Mira Nair MasterClass Review 2024: Is It Really Worth Trying (Pros & Cons)
Last Updated on: January 13, 2024 by Jitendra | Fact Checked
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OVERALL VERDICT
I took Mira Nair's MasterClass and it was amazing. She teaches about independent filmmaking and storytelling. Her lessons are short but full of insights. I learned a lot about making unique films and working with actors. It's great for anyone interested in movies. I really enjoyed it.
8.5
Out of 10
Pros
Practical tips for storytelling and directing.
Unique insights into independent filmmaking.
Focus on cultural representation in films.
Strategies for low-budget filmmaking.
Emphasis on finding and expressing personal voice.
Hey everyone! Today, I’m super excited to talk about the Mira Nair MasterClass. If you’re into filmmaking and storytelling, you’ve probably heard of Mira Nair. She’s amazing at bringing stories to life on screen.
So, when I heard she had a MasterClass, I just had to check it out. I’ve always been curious about how great directors think and create, and this class seemed like the perfect chance to learn from one of the best.
In this review, I’ll share my personal experience with the class, what I loved about it, and even things that maybe weren’t as cool. Whether you’re a filmmaker or just love movies, I think you’ll find this pretty interesting.
Let’s Get Started
Bottom Line Upfront:
Mira Nair Masterclass is one of the best masterclasses we’ve seen for independent filmmaking.
The tips for coexistence are excellent. When you write or interpret a movie, mixing two elements of the story is a delicate task that you need to master.
Following Mira’s advice will greatly facilitate this part of the creative process. If you really want to have a career in filmmaking, you must check out Mira Nair masterclass.
The Mira Nair class, if you’ve attended other masterclasses, looks like a combination of Scorsese and Howard film classes. It is very talkative, but in between, there are three production workshops.
All subjects are usually the same as the other classes. First, you will go through a series of lessons on idea searching, editing, budgeting, sound, and more.
There is not much that speaks of direct writing. Indirectly, Nair analyzes some writing tips that are distributed throughout the class.
The golden star of this class is the three workshops. We can see Nair decompose, go through a scene with the actors and the team, and then finish with a final shot of the stage.
Personally, I would have liked more workshops. Since most classes can have between 20 and 30 classes in total, I would have wished that they had given Mira Nair 3 more lessons to complete the workshop. Nair’s leadership approach is intimate, personal, and spiritual.
This would have been a perfect way to see how she works with producers, how she breaks down budgets and calendars, and with editors to be at the forefront of this creative and collaborative process.
David Rogier, CEO of MasterClass, said: “Since the release of ” Mississippi Masala “in the early 1990s, Mira has produced independent films that transcend borders and cultures, captivating audiences with authentic and courageous stories.
She tells the stories she wants to tell as she pleases and asks her students to do the same.
Who Is Mira Nair, The Independent Filmmaker?
Before this course, I had never heard of Mira Nair. Actually, she is very successful and well-known.
In 2001, her film Monsoon Wedding won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
She was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Salaam Bombay! She was nominated for an Oscar. Her films close the cultural gap with stars like Denzel Washington, who want to work with her.
It is fair to say that she is a successful filmmaker. But this course makes it clear that she is still an independent filmmaker.
For example, everyone came to a monsoon wedding in their own dresses. Some of her actors, extras, and members of her team even bought their own accessories.
This is the innovative approach that is typical of this Indo-American filmmaker. With these ideas, tips, and tricks, I can recommend this course to anyone interested in a movie or video.
Mira Nair’s first advice is to make your film unique. It does not make sense to just copy what was done before.
Audiences around the world are demanding something new and new. So you have to give it to him.
It means exploiting who you are. Your life experiences, culture, language, and beliefs. In short, everything sets it apart from a large percentage of the rest of the world.
It’s easy to say. But it is not so easy to do. In her masterclass, Mira shows you how to overcome your aversion, find your voice, and create a memorable film that always attracts an important audience.
Mira explains how to find her voice, find ideas, and have the courage to take the next step. Speak and use the film support to share your vision of the world with others.
Mira Nair is very practical. Active in your community, curious with an insatiable appetite to learn from all kinds of people. She is not a fan of loans from other countries; she acts, and she is not an observer.
In this course, you will learn to be more curious and attentive to what is happening around you. A habit that helps you to make interesting films and to reach a wider audience with your work.
How do I tell my Story?
Mira Nair was born and raised in India but moved to America. He first studied at Harvard but decided to stay. Today, she lives in New York.
So, the film Mira relates mainly to Indian society. However, they are intended for a global audience.
She knows how to close the gap between two very different cultures. How to make films so familiar that they are followed and understood by all viewers.
But she does not shake her audience. For example, she does not try to explain what the red spot in the middle of the Hindu forehead on her stage means.
She understands that most viewers do not want such explanations if this is not relevant to the story.
Your audience is interested in the story of this person, who she is, how she feels, and how she handles her situation. There are no cultural facts.
They are emotionally attracted to the character. That’s what keeps her busy and supervised. Mira explains how to take advantage of the universality of man in order to appeal to the widest possible audience with her films.
Make sure you take the time to watch Video 11. In this video, she explains how she developed the story of her hit movie Monsoon Wedding.
How to Make a Movie?
Rejection encourages me and makes me feel good about doing something good. The same applies to limited budgets.
At first, I was frustrated with this part of the course. Mira Nair’s approach was to tell many stories about how she saved money by filming her films.
I probably wanted a kind of checklist. But at the end of the video, I realized that Mira had taught me a lot about making a movie on a budget.
It’s too easy to be distracted by the fact that you work on a tight budget. Mira cleverly explains how she can avoid falling into this trap.
Show the value of careful planning. So make the most of every place and shoot.
Not only do you need to know how to make difficult decisions about using money and the approach you should take, but also when things go wrong.
How to make a film on a small budget
At first, I found this portion of the course to be really frustrating. Mira’s strategy consisted of telling a multitude of short tales about the many ways in which she has cut costs while filming her movies.
I think what I really wanted was a checklist of some kind. But by the time the video was over, I had come to the conclusion that Mira had, in fact, imparted a great deal of knowledge to me concerning the production of a movie on a limited budget.
It is all too easy to let the fact that you are working with a limited budget get in the way of your tale, and this is something that you should strive to avoid doing. Mira demonstrates with skill how one might avoid falling prey to this snare.
She exemplifies the importance of forethought and preparation. How to make the most out of each shot and venue you go to.
When things don’t go as planned, it’s important to know how to handle the aftermath, including how to handle the difficult decisions that need to be made regarding where the money is spent and the strategy that needs to be taken.
To Start an Independent Film
Unfortunately, I also had problems with this section of the course. Casting is an important topic, so Mira Nair could not explain everything in a 16-minute video as expected.
Her advice was, therefore, quite general. It was more of an idea of what she thinks when looking for actors than the casting process.
If you, like me, need a more detailed teaching style, I recommend that you take the Jodie Foster Film Course as well.
I did that, and the boot process became much clearer when I combined what I learned from Mira and Jodie.
I bought the full access pass, which allowed me to take each of the 50 masterclasses 50 without paying anything else.
The costs are surprisingly low. If you buy only 2 masterclasses at the same price, you will have access to more than 50 courses.
How To Use Gestures To Make Movies?
This is another section where Nair offers a unique insight into an aspect of filmmaking that is rarely talked about.
The gestures are powerful. They tell a lot about a character, so they can be used in different ways to enrich the story.
It is impossible to explain how this Indo-American director does this simply with the written word. In order to use Mira’s knowledge of the use of gestures and facial expressions to improve her story, she has to prove the course.
Mira Nair MasterClass Review workshops
This part of the class is also a bit different from the other movie I did.
It’s great to see her physically working with her actors to develop a scene. Explain what you need and how the character feels.
Whenever necessary, propose ways to convey these feelings through what they say, the tone of voice, the gestures, the facial expressions, and other signs of body language.
It is really fascinating and very informative.
This section, of course, is divided into three sections:
The reading and locking process.
Repeat the scene
The last shot
Later, Mira Nair explains the mechanisms of staging (Video 13). I would suggest that you watch Video 13 after finishing the 3 videos of the Workshop. If you do, things will make more sense to you.
Get a Good Presentation Of Your Movie.
It is important to understand the elements that contribute to the overall appearance of your movie.
That’s why Mira explains how to create a lookbook and offers you several innovative ways to share your vision with your cast and team.
Most of her comments are included in the workbook. But you better evaluate each suggestion while watching this video. This will help you find what you need later on.
I also suggest that you perform the exercise that is provided to you and create a simple-looking book for an idea of the story. In this way, you will learn how to find ideas by watching your film from all angles.
For example, if you think about the score, you can select specific songs.
This, in turn, will stimulate your thought processes and allow you to offer more visual cues that you can use to present to your audience.
How Do You Work With Your Cameraman?
This is another topic that I have rarely seen in other courses: How do I find your cameraman, and how do I work effectively with him? In this section, Mira goes into more detail about creating a scene.
It covers important topics such as the perspective of the beholder and the lighting.
Mira shows you how to use all kinds of visual cues to emotionally touch your audience. Possibilities to convey what your character thinks and feels without always having to use words.
Understand the process of editing an independent movie.
No matter what kind of movie you create, the editing process is critical.
Here, your creation is conceived in its final form.
If you work on a tight budget, editing is even more important. In general, you have to work with a lot less archive material, so you have to be creative.
The Importance Of A Film’s Aesthetic
You must have a solid understanding of the components that contribute to the appearance and atmosphere of your movie as a whole.
Therefore, Mira walks you through the process of creating a lookbook and gives you a number of creative ways to communicate your vision to the actors and crew of your production.
The vast majority of the points she raises are covered in the accompanying workbook. Nevertheless, it would be a good idea for you to write down each recommendation as you proceed through this video.
That will make it a great deal simpler for you to look back and get the information you require at a later time.
In addition to that, I would recommend that you carry out the activity that is shown to you and make a straightforward lookbook for a tale concept.
Examining your film from a variety of perspectives will teach you how to generate new ideas and improve your creativity.
For instance, if you think about the score, you’ll be able to choose certain parts of music from the soundtrack.
Because of this, your mental processes will be stimulated, which will enable you to think of additional visual cues that you can use to build the scene for your audience.
Create The Soundtrack Of Your Independent Movie
The soundtrack is a key element of Mira’s films. She thinks about it from the beginning. In this section of the course, she teaches you the following skills:
How to use sound to direct the eye and the heart.
How to reconcile silence with sound.
How to give your sound designer and composer the feeling you want to create
The current list of MasterClass courses includes:
Cooking:Gordon Ramsay (cooking), Alice Waters (home cooking), Thomas Keller (cooking techniques), Wolfgang Puck (cooking), Dominique Ansel (French pastry)
Film and TV: Werner Herzog (director), Martin Scorsese (director), Ron Howard (director), Helen Mirren (actor), Samuel L. Jackson (actor), Judd Apatow (comedy), Spike Lee (director), Ken Burns (Making documentaries), Mira Nair (making independent films).
Music and entertainment: Armin van Buuren (dance music), Christina Aguilera (vocals), Usher (performance), Reba McEntire (country music), Herbie Hancock (jazz), Deadmau5 (music production), Hans Zimmer (film notation), Steve Martin ( Comedy), Tom Morello (electric guitar)
Writing: James Patterson (writing), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), Shonda Rhimes (writing for television), David Mamet (writing), Judy Blume (writing), Malcolm Gladwell (writing), RL Stine (writing for teens)), Margaret Atwood (creative writing), Dan Brown (writing)
Design, photography, and fashion: Annie Leibovitz (photography), Frank Gehry (architecture), Diane von Furstenberg (how do I create a fashion brand?), Marc Jacobs (fashion design)
Sports and Games: Serena Williams (tennis), Stephen Curry (shooting, ball-handling, and scoring), Garry Kasparov (chess), Daniel Negreanu (poker)
Politics, Economy, and Society: Jane Goodall (Conservation), Bob Woodward (Investigative Journalism), Karl Rove and David Axelrod (Politics), Paul Krugman (Economics and Society)
Science: Chris Hadfield (Space Research)
Who is the Mira Nair Course for? | Mira Nair MasterClass Review
You can take multiple classes in the masterclass. Oscar winners such as David Lynch, Jodie Foster, Spike Lee, Ron Howard, and others have all masterclasses organized.
I have taken several, and I can tell you that they are all fascinating in their own way. Of course, these courses are intended primarily for people who make films.
But as these directors are so famous, many people who have never thought of doing a film also want to follow their courses.
It is very hard for her many fans to resist. It’s hard to resist the thoughts and hearts of these famous directors and their way of working.
This is not so much the case with Mira Nair. It is more factual and direct than other film courses.
I would say it’s better for filmmakers than for famous observers. This course would also be of great use to someone who is a writer or wants to become a writer.
You can learn a lot about how to create a story and characters.
Mira Nair MasterClass Review | Pricing Plans
There are two ways by which you can purchase a MasterClass, a single MasterClass, and an All-Access Pass for any of the gurus on the platform.
Single MasterClass: $90 per year
All-Access Pass: $180 per year
The All-Access Pass comes in real handy when you wish to take more than one MasterClass, so this means that there is no limit on the number of MasterClasses on the All-Access Pass.
A 30-day money-back guarantee is also available for any of the Mira Nair MasterClass Review packages you purchase, and you will get a complete refund of the amount in case you are not satisfied with their services.
I’m ecstatic to learn from this master. I fell in love with Mira Nair’s work back in high school after watching Kama Sutra: a tale of love. I joined MasterClass because of Mira. -Chika O.
I LOVE YOU MIRA NAIR! I am so grateful to learn and be inspired and guided by you! Thank you. I LOVE ALL Your FIlms!!! I love all you shared here! -Iolani G.
The answer depends on what kind of educational experience you are planning ahead to get. If you want to learn independently, then MasterClass is the perfect option for you. All of the classes are perfectly organized and filled with information. As a result, you can learn your favorite subject at your own pace. You can get either one episode at a time, or you can binge-watch a whole course series just like you do on Netflix. The quality of their course is also pretty high, and the instructions have credibility. So you can be sure that you are experiencing quality learning. Also, it does not cost you way too much. So yes, it is definitely worth your money.
🤷♂️ How Much Does Mira Nair MasterClass Cost?
There are two plans that MasterClass has. You can either go for the individual pass or go with the all-access pass. With the individual pass, you will only be able to access one course at a single time. Also, each course costs you $90. The all-access pass costs you $180 a year, and it allows you to browse all the website content without any restrictions.
✅ Does MasterClass Give Any Certificates?
As of now, MasterClass does not offer any certificate to their students on course completion. However, they do send their students an email confirming that they have completed the course. The email will feature a congratulatory message along with some tips on how to further use the site to continue your studies.
🔥 Does MasterClass Have A Free Trial?
MasterClass used to provide a free trial in the past. However, back in August 2018, they stopped giving out free trials. And this is no longer available.
🤔 Is MaterClass Any Good?
In a single sentence answer, yes, the MasterClass is good. You will get a comprehensive video course from a world-class, successful person in their specific field. So you already know that you are going to get quality information. Also, the website covers a wide range of topics. The topics range from tennis to comedy to acting to singing to writing. Also, the website is bringing new topics now and then. Plus, with just a one-year subscription, you will get to access different topics and learn something new. Also, it is pretty affordable compared to many platforms available out there.
Final Thoughts: Mira Nair MasterClass Reviews 2024
In the Mira Nair MasterClass review. I already said that it offers a different perspective on directing.
As you might expect, there’s a great focus on actors and how to work with them. Structuring many of the lessons around developing a short film, even though it’s never been made, is a great conceit.
This is far closer to participants’ experiences than making a big Hollywood film full of stars.
Mira is looking for publishers with good musical empathy.
It sounds a bit strange, but if you go through this section of the course, you’ll quickly understand why this approach is really outstanding.
The tips for coexistence are excellent. When you write or interpret a movie, mixing two elements of the story is a delicate task that you need to master.
Following Mira’s advice will greatly facilitate this part of the creative process.
This was my Mira Nair MasterClass Review 2024. Get the All-time access plan at a discounted price with Masterclass coupon code.
Jitendra Vaswani is the founder of SchemaNinja WordPress Plugin, prior to SchemaNinja he is the founder of many internet marketing blogs BloggersIdeas.com, and Digiexe.com. He is a successful online marketer & award-winning digital marketing consultant. He has been featured on HuffingtonPost, BusinessWorld, YourStory, Payoneer, Lifehacker & other leading publications as a successful blogger & digital marketer. Jitendra Vaswani is also a frequent speaker & having 8+ yrs experience of in the Digital Marketing field. Check out his portfolio(jitendra.co). Find him on Twitter, & Facebook.
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