More Than a Classroom: Learning the Craft of Filmmaking on Set with tim cofield

Backstory: I was only 11 when my dad gave me the family VHS camcorder. I was 18 when my high school teacher gave me the assignment to shoot and edit my first short film. I was 25 when I began an unofficial apprenticeship under one master cinematographer and one Hollywood actor/writer. At first I was only given simple tasks like carrying equipment. Several years later I started getting field assignments, operating camera and composing musical scores.

The Pivot: Each of these opportunities shaped who I became but the most crucial was the apprenticeship under a seasoned professional who took interest in my development. It worked because I was hungry, observant and not afraid of hard work.

The Present Application: Whether it’s teaching guitar chords or photography techniques I’ve always made an effort to spend time with the younger generation, especially those who are hungry to learn and willing to do the simple tasks. Last month I decided to pay it forward by having several students from Dynamo Studios (a Songbirds Foundation brand) on my set during the filming of a music video for Katie Pruitt.

The Gear: Dynamo Studios, a student impact program brand of the Songbirds Foundation, recently invested in nearly 1mil worth of video production and audio production equipment. Their arsenal includes a set of 6 Atlas Mercury prime lenses and the Sony Burano camera, which were utilized in filming Katie Pruitt’s music video “Blackout” released June 12, 2026.

Core Message: Two students from Songbirds Foundation volunteered to be production assistants on this 3-day shoot. There are not many quiet teaching moments on a film set with an ambitious shot list but an observant teenager can learn more on set (as a fly on the wall) than in a classroom. I run closed sets meaning you can’t just walk onto my set without invitation. These students were given the opportunity to watch and participate in the moving parts of a live production. Apprenticeships are a time-tested, ancient tradition providing vital education for young minds pursuing a trade. Kessler Cuffman started Dynamo studios (which recently merged with Songbirds Foundation) to provide hands-on education for high school students in the creative economy.

Cinematography: When I first started talking with the Sutton brothers about the cinematic approach for “Blackout” I told Jacob I wanted the final aspect ratio to be 4:3 but also wanted to shoot with anamorphic lenses. (Anamorphic lenses are commonly used to achieve the ultra-wide cinematic aspect ratio of 2.39:1) He made the suggestion of shooting with the lenses turned 90 degrees (so that light flares would be vertical). We ended up committing to this aesthetic (which can’t be undone in post/editing). Instead of cropping the 2:39:1 ratio to 4:3 and losing all the information on the left and right along with all the characteristic of edges of the Atlas Mercury lenses we decided to squeeze all of it into the 4:3 frame. This meant preserving all the organic vintage characteristics at the borders, including pleasant barrel distortion and field curvature.

Director’s note: Late in the evening on day 2 of filming, we were deep in the woods preparing to shoot the “attack at the campsite” scene. Katie was sitting by the campfire when she turned to me and said “I feel like I’m actually living out this story! This is a very immersive experience (laughing).” I realized in that moment that I had indirectly caused this because of my directing style. The scenes need to feel authentic like all of it is really happening. On the other hand, hospitality is important to me. It’s not all about the end product. The experience of the cast and crew is just as important to me as the final result. If the artist and cast feel safe they will not only give a better performance but they’ll be more enthusiastic about doing it again, tomorrow.

*if there was some part of the process or behind the scenes we left out that you wish we covered drop me a line on the contact page

More Than a Classroom: Learning the Craft of Filmmaking on Set with tim cofield

Elevate Your Brand with Expert Video Production: The "A Different Model" Case Study from Tim Cofield