Workshops

Intro to Commercial Filmmaking Workshop

August 6th, 2026 - Apply by July 22nd

You can study video in North Dakota. What you can’t easily find anywhere in the state is a working commercial set, professional cinema gear, and someone walking you through how it actually operates. We’re opening our doors for one day to change that.

  • Cost: Free. Spots are limited and filled by application.
  • When: August 6th, 2026, 9:00am-2:00pm, lunch provided
  • Where: Threefold Studio, 1125 E Main Ave, Bismarck
  • Who: Geared toward high school, college-age, and early career creators.
    Applicants under 18 will need a parent/guardian to sign a release before attending.

Threefold has spent 13 years making national- and global-level commercial work right here in Bismarck. We’re inviting a small group of curious young creators in to spend a day on a real set — and we’re handing you the gear.

Please read “Facts” section below prior to applying.

Applications Closed

Facts:

How to apply.

Spots are limited, so we ask for a quick application — about ten minutes:

  • Fill out the short form at the link above.
  • Record a 60-second phone video: who you are, and which parts of production pull at you most — camera, lighting, rigging, or just being on a set and learning the ropes. No editing, no fancy setup — just talk to your phone.
  • Optional: Link any project you’ve worked on that reflects your creative drive (TikTok, school project, short film). It doesn’t need to be polished, just something you’re proud to show off.

Applications close July 22nd. We’ll reach out to everyone selected shortly after.

Questions? Email info@threefold.tv

A single hands-on day built around what actually happens on a commercial set — how a real production operates, the roles that make it run, and the technical craft of camera, lighting, rigging, and grip & electric. It’s not a class about editing or screenwriting. It’s about the set: how to move on one, speak the language, and be genuinely useful the moment you walk on.

  • See how a real commercial production operates — the roles, the workflow, how a set runs from load-in to wrap
  • Learn set etiquette, terminology, and how to carry yourself professionally — the stuff that makes you hireable as a PA on day one
  • Build out real cinema cameras and feel the weight — learn the why behind every piece
  • Fly a C-stand safely, rig professional lighting, and shape mood with light — the most important skill on any set
  • Work in a small team to build a lit setup from scratch and shoot a short test clip

This is aimed at high schoolers, college students, and early-career professionals who are already drawn to this world — even a little.

This is for you if:

  • You’ve picked up a camera and shot something — anything — just because you wanted to
  • You pay attention to how things are shot and lit in the videos and films you love
  • You don’t have training or gear, but you’ve got the itch to make things
  • You want to make a career in video or film.

 

If you’ve already got a spark for this, no experience, film school, or gear of your own is required. You just need to already care.