David Lynch Masterclass Review in 2024 [Is it worth buying?]

Are you also passionate about filmmaking and considering buying David Lynch Masterclass but unsure about whether it’s worth your time and money?

If so, you are not alone; many aspiring filmmakers have the same question. I can understand that finding which course is worth your investment can be daunting, especially if you are new to filmmaking.

To eliminate this confusion, I decided to enroll in this course to see whether it’s worth your time and money.

In this David Lynch Masterclass review post, I will share my honest review of this course, the things it covers, what I liked about it, and most importantly, whether you should buy it or not.

This post covers every vital thing that you need to know about this David Lynch masterclass, but before that, let’s have a quick overview of things this post covers

• About David Lynch
• Overview of the David Lynch course 
• Things covered in David Lynch course
• Who should consider David Lynch’s course? 
• What I liked about this course 
• Pros and cons of the David Lynch
• Is it worth buying the David Lynch?

And many more, so make sure you bookmark this post and read it until the end; let’s jump in and explore the David Lynch Masterclass.

David Lynch Masterclass Review

About the Instructor: Who is David Lynch?

If you are interested in filmmaking, then you have probably heard about David Lynch. For those who don’t know him, here is a quick introduction to the instructor, which will help you connect with your mentor and understand the concept easily.

David Lynch is a renowned American filmmaker and screenwriter with over 40 years of experience in filmmaking. He is best known for his unique visual work in movies.

In this journey of 40 years of filmmaking, he has created various successful films and series ranging from The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart to Twin Peaks.

Not only that, but he has also received various awards for directing films and series; below is the list of his achievements.

• Academy Award for Best Director for The Elephant Man (1980)
• Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Wild at Heart (1990)
• Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival (2007)

In this masterclass, he shared everything he learned to become a successful filmmaker, from finding the passion to pursuing a career.

In essence, he has shared his entire journey of filmmaking, which helped him stand out from the other people in the industry and receive various awards and love from the people.

Let’s jump right into and explore the list of the things that this masterclass covers about creativity and filmmaking and why you should consider this course on the path to becoming a successful filmmaker.

Overview of the David Lynch Masterclass

David Lynch’s masterclass on filmmaking is one of the most comprehensive and in-depth courses. It is hosted on the Masterclass, a subscription-based platform known for offering high-quality, expert-led courses at an affordable price.

In this masterclass, David has shared everything you need to know about filmmaking, from catching ideas to translating them into narratives, creating exceptional stories, writing processes, and working with actors.

Here is the complete list of the topics covered in this course, which teach you about filmmaking.

• Introduction: The Art of Life 
• Catching Ideas 
• Creativity and the writing process
• Educating Yourself
• Casting for character
• Working with actors
• On set: Creating a Happy Family
• Production Design: Building Unique Worlds
• Cinematography: Manifesting David’s Vision
• Sound Design and Scoring
• Breaking the Rules
• Make It True to the Ideas

Additionally, he also shared his journey of how he found this passion for filmmaking, one of the most successful directors of all time who made his name to the nomination to the Oscars.

Overall, the course is 2 hours 52 minutes long, divided into 12 lessons, as you can see above. Each lesson is roughly 10 -15 minutes long and teaches you specific things about filmmaking.

Inside David Lynch Masterclass: Things It Covers

Until now, you have taken a closer look at the courses and the things they cover about filmmaking; let’s jump right in and see the in-depth review of each lesson to get a clear idea about the content of the course.

Introduction: The Art of Life 

Unlike any other course, this one begins with an introduction to the art of life; with this lesson, David shares his philosophical perspective on art and life and how they are interconnected.

He highlighted the importance of exploring deeply and seeking out thrilling ideas in pursuit of creativity. He also teaches the role of intuition, emotion, and the subconscious mind in filmmaking and the creative process.

Catching Ideas

Undoubtedly, everything starts with an idea, whether you want to start a business or make a film. In this lesson on catching ideas, Lynch shares his personal experience of selecting ideas and tapping into the subconscious mind.

Besides that, he also discusses interpreting ideas and vision and how to transform abstract concepts into tangible ideas.

Lastly, he also explained the concept of catching ideas using the example of his film Blue Velvet, which made the concept a lot easier to understand.

Moreover, I love his process of catching ideas. He mentioned that catching ideas is like fishing; it requires patience and dedication. 

Ideas are everywhere. All you need to do is find your unique voice, tune in to your own ideas, and, most importantly, write them down so you don’t forget them.

Creativity and the writing process

In this lesson, David dives deep into explaining his approach to writing, the process that he has been following for the past 40 years, leading him to become a successful filmmaker and screenwriter.

Additionally, he highlights the importance of staying true to your ideas, avoiding compromise, and ensuring that your original ideas do not dilute because of something.

Here are some of the other things that you will learn in this video lesson that are

• How to use free flow writing to build the ideas?
• How to develop the script for your story?
• How to transform ideas into the abstract tangible material?

Moreover, he also discusses the role of daydreaming in receiving unique ideas and details that help create a compelling script.

Overall, this lesson is about writing processes and how to create an effective script with unique ideas that help it stand out from the crowd. 

Educating Yourself

One common trait of successful filmmakers is to learn continuously, which he explained in this lesson; he highlighted the importance of continuous learning and expanding the horizon beyond filmmaking.

He also discusses his exploration of various art forms, such as paintings, sculptures, and music, and how they have influenced his creative process and made him a creative person.

This lesson also emphasizes learning things through experimentation rather than just grabbing theoretical concepts.

The good news is that he explains this concept with an example from his first film, which she made with an old camera and no filmmaking knowledge.

Lastly, he also recommends some film analyses to see what works well and the techniques used behind the scenes that succeed and gain more attention from the audience.

Casting for character

One core component of building a successful film is casting an exemplary character. In this lesson, David shares his insight on the importance of casting the right character for a specific scene.

With this lesson, he demonstrated his approach to the casting process and how you can find the right person to fit into your character and match a film’s overall tone and impact.

Additionally, he shares his wisdom on identifying the character’s ability and his death of work for the role.

Furthermore, he also explains the process of casting an actor with an example from his own successful film. One of these characters is Laura Dren, who has appeared in Wild at Heart and Blue Velvet.

Using this example, he explained why Laura is the perfect fit for the scene and why he chose her for the specific role. To be honest, it was an interesting lesson to understand the relationship between director and director.

Working with actors

Finding the actor for your film and working with an actor are two different things to work with an actor. The first thing you need to focus on is building relations with them to guide them as per the storyline.

Additionally, he offers practical advice on analyzing the actors’ rehearsals and identifying mistakes. He also shares tips on correcting them and matching them with your vision.

From my experience, this lesson is especially important for Aspiring filmmakers as it gives practical tips on managing doubt during rehearsal and correcting the actors to match the idea and vision of your film.

Lastly, he also shared his personal experience of managing conflict between the actor and the other departments of production and filmmaking.

On set: Creating a Happy Family

From the above lesson, David has stressed the importance of building good relations with the casting and the other team members.

In this lesson, David explained the practical tips for building a comfortable atmosphere for the actor and the other team members, which allows them to perform at their best, which aligns with your vision.

Additionally, he teaches techniques for establishing clear communication channels and handling conflict and concerns with team members.

Here are some of the other valuable lessons that have been covered in this chapter 

• Creating the right environment for the work and better shots
• Utilizing the rehearsal session to improve the shots
• Checking the shots to find the best material from it

Apart from this, one of the important things that David mentioned in this video lesson is not to run a business on fear, as it destroys the environment of working.

My takeaway from his lesson is that directing is not about giving order to the people who work; rather, it’s a process of building an exceptional relationship with the actor and team members and guiding them with your expertise.

Production Design: Building Unique Worlds

In this chapter on production design, David discusses the two types of set design and how they differ. To explain this better, he shares the example of location shooting for the eraser and how environments play an important role in man’s manifesting vision.

David also discusses the Lost Highway sets and how he has outlined the complete set to ensure the team shares the same vision and ideas.

This lesson is very helpful as it gives you strategies for communicating your ideas to the designer for creating the set for the shot. Besides that, he also shares tips on selecting the location according to your vision and the storyline.

Cinematography: Manifesting David’s Vision

In this lesson, David shared his approach toward cinematography and covered the art of capturing images and translating them into unique creative visions on the screen.

To explain this concept even better, David shows how he worked in his film eraser head in terms of lightning; he also explains how light and moods play a vital role in executing the story and making it compiling for the viewers.

In addition, he shared some of his favorite recurring suits and how they represent the story in a symbolic rather than a stylish way.

As mentioned before, David is known for creating unique visuals in film. In this chapter, he shared his approach to the visual aspects of the film and some of the vital things he covers in the chapters.

• Using multiple  lights to create the right mood for the film
• Creating the suspense in the movie using the Shadows
• Building the relation with the cinematographers and other team members
• The benefit of creating storyboards 

David explained all this using his own example of the movies Eraserhead and The Elephant Man. He also explained how layering can create a unique visual effect.

It’s very interesting to see how David created such a compelling story before the error of digital technology and made it successful.

Sound Design and Scoring

In this sound design and scoring lesson, David shares his experience working with different musicians throughout his career. He also shares some important tips for working with musicians and executing the idea that matches your vision.

Additionally, he shared an example of his music collaboration with Angelo Badalamenti on Blue Velvet and how he communicated his ideas to Angelo to get the right music for the film that matches your vision.

Lastly, he also shared his techniques of using sound design to create an emotional impact in the film. I liked his tips on working with the musicians and communicating ideas with them to create the perfect sound for your film.

Breaking the Rules

In this lesson on breaking the rules, David encourages the students to challenge a conventional filmmaking process and rules and try something new and unique beyond someone’s imagination.

He also shares some techniques for pushing your boundaries in the creative process and creating something unique.

In essence, this lesson covers experimenting with conventional approaches and taking risks when filming without a permit. Still, he also mentioned that we need to abide by some rules.

Stay true to your ideas

In this lesson on Staying true to your ideas, David shares his method of dealing with failures and how potential failure can give you a positive outcome. 

He also discusses the risks involved in success and how you can view thinking positively or negatively.

He also shares some of his failures in his career of will-making and how he bounced back from them, took rejection as a data point, and converted them into successful movies.

Moreover, this lesson also covers how the filmmaking industry has evolved over the past few years and how the audience has decreased. Lastly, he shares some tips for adding elements that grab attention.

Bonus Chapter: Transcendental Meditation

It is the last and the bonus lesson where David teaches you about transcendental meditations. 

For many people, it seems like an unrelated topic to filmmaking, but if you connect it with the lessons of brainstorming and writing, you will understand the importance of these lessons.

In this, David has shared his experience with transcendental meditation and how it has impacted his life and enhanced his creativity.

Some of the Other important lessons that have been covered in the chapters include

• What is transcendental meditation?
• How to use meditation to find ideas?
• How does meditation affect the creativity process?
• What are the benefits of using meditation in filmmaking?

Overall, this lesson covers the importance of meditation and how you can integrate it into your life to improve your creative processes and enhance your thinking ability.

Who should consider David Lynch Masterclass?

We have discussed some of the essential aspects of the David Lynch Masterclass, including the overview and what this course covers, until now.

Let’s come to the most important point:  who should consider David Lynch’s master class?

Firstly, let me tell you that I am not an Aspiring filmmaker or very interested in filmmaking. I enrolled in this course to learn about David’s creative and writing processes, which are useful for writers, musicians, and all creative people.

After completing the scores and watching the lesson, I can say that three types of people might consider buying the course.

Aspiring Filmmakers

As you know, this course is mostly designed for Aspiring filmmakers, so the First Target audience is people who are interested in learning about filmmaking and creativity.

In this course, David, the filmmaker, has saved his entire journey of filmmaking and the important concepts that will help you master the art of filmmaking and the other essential components to become a successful filmmaker.

Creative peoples

As I mentioned before, I bought this course to learn about David’s creative processes and skills, which have made him a successful filmmaker and inspired many people.

You can also consider this course if you are creative, such as a musician, writer, or painter. This course will lay down some important concepts and techniques to increase your creative Skills.

David Lynch fans

You should consider this course if you already know about David and love his work. In it, David shares his  40 years of wisdom about the filmmaking process and building creative skills.

Not only that, but he also shared his personal journey from being rejected to becoming one of the successful directors nominated for the Oscar.

These are the people who should consider investing their money and time in enrolling in the David Lynch Masterclass.

Lesson learned from David Lynch Masterclass 

Honestly, I completed this course in one day, but to understand all the concepts and make some notes, it took me around two days to absorb all the concepts David teaches in this lesson.

This course offers various opportunities to learn about filmmaking and creativity, and here are some of my favorite lessons.

Process of catching ideas

Catching ideas is the first lesson that I like about this course. In this chapter, David explains the process of catching ideas and uses analogies to explain this concept very well.

He shares that catching ideas is like fishing. You need to have patience and dedication to catch them. 

He mentions that when you have 70 ideas and 70 scenes, you have a feature film, but the most important and valuable thing is to find your unique voice.

Staying true to the ideas 

While watching the video lesson on the course, I noticed that one of the common things David mentions in every chapter is staying true to your ideas. 

As a director and a filmmaker, you need to be able to communicate your ideas to the other departments and the team members without compromising.

He also mentions that if everything is true to the idea, the chances of your film working increase, and the whole film will improve. You should believe your ideas.

Day Dreaming like a kid

When I watched this lesson, I found it weird. Most people suggest you don’t daydream, but as a filmmaker, you must give time to daydreaming, as it enhances your creative skills.

He also mentions that nowadays, people don’t have time to daydream, but if you want an exceptional idea, you must give yourself time to daydream.

I found it helpful, and I have also observed the same thing in the top creative people. They give enough time to daydream and enjoy this process.

Create a Happy Family on the set.

I liked how he approached building relationships with the actors, crew members, and other people from the different departments.

He also mentioned that to create an exceptional film or story, it’s vital to create an atmosphere where everyone is on the same page and comfortable sharing their opinions.

Last, he shared some techniques for resolving conflicts between people or any other department of the products.

What can be Improved in David Lynch’s MasterClass?

Yes, I have learned various things from this course, but it can still be improved to be even better and more useful for the learner.

Non-interactive workbooks

If you have watched any other course on the master class, you probably know that the master class offers workbooks along with every course to make it more helpful for the learner.

Similarly, this David Lynch masterclass also contains a workbook that you get at the end of the course with the name “Class Companion Piece.” it includes a list of all the takeaways.

From my experience, this workbook is not interactive and actionable enough for me to implement anything in real-time and gain hands-on experience.

No interaction with Instructors

One major drawback of a masterclass is that it does not allow interaction with every instructor. Some courses have this option, but unfortunately, David Lynch’s course does not.

But adding these options to the course is very important as it helps a lot to make the vast subjects that require the understanding of various. Getting guidance from an expert will be helpful, especially if you are new to filmmaking.

David Lynch Materclass Review: Pros and Cons 

As I have mentioned many times, each course has its pros and cons, and as a learner, it’s vital for you to consider it before investing your hard-earned money. Let’s see the pros and cons of David Lynch’s masterclass.

Pros	Cons
Unique insights from a legendary filmmaker	Teaching style may be too abstract for some
Encourages authentic creative expression	Lacks hands-on technical instruction
Dense material may overwhelm beginners	Subjective content may not suit all tastes
Practical exercises to apply lessons	No structured curriculum or assessments
Covers various artistic disciplines	More expensive than some online courses
Personal stories from Lynch’s career	Content may feel dated or disconnected
Promotes artistic experimentation	Limited direct feedback from Lynch
Supportive learning community	Dense material may overwhelm beginners

These are a list of the pros and cons that anyone should consider before enrolling in the course of the David Lych Masterclass.

How much does the David Lynch course cost?

As mentioned at the start of this post, this course is hosted on the Masterclass platform, which is popular for offering high-quality courses. You need to buy a subscription to this platform to get access to the Judd Apatow masterclass.

Currently, this platform offers customers three types of subscription options that you can consider based on your requirements and budget.

• Standard Plan: $120 Per Year ( Access to 1 Device and No offline Mode)
• Plus: $180 Per year (access to 2 Devices and Offline Mode)
• Premium: $240 Per Year (access to 6 Devices and Offline mode)

Each of the plans has its specifications. To get more idea about the pricing of the masterclass, you can check out the complete guide on the masterclass review.

David Lynch MasterClass: is it worth it?

Yes, buying David Lynch’s masterclass is worth it, especially if you want to learn about filmmaking from successful filmmakers.

As in this master class, David shared his entire journey of becoming a successful filmmaker; he shared his creative processes, writing techniques, and communication methods for developing good relations with the actor and the other team members.

He has also used some case studies and examples to explain the concept, making the scores even more worthy.

However, if you are looking for technical guidance on filmmaking and prefer a more structured and linear course, then the scores might not be perfect for you.

Ultimately, the decision to buy the scores depends on the individual’s personal goals and budget, so it’s important to consider them before investing your hard-earned money.

Alternatives to David Lynch’s MasterClass

This post gives you an overview of this course, which will help you decide whether it’s worth investing your money and time.

But if you are thinking of trying some other filmmaking course, here are some alternatives to the David Lynch master class that you can consider and enroll in.

• James Cameron Teaches Filmmaking: A MasterClass Review
• Neil Gaiman MasterClass Review: 4 Mind-Blowing Takeaways!
• Aaron Sorkin MasterClass Review: Worth it? – 5 Takeaways

Conclusion

This is my honest David Lynch Masterclass review post, where I share everything you need to know before buying this course.

Now you have an understanding of everything that this course offers and the things it lacks; it’s time to make an informed decision from your side.

Overall, if you are new to filmmaking and want to become a successful filmmaker, consider this course. However, remember to consider your goals and budget.

If you still have any questions or queries regarding the David Lynch Materclass, please let me know in the comment section.