Physics of Movies: Stunts, Space, and Sound

Hollywood fakes it. Learn what's real.

Physics of Movies uses cinema as the doorway into real physics: motion, forces, impacts, explosions, gravity, sound, and optics. Students learn what's real, what's exaggerated, and why—and they build strong intuition for the laws that govern motion on Earth and in space. Movies become the hook; physics becomes the payoff.

The course mixes demonstrations, simple calculations, and critical viewing. Students practice translating a scene into a physical model: What forces are acting? What would the motion actually look like? How do sound and light behave in different environments? The goal is not to ruin movies—it's to understand them more deeply.

Students learn to explain scenes scientifically, which builds both physics understanding and clear communication. The result is a student who watches the world differently: more curious, more analytical, and more confident with scientific reasoning.

Key Points

Learn physics through film: motion, forces, gravity, sound, optics, impacts
Build intuition by modeling scenes and separating real effects from exaggeration
Practice explanation skills: describe what's happening using clear scientific logic
Use demos and simple math to make "invisible laws" feel obvious

What You'll Learn

1

Core seminar + guided practice

2

Student-led research and writing

3

Feedback loops and revision cycles

4

Portfolio-ready final deliverable

Choose Your Path

Select the level of support that works best for your learning style and goals.

Just the Course

Physics of Movies: Stunts, Space, and Sound

$14

per session

$112 for 8 sessions

- Live online instruction
- Interactive coursework
- Community Q&A

Pod Learning

$36

per course

- Online or In-person
- Small group cohorts
- Feedback on submissions
- Weekly live sessions

Select a Pod

1:1 Enrichment

$58

starting at

- Dedicated coaching
- Custom pacing plan
- Partner instructors nationwide

Join a Pod

Pods are small learning groups that meet regularly to work through the course together. Choose a rigor level and schedule that fits your needs.

Pod enrollment is coming soon! Sign up for a course tier to get notified when pods are available.