiered, featuring his cinematography.

Harleigh (Australia)

Vaiva (Lithuania)

Jeremy (USA)

The program opened with a masterclass by Piotr Żurawski, introducing the art of visual storytelling and the balance between interior and exterior light.


During Kacper Czubak’s masterclass, they explored the differences between documentary and narrative approaches to cinematography, creating their own scenes with actors in a variety of settings.

Masterclass on ’’handheld style and emotions” led by DOP Weronika Bilska in collaboration with her gaffer Antoni Sturzbecher.

Our teaching method

STEP 1

Get to know and process with Oscar-Nominated masters through collaborative work.

STEP 2

Gain an understanding of the filmmaking process
by translating narrative thinking into visuality.

STEP 3

Implement your ideas using top camera and lighting equipment. Choose your tools for narration (static, handheld, easyrig, steadycam, other).

STEP 4

Discover the variety of ways you can communicate on set with your team and actors – choose your style.

STEP 5

Individual feedback and comments. Critical aspects of work presented by the instructors individually for each participant.

STEP 6

See how your material undergoes color grading.

STEP 7

Add selected excerpts of your work to your professional portfolio.

Warsaw cityscape – location of cinematography workshop.
Students working on film scenes during cinematography workshop.

During our cinematography workshop each participant will have the opportunity to work directly and individually with selected tools.

Cooperation with gaffers, lighting, and camera department.

Partner from whom we acquire top equipment for our cinematography workshop.

ATM STUDIO FILM RENTAL (the biggest in Europe) will provide us with ARRI and Sony Cameras, a great array of film lenses and different filmic tools for film narration.

Are masterclasses a practical program?+

Of course. Everyday of our masterclasses is practical work with camera, lighting and actors at film locations. This program is not a theoretical one.

Do we ACTIVELY participate in the program, or do we sit, listen, and observe?+

Our students will be participating in our masterclasses ACTIVELY. You will not be watching our masters work with the equipment. You will be working with the camera equipment under the watchful eye of our mentors.

Is this workshop in English?+

Yes, the workshop is fully in English.

Is accommodation an travels included in the price?+

No, accommodation and travels are not included in our price.

I am just a beginner. Is this program for me?+

You will have at your disposal top camera equipment so you must have basic cinematographic qualifications in order to participate in our program. However, every Masterclass in the workshop is supported with camera assistant who will help with and explain the equipment.

I went to a film school already. Why do I need this program?+

We are offering our participants renowned and top cinematographers and filmmakers. Quality creative time with our masters will definitely broaden your visual thinking, level up your experience with top film equipment, filmic techniques and tips from cinematographic department (lighting and camera). We will challenge your present experience and knowledge.

What benefits do I get from the program?+

The experience and knowledge of our Masters will definitely be useful to people who have already finished film schools. What is more, in order to find work as a cinematographer you should have a showreel. Under the provision of our masters, and with the material done during the workshop, students have the possibility to add short/some of the material to their portfolio.

How many different teachers do we have?+

Everyday is a masterclass with a different master. You will have 7 different mentors throughout our program. One for each day, the last day is focused on color grading your material.


+ 48 606 925 609
(Gregory, workshop instructor)
will answer all your questions

MEET US BEFORE
We would like to get to know you and your cinematographic needs.
Feel free to join us for an online meeting.

If you wish to know more about our cinematography workshop, please
drop us a line at closeup@speakersavenue.com to
arrange an online meeting with the workshop
instructor.