Dr Levi Dean is an Assistant Professor in Screen Production, with teaching and research interests in cinematography, colour grading, screenwriting, and virtual production filmmaking. He holds a practice-based PhD and has professional experience working across the UK and Swedish film industries. He is also an accredited ARRI Trainer in Camera Systems (Alexa 35 and Mini-LF).

His research is grounded in filmmaking as practice, exploring how hands-on production can inform both industry workflows and pedagogy. Recent work has been supported by two Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) grants. One current AHRC-funded project, developed with colleagues, involves an industry collaboration with ARRI and focuses on exploring professional virtual production workflows through the making of the short film The Lies We Tell, which he co-wrote and served as Director of Photography and Senior Colourist.

Levi convenes the Screen Production and Virtual Production & Motion Capture Filmmaking modules on the MA Digital Screen Production programme, where students engage practically with professional film and virtual production technologies as part of collaborative filmmaking projects. Since moving to China, he has made three short films in the Chinese language and seeks to develop a feature-length project in the future.

He also supervises practice-based PhD students and welcomes enquiries from prospective candidates, particularly those interested in micro-budget narrative feature filmmaking, short films, documentary practice, screenwriting, and virtual production within a Chinese context.

• Cinematography 
• Screenwriting within Chinese Context 
• Colour Grading 
• Narrative Filmmaking 
• Documentary Filmmaking
• Virtual Production and Motion Capture

Certifications 

• ARRI Certified in Lighting Fundamentals (ARRI Academy, Ningbo)
• ARRI Alexa 35 & Alexa Mini LF Certified User (ARRI Academy, Munich) 
• ARRI Certified in Virtual Production Colour Management (ARRI Academy, New York City)