This is the best Udemy Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step coupon code discount for 2025.
So if you’re interested in Adam Bhala Lough’s “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step” course, which will help you increase your Photography skills, get your discount on this Udemy online course up above while it’s still available. (The coupon code will be instantly applied.)
Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step review for 2025
In our review of this course, we try to help you answer all of your most important questions about Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step as quickly and efficiently as possible, so that you can determine whether this online education training is worth your time and money.
Feel free to jump to whatever question you want answered the most.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
Why use DFSBS as an abbreviation of the course name?
During our Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step course review, you might sometimes see us refer to it as DFSBS for the following 2 reasons:
- We created the acronym by taking the first letter of every word (which was very ingenious and innovative, we know)
- We’re lazy and DFSBS is simpler and easier for reviewing purposes
The full course name is 35 characters long, including blanks, while DFSBS is 5 characters long.
You do the math.
Okay, we’ll do the math. We’re saving 30 characters every time we use DFSBS.
So, just a heads up that we’ll be using this abbreviation sometimes, so you’re not left scratching your head and wondering what the heck we’re talking about whenever we refer to DFSBS throughout the remainder of this review.
Is the Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step course for you?
To determine whether Adam Bhala Lough’s Udemy course is a good fit for you or not, ask yourself the following questions down below.
The more you answer “yes” to each question, the more likely it is that you’ll like this course.
Can you understand what Adam Bhala Lough’s course is about in 30 seconds or less?
Hopefully, you can easily grasp in 10 seconds or less what this online course is about simply by taking a look at the title that Adam Bhala Lough chose for the course, “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step”, as well as its subtitle: “From a 3-time Sundance alum, learn to make documentary films and videos from production to distribution on any budget”.
This combo of title and subtitle should be enough to communicate the purpose of the training if Adam Bhala Lough is a good, clear communicator (which, of course, you want in a teacher).
In our opinion, if you still don’t know what DFSBS is about after looking at these two things, then this is a red flag, and you might be better off not taking this class.
Among other things, it means Adam Bhala Lough hasn’t clearly and accurately conveyed what the course is about and might not be the best teacher for you.
For similar reasons, it’s important that you’re able to clearly understand what Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step is all about from the first few lines of the course description.
So take just a few seconds to read the opening lines down below and see what you think of them.
Opening lines of Adam Bhala Lough’s official description of DFSBS
Get filmmaking secrets, from finding (and securing) financing, through surviving production, through distribution and everything in between from me, Adam Bhala Lough, a Spirit Award nominated, 3-time Sundance Film Festival alum and one of Filmmaker Magazine’s Top 25 Indie Filmmakers to Watch.
Who am I?
I’m an internationally acclaimed 14-year vet with four documentaries currently on Netflix and three that were the #1 documentary on the iTunes charts. I’ve had an incredible amount of success in my career but I have also failed many, many times. You will learn where I failed along the way so you won’t make the same mistakes.
(Read more about this course on the official course page.)
Does DFSBS pass the 30 Seconds Test?
You can read a lot more about Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step on the official course page on Udemy, but the point is this: are the title, subtitle, and just the first few lines of the description enough to help you understand what the course is about?
If so, Adam Bhala Lough has done a good job and can be considered more trustworthy and a good communicator, which are important qualities for any teacher.
And, if not, maybe you’re better off looking at other Photography classes that are more clearly defined and more tailored to your specific interests.
Did Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step appeal to you in 30 seconds or less?
Now that you’ve done the 30 Second Test with DFSBS above, what is your gut reaction to this Photography course with only the basic information of its title, subtitle, and the first few opening lines of its official course summary?
Did Adam Bhala Lough do a good job conveying its subject matter, and did it immediately get your attention and appeal to you?
If so, Adam Bhala Lough’s online course is certainly worth considering some more.
But if not, perhaps it’s in your best interest to consider some other Photography courses instead, because clear communication and being able to hook and maintain your interest are two very important qualities for your online learning success.
Does Adam Bhala Lough sound like a course instructor you’d like to learn from?
You’ve already learned how to use The 30 Second Test to make a quick evaluation of whether the DFSBS course is worth taking.
We have a similar 15 Second Bio Test where you read only the first few lines of an instructor’s background — in this case, Adam Bhala Lough’s background — and then you make a quick, snap judgment as to whether you think the instructor would be ideal for you.
There is no right or wrong answer. It’s just about going with your gut instinct. What might appeal to one potential student might alienate another, and vice versa.
(FYI, all Udemy instructors, including Adam Bhala Lough, have a Udemy profile on their course page, so you can easily check for a bio and background on the Udemy website that way. We’re only including the first few lines of the bio down below for The 15 Second Bio Test).
Opening lines from Adam Bhala Lough’s Udemy bio
3-time Sundance Film Festival alum, Spirit Award nominated writer/director/producer and one of Filmmaker Magazine’s Top 25 Independent Filmmakers to Watch, Adam Bhala Lough has dedicated his career to telling compelling stories, collaborating with interesting people and creating authentic work. Over the past 16 years he has made 10 feature length films and documentaries while mentoring younger generations of filmmakers.
(Learn more about this instructor on the official course page.)
What did you think about Adam Bhala Lough after reading just the first few lines of the bio above?
After reading just the first few lines about Adam Bhala Lough, did it make you more or less interested in taking the DFSBS course?
And did it make you feel like Adam Bhala Lough was more or less credible and qualified to teach Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step?
Finally, overall, did you feel like you’d receive the proper training from the instructor of this Photography course?
As always, we encourage you to listen to your gut instinct, which is different for every student.
Are the DFSBS lessons clear, specific, and organized well?
Part of the (good) problem with Udemy’s online courses, such as the Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step course, is that the instructors are constantly updating them, including adding and renaming lessons.
So it makes no sense whatsoever for us to list out all the modules and lessons in the DFSBS course here, because you can just as easily go to the Udemy course page and get all the up to date course structure as of right now.
We do, however, have some tips about reviewing Adam Bhala Lough’s course structure, so that you can get a better sense of whether this program is worth your time or not.
In a nutshell, you want to scan the the titles of the different sections and lessons of the course, and verify that they are clearly relevant to the course’s name, Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step, as well as the course’s subtitle, From a 3-time Sundance alum, learn to make documentary films and videos from production to distribution on any budget.
If the section names and lessons are clear, specific, and relevant, then it’s a good sign that DFSBS is potentially a good, useful course for you, and you can have more confidence in Adam Bhala Lough’s teaching abilities and lesson planning.
On the other hand, if the module names are confusing, vague, or irrelevant, then this is a red flag, which might indicate that the program is worth skipping.
Have you taken some free lessons from Adam Bhala Lough that you enjoyed?
Have you already learned something from Adam Bhala Lough that you valued or enjoyed?
For example, does the Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step training have some free lessons that you can try? (Almost all Udemy instructors will give you at least one or two lessons for free to help you make a better, more informed decision before enrolling in their course.)
But if you weren’t able to get any DFSBS lessons for free, have you perhaps watched a YouTube video by Adam Bhala Lough, or perhaps come across this instructor’s thoughts on Quora, Facebook, LinkedIn, Github, Reddit, or some other platform?
Or have you perhaps even taken one of Adam Bhala Lough’s free courses or free webinars? (Many online teachers offer these freebies, which is a great way to get to know them and evaluate their teaching methods before buying one of their courses.)
In any case, the more familiar you are with Adam Bhala Lough’s teaching methods, and the more you enjoy them, the more likely it is that Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step will be a good fit for you.
(P.S.: We strongly encourage you to seek out some free instruction from Adam Bhala Lough before purchasing this course, since it’s one of the best ways to determine whether DFSBS will be helpful for you.)
Are “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step” reviews generally positive?
On the bottom of the DFSBS page, you can read student reviews of the class.
Prior to August 27, 2025, there were 974 students enrolled, 461 reviews / ratings, and it was overall rated 4.1 out of 5.
Obviously, the more highly other students rate DFSBS the better, but no matter what, keep an open mind when reading the reviews, since you might still like a course a great deal that other students dislike.
After all, everyone’s got their own opinion.
We recommend that you spend only a couple minutes scanning the DFSBS reviews to get an overall sense of them. You don’t have to read each one!
Is Adam Bhala Lough responsive to student questions in the DFSBS training?
You can see what other students have to say about this in their DFSBS reviews.
But, our simple all time favorite way of gauging an instructor’s responsiveness is to simply email the instructor and see if or how they respond.
In this case, Udemy has a messaging system for students / anyone who has an account, and you can send Adam Bhala Lough a message through this system quite easily, even if you haven’t bought DFSBS yet.
For example, you could say, “Hi, and I came across DFSBS while looking at Photography courses on Udemy. If I enroll in your training, would you mind if I asked you any questions along the way?”
If you use this approach, the response (or lack of response) from the professor will tell you everything.
Obviously, the quicker the response the better!
Are you comfortable going through the lessons in Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step on your own, online?
This is a big one, because Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step is an online course as opposed to a course that you physically take in a classroom.
Of course, you will need a good internet connection to have access to the course material and lessons, but beyond that, you also have to be comfortable being self motivated to some degree, being on your own, and not having any physical interaction with any of the other students taking Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step.
Yes, you will be able to interact with the students and the teacher, Adam Bhala Lough, online, but it’s a different kind of experience than what you’d get if you were interacting with them in person.
This is not a big deal to most people, but it might be something for you to consider if you feel like you do better taking classes in person rather than learning online.
Do the pros / benefits of DFSBS make it worth your time?
Ideally, if you’ve gone through the evaluation steps above, you have a list of positive things about the Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step training that looks something like this:
- The purpose of DFSBS can be clearly grasped and understood, and its lesson structure is clear, specific, and well organized
- Adam Bhala Lough is well qualified to teach this subject matter, has good teaching abilities, and is responsive to student questions
- Other DFSBS students have great things to say about the program
Other benefits include:
- You get to go through DFSBS at your own pace
- You join a community of 974 other students taking the course
- You get lifetime access to the training
- All updates to the training are free
- You have a 30 day money back guarantee
Even if there are some things that you don’t like about the program, so what?
The question is simply this: do you think that DFSBS would be worth your time, even if there are some things that could be better about it?
Can you comfortably afford DFSBS?
Can you comfortably afford the cost of Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step?
This is an important question to answer, because even if you think DFSBS sounds like the greatest online class in the world, it’s still not worth taking if you can’t comfortably afford it!
Before August 27, 2025, the price was $13.99 before any Udemy discount, and you were able to pay with a credit card.
Keep in mind that this is a Udemy online course, and there’s a great chance that you can get a solid discount on DFSBS with Udemy coupons / promo codes, especially with the strategies we provide for helping you find the best, most popular coupons available.
We’ll cover that in greater detail in the next section, because at the end of the day, its important that you can learn whatever you want to learn without getting into a lot of credit card debt.
How can you maximize your discount on Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step?
By far, the easiest way to get the best and biggest discount on this course is to use the Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step discount code link at the top of this page.
It will instantly give you the best coupon code we could find for Adam Bhala Lough’s online training.
We don’t believe there’s a bigger discount than the one we provided, but if for some reason you’d like to try find one, you can use the methods below to hunt for the best DFSBS course coupons and promo codes you can find.
FYI, the methods below will help you not just with getting DFSBS for a better price, but also with any other Adam Bhala Lough Udemy course that you’d like to get for cheaper.
How can Google help you get a DFSBS discount?
To use this method, do a Google search for the DFSBS training, but in your search query, be sure to add words like coupon code, promo code, deal, sale, discount, and Udemy.
For example, you might do a search for “Udemy Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step promo code” or “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step udemy coupon codes” and see what turns up.
Similarly, you can use the same combination of search terms with Adam Bhala Lough’s name and see what happens.
For example, you might do a Google search for “Adam Bhala Lough Udemy coupons” or “Adam Bhala Lough course coupon codes” and see if that helps you.
However, in general, it’s far more powerful to do a search for deals and coupon codes with the actual training’s name, than with the instructor’s name.
So in this case, for example, prioritize searches for “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step coupons” rather than “Adam Bhala Lough coupons”.
How can a Udemy sale get you DFSBS for cheaper?
Every once in while, Udemy will do a sitewide sale where they offer all (or almost all) their courses at a discounted price. For example, one of the best sales is where every course is only $10 or $9.99.
So, if you’re interested in saving as much money as possible, you could wait and see if you can get DFSBS for this cheaper Udemy sale price one day.
The problem is that these sales only occur sporadically, so you might be waiting for a while. Also, if Adam Bhala Lough decides not to participate in the site wide sale, then you won’t get a discount on DFSBS, even though you could get a great discount on almost any other class at Udemy!
To understand this, think of there as being two different coupon categories for the DFSBS course. Category one is an official Udemy coupon (which instructors can opt out of), while category two is a coupon offered directly by the instructor.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what kind of a coupon tag you’re dealing with (for example, “officially from Udemy” or “officially from the instructor”), as long as long as as you’re dealing with active coupons that get you a better price.
How can you get a DFSBS discount from Adam Bhala Lough?
If you’re really serious about getting “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step” for the cheapest price possible, then perhaps one of the most powerful things you can do is get a coupon code straight from Adam Bhala Lough, instead of waiting for a Udemy sale.
To do this, you can use either the direct approach or an indirect approach to try to get your discount.
With the direct approach, the big idea is to simply get Adam Bhala Lough’s contact info in some way or another (whether it’s email, or Twitter, or whatever else).
Then you send a message saying something like “I’m interested in enrolling in Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step. Do you happen to currently have an active coupon code for it that I could use?” (And then, hopefully, you’ll get a reply with your discount code.)
On the other hand, with the indirect approach, you join Adam Bhala Lough’s mailing list, if you can find it, and then you hope that at some time DFSBS will be promoted to you at a discount.
By far, the more powerful approach is the direct approach, because it tends to get results faster. But you can experiment with the indirect approach and see if it works for you.
Can you get DFSBS for free?
Of course, the best possible price for the DFSBS training is free! As in, you pay no money whatsoever.
And guess what? Sometimes Udemy instructors provide coupon codes that enable students to take their courses for free. So, perhaps it’s possible that Adam Bhala Lough has done this.
Basically, if you’re trying to get this program for free, you will want to search for the course’s name along with other words like free coupon, or 100 off coupon.
For example, you might do a google search for “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step free coupon” or “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step 100 off coupon” and see what happens.
But keep this in mind: often, Udemy teachers will offer a free coupon for their course when it first opens to get some publicity and reviews. And then, after a few days, they’ll make the coupon expired.
So even Adam Bhala Lough has offered free coupons for DFSBS in the past, the odds are likely they will all be currently expired. This is a common pattern that we have found.
What about a DFSBS free download?
It’s important to understand that there’s a difference between getting full access to the DFSBS training for free legally with a free coupon code vs. finding a way to download DFSBS illegally.
If you really want to go the download route, you can do a google search for something like “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step download”.
And if that doesn’t get you the results you want, you can add the word “free” to your search.
For example, perhaps you could do a google search for “Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step free download”.
However, even if you get some results from these searches, we do not recommend that you take this course of action.
First of all, there are some shady sites out there that could be trying to infect your computer.
Second, Adam Bhala Lough created this course and deserves monetary compensation for it.
And third, if you go the free download route, you’ll be missing out on a lot of value, because you won’t be able to ask the instructor questions or interact with the other 974 students enrolled in the program.
Can you get a refund on Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step if you don’t like it?
Let’s say that you used our tips above, and you were able to buy the DFSBS training at a fantastic discounted price. So at this point, you’re super excited.
Then, you actually dive into Adam Bhala Lough’s course, and you discover that it just isn’t for you for whatever reason.
And now you’re super bummed, because you feel like it wasn’t money well spent.
Well, guess what?
Udemy offers a rock solid 30 day money back guarantee on all their courses, so you can get a refund on DFSBS no matter what. And this means there is absolutely no risk.
Indeed, even if you left a super negative, critical review on the DFSBS training, and then asked for your money back, you’d get a refund. For better or worse, there’s nothing Adam Bhala Lough could do about it, since it is simply Udemy policy.
To sum it up: yes, you can get a full refund, so at the end of the day, don’t worry about the possibility of purchasing DFSBS and not liking it, since you can always get your money back.
What is OCP’s overall rating of Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step?
During this DFSBS review, you’ve learned about some of the unusual ways we like to evaluate courses, such as with The 30 Second Test and The 15 Second Bio Test.
So our overall review process is perhaps a little unusual and different from other reviews out there. Keep this in mind when you consider the overall rating / score that we have given this course.
Anyway, after taking a look at the DFSBS training, the instructor, Adam Bhala Lough, and reading what other students have said about this program, we give it an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5.
Ultimately, though, what matters most is what you would rate it based on the same criteria.
What are some potential alternatives to Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step?
If you like this course, you might also be interested in:
1. Beginner Photography Master ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed
Go from Auto to Manual Settings, Understand Depth of Field, Exposure, Which Lens to Buy, Setting for different situation
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2. Photography Marketing & Business: Boost Sales and Income 101
Learn Photography Business, Marketing, SMM Strategies, Sales Techniques To Get More Clients As A Commercial Photographer
Taught by Photoshop | Photography | Retouch | Design | Marketing | SMM
3. Newborn Baby Photography Class
Learn how to photograph a newborn baby. Learn how to create simple and safe poses. Work with wraps + photo sets.
Taught by Photography Teacher @Udemy
4. iMovie – from beginner to advanced – Updated for 2018
Learn how to edit amazing videos in iMovie for beginners.
Taught by Online Instructor
5. Earn extra income by selling your photos online
Become a Shutterstock contributor and start earning a passive income with your photography.
Taught by Professional Photographer, Travel Journalist, TV Presenter
TLDR: Just the quick facts about DFSBS
Okay, if all of this was Too Long Didn’t Read for you, here is the Cliff’s Notes version of what DFSBS’s online training is all about:
DFSBS coupon & course info
Course Name: Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step
Subtitle: From a 3-time Sundance alum, learn to make documentary films and videos from production to distribution on any budget
Instructor: Taught by Adam Bhala Lough
Category: Photography
Subcategory: Video Design
Provided by: Udemy
Price: $13.99 (before discount)
Free coupon code: Get Udemy coupon code discount at top of page (no charge for coupon, especially since we are compensated for referrals via affiliate marketing)
DFSBS review info & popularity
Prior to August 27, 2025…
Students: 974 students enrolled
Ratings: 461 reviews
Rank: ranked #184 in Udemy Photography Courses in Udemy Photography Courses
Rankings tip: rankings change all the time, so even if Documentary Filmmaking Step by Step is a bestseller or one of the top Udemy courses one year, it doesn’t mean it will be a top Udemy course the next year
DFSBS final details
Languages: English
Skill level: All Levels
Lectures: 39 lectures lectures lessons
Duration: 5 total hours hours of video
What you get: You will learn how to make a complete documentary feature or short film, from beginning to end; conception of the idea all the way to delivery and exhibition of the final film
Target audience: Beginning filmmakers needing a roadmap to navigate the confusing and often mysterious job of a documentary filmmaker (what is it exactly that we do?!)
Requirements: This course is for anyone with a basic knowledge of filmmaking – narrative or documentary
Access: Lifetime access
Peace of mind: 30 day money back guarantee
Availability: available online, as well as on iOS and Android
Download options: check course to see if you can download lessons