“You ought to be in pictures,” someone once said, and Merced College is giving area film afficiandoes an opportunity to learn how to make a movie.

Film maker Jason Ryder will show how movies are made, including an overview of the entire film business with hands-on instruction in camera use and lighting.

The class is offered through the College’s Community Service office on the Merced campus on consecutive Thursday nights, Feb. 4 through March 25 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The class is designed for those interested in how the film business works, how to make movies, or how to get into the industry, in front of, or behind the camera. While a breadth of useful and fascinating topics will be covered, Ryder will spend more time on film and TV industry subjects that most interest the students.

Ryder has worked in the motion picture and TV industry in numerous capacities for nearly two decades, most recently as producer, director, and writer. He has also coordinated numerous commercials, TV shows, PSAs, Indie features, short films, and recently designed an award-winning grant program in which underserved students learned the art, science, and business of film making. Ryder is currently a freelance producer and director.

Students participating in the “Making Movies” class will gain broad knowledge of the entire motion picture process including: screenwriting, preproduction, finding crew and gear, directing, cinematography, lighting, sound recording, editing, acting, and more.

Basic topics such as the various jobs available in the film industry, and how to break into motion pictures as an actor or crewmember will also be covered.

For more information, call Ryder at (925) 321-1710, or register by calling the Community Services office at 384-6224. Students may also register online at www.mccd.edu/community.