Artur Lesicki - Guitar School
direction, editing:Michał Bernardyn
script, music:Artur Lesicki
cinematography:Paweł Matkowski
sound:Robert Szydło
production:soul seed media
CASE STUDY
Artur Lesicki – Guitar School — how to show playing technique
An educational film for a musician requires more than simply presenting an artist attractively with an instrument. The viewer needs to see precisely what the hands are doing, how individual exercises are performed and how musical notation translates into practical playing. That is why we produced the first part of Artur Lesicki's Guitar School as a multi-layered educational resource: with two cameras, fretboard close-ups, musical notation and tablature as well as additional printable exercises.
The challenge
In a conventional film featuring a musician, emotion, performance and attractive imagery are the priority. In an instructional production, every shot also needs to communicate specific information.
The student should be able to hear the explanation, observe the guitarist's position and clearly see the hand working on the fretboard at the same time. The film therefore could not merely document Artur Lesicki's lesson — it had to become a learning tool in itself.
Our approach
The production was based on a two-camera system in which each camera had a different function. One showed Artur Lesicki in a variety of shot sizes, creating a natural connection between the instructor and the viewer.
The second camera was dedicated to teaching. Its main task was to show the hand working on the fretboard — primarily the left hand — so that the viewer could carefully analyse finger placement and the exercises being performed.
THE ARTIST
Jazz guitarist, session musician and educator
Artur Lesicki
Artur Lesicki is one of Poland's renowned jazz guitarists. He is a guitarist, composer, Doctor of Arts and lecturer at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław.
His discography includes around forty albums. Together with Marek Napiórkowski, he co-led the group Funky Groove and also created his own project, Artur Lesicki Acoustic Harmony.
Stage and teaching experience
As a guitarist, he has worked with many significant artists from the Polish jazz and popular music scenes, and as a session musician he has also recorded music for film and theatre.
At the same time, education has been an important part of his work for years. He has conducted workshops, developed his own teaching programmes and educated guitarists who later began their own professional careers.
LOCATION
A guitar school filmed at the Rura jazz club
An authentic musical environment
We filmed the project at the Rura jazz club in Wrocław. Instead of using a neutral studio, we chose a space directly associated with jazz and the live performance environment in which Artur Lesicki works.
This allowed the material to retain the character of a professional lesson while visually remaining connected to the stage and live music.
An important place for Wrocław jazz
For decades, Rura was one of the most important venues for the Wrocław jazz community. The Wrocław branch of the Polish Jazz Association also operated at 4 Łazienna Street.
The club was a place for concerts, meetings between musicians, exchange of experience and development of the local scene. Choosing Rura as the filming location naturally placed the Guitar School within the tradition of Wrocław jazz.
PRODUCTION
Two cameras — two different functions
Main camera
The first camera provided the main visual narrative. It showed Artur in different shot sizes: from wider shots with the guitar to closer framing during explanations.
Changing shot sizes meant that the long educational material did not become a static recording of a presenter in a single frame.
Technical camera
The second image was used primarily to demonstrate playing technique. The camera observed the fretboard and the movement of the hand, allowing the edit to move from the instructor's explanation to a precise close-up at exactly the right moment.
In an instructional film, such a close-up is not merely B-roll. It is a fully functional part of the information being communicated to the student.
EDUCATIONAL LAYER
Image, sound, notation and tablature working together
Musical notation on screen
Seeing the guitarist's hands alone is not sufficient in a more advanced educational programme. The film was therefore supplemented with musical notation and tablature corresponding to the exercises being discussed.
The viewer could simultaneously listen to the instructor, observe the performance and relate it to the graphic notation of the music.
Film as part of a larger course
The DVD release was not limited to the video material itself. It also included printable exercises, allowing the user to work with the material away from the screen.
The film, musical notation, tablature and printed exercises together formed a single multimedia educational tool.
EDITING
Clarity before visual spectacle
Editing designed around learning
In the edit, the moment at which the camera changed was determined primarily by what the student needed to see at that moment.
When the explanation was most important, we stayed with the main shot. When Artur demonstrated a particular chord shape, finger position or exercise, the image switched to a close-up of the fretboard.
Rhythm without distraction
The film needed enough visual variety to remain engaging, but the editing could not distract from the lesson.
In educational production, visual appeal should support understanding, not compete with it.
Scope of work
- direction
- two-camera filming
- varied shots of the instructor
- close-ups of hand movements on the fretboard
- sound recording
- multi-camera editing
- integration of musical notation and tablature
- preparation of material for DVD release
- educational film production
- instructional and training video production
- film production and post-production
THE SERIES
The first part of Artur Lesicki's Guitar School
The beginning of a larger project
The material we produced was the first part of Artur Lesicki's Guitar School.
The project was later expanded with further parts that continued the educational format.
Education remains part of the artist's work
Teaching has remained an important part of Artur Lesicki's professional activity. He runs his own guitar school and develops original programmes for teaching the instrument.
The first multimedia DVD release was therefore not merely an individual film production, but one stage in the guitarist's long-term educational work.