Course overview
Description generated based on course syllabus and open data.
Program overview: directing and visual storytelling for short forms
The program focuses on creating short-form video: advertising, music videos, short films, YouTube and social media content. It covers the path from concept and treatment to shoot planning, visual language, editing strategies, and color grading.
Lecturer and background
Lecturer: Pavlo Buriak — director and producer, founder of Rafesthetic.tv. Portfolio includes campaigns for Volkswagen, Siemens, FIFA, Samsung, Levi’s, Diia, Nike x FC Shakhtar, Kyivstar; music videos for Okean Elzy, ARTBAT & John Martin, Homeboy Sandman. Recognitions: Cannes Lions, Eurobest, D&AD, Berlin Music Video Awards, UKMVA, Short Shorts Asia, Milano Fashion Film Festival.
Directing and visual storytelling: who it suits and who it does not
Suitable for
- Those working toward roles of director, creative producer, or content lead.
- Videographers, cinematographers, and editors seeking to systemize visual storytelling.
- Authors of short forms: ads, music videos, shorts, and content for YouTube and social platforms.
- Copywriters and screenwriters preparing treatments and pitches for video.
Not ideal for
- Those who need purely technical camera/software instruction without directing context.
- Those seeking an academic path focused solely on feature-length cinema without short-form emphasis.
Short-form visual storytelling: challenges and practical coverage
- Challenge: many ideas, little structure → Coverage: structuring concepts in a treatment, scene and shot logic.
- Challenge: unclear visual language → Coverage: composition, lighting, angles, rhythm, color as narrative tools.
- Challenge: compact storytelling → Coverage: short-form dramaturgy, character and conflict design.
- Challenge: trends vs identity → Coverage: integrating trends without losing style.
- Challenge: fragmented crews → Coverage: director’s communication with production, cinematography, art and sound.
- Challenge: unsystematic post → Coverage: editing approaches, sound, color grading, delivery preparation.
Comparison with alternatives in directing and storytelling
- Self-learning: flexible, often lacks cohesive treatment structure and short-form practice.
- Screenwriting-only courses: deepen dramaturgy but rarely cover visual language, composition, or on-set directing.
- Feature-focused programs: valuable for cinema, may be less relevant to the pace of ads, music videos, and social media.
Expected outputs and competencies in directing and visual storytelling
- A prepared treatment for a short video with concept, character, scenes, and visual references.
- A shoot prep checklist: narrative, framing, production design, lighting, sound.
- A basic post-production pipeline: editing logic, rhythm, color grading.
- A director’s communication plan for collaboration with the production team.
Course Description
Lecturer
Pavlo Buriak
10+ years in the profession
Director, producer, owner of Rafesthetic.tv production
He has created campaigns for Volkswagen, Siemens, Fifa, Samsung, Golden Goose, Levi's, DIY, Nike x FC Shakhtar, Kyivstar, Ruslan Baginski, JBL.
He has directed music videos for Okean Elzy, ARTBAT & John Martin, and Homeboy Sandman (Snoop Dogg's label).
He has charity projects in his portfolio: African art education project for the Kenyan Maasai tribe @RISA.TODAY and the Mosaïka project for the rehabilitation of children affected by hostilities.
He has won awards such as Cannes Lions, Eurobest, D&AD, Berlin Music Video Awards, UKMVA 2021, Short Shorts Asia, Milano Fashion Film Festival, and industry screenings of short films in the Cinema de Demain section at Cannes Film Festival.
Pavlo has been featured in Nowness, Director's Library, Shots.net, New York Times, Financial Times, Numero Netherlands.
