Director’s Craft I
|
The core of the first semester, this course introduces students to all major aspects of filmmaking. Students will learn concepts to help achieve maximum psychological impact by studying the director’s decisions in camera placement, blocking, staging, and visual image design. Students will take part in several in-class workshops and will be challenged to think comprehensively about their film projects in terms of the economic realities of low budget student production. Using their own film projects as prototypes, students will learn to break down their film scripts in terms of story and emotional beats, shot selection and composition, and budgeting and scheduling. This course will be the forum for preparing, screening, and critiquing seven short films.
|
|
Cinematography I
|
In this course, students undergo intensive training in the use of 16mm non-sync sound motion picture and HD digital video cameras and their accessories. Through hands-on workshops and film tests, they will also learn fundamental lighting techniques. As they progress through the workshop, they learn how to support the mood of the story with lighting choices and they experiment with expressive lighting styles.
|
|
Editing I
|
This course presents students with multiple aesthetic approaches to editing. Students will learn how to apply concepts to their works, such as temporal and spatial continuity, as well as less traditional non-linear techniques. The course will also discuss the psychological and emotional effects of editing on the overall story. Additionally, students will learn to operate Avid Media Composer digital editing software, which they will use to edit their own films. Classes are supplemented with individual consultations at the computer.
|
|
Production Workshop I
|
Students are split into shooting crews of 3-4 people to shoot mise-en-scène, continuity, and montage exercises in the field. The instructor will screen and review the footage from previous workshops and discuss any outstanding issues of the production that the students have. These workshops are designed to facilitate the students’ individual projects.
|
|
Screenwriting I
|
This course introduces the established tools and language used in writing a film project. Students will take a story from initial idea, treatment, and outline to a rough draft and finally a shooting script. Instruction focuses on the fundamentals of visual storytelling. The intersection of story structure, theme, character, tension, and conflict is examined through detailed scene analysis. In-class discussion provides students with constructive analysis and support. Students are encouraged to tell their stories visually, rather than relying on dialogue.
|
|
Cinema Studies I
|
This seminar teaches students to identify the techniques used by cinematic innovators throughout the history of filmmaking. Through screenings and discussions, students will grow to understand how filmmakers have approached the great challenge of telling stories with moving images from silent films to the digital age. The course explores ways that the crafts of directing (particularly shot construction), cinematography, acting, and editing have developed. Students are then challenged to place themselves within that development with regard to their on-going film projects.
|
|
Individual Editing I
|
This course prepares students for the challenges inherent in cutting a more complex narrative film with dialogue and multiple sound tracks. Students are required to dedicate a large portion of time to editing their projects with the aid of trained editing lab teaching assistants.
|
|
Sound Recording I
|
This is a comprehensive class that details the process of sound recording. It provides concepts, technical information, and hands-on demonstration. Students are introduced to various types of recording devices and taught when to use them. The class challenges the students to use sound as an additional tool for storytelling, and takes them through the complete recording process.
|
|
Director’s Craft II
|
Building upon knowledge and skills acquired in Director’s Craft I, this course is a concentrated examination and analysis of the aesthetic elements of the director’s toolkit as it applies to shot choice, composition, setting, point of view, character, and camera movement. Students learn how to cover complex dialogue scenes with a series of shots and practice different approaches to coverage by breaking down scenes from their own scripts. Students are encouraged to develop their own directorial style drawing from the elements presented in this class.
|
|
Producing
|
Producing leads students through the entire process of pre-production, including scouting and securing of locations, permits, and casting. The producing instructor and students design a production schedule for the entire class. The instructor encourages students to form realistic plans for successfully making their films. Using script breakdowns, students learn how to plan and keep to a schedule and budget for their productions. They use their own finished scripts in class as they learn how to take advantage of budgeting and scheduling forms and methods.
|
|
Cinematography II
|
This class immerses students in the technical and creative demands of cinematography. They will learn to go beyond simply 'getting an image' and focus on the nuances of visual storytelling. Students undergo intensive training in the use of the Arriflex 16SR, the 35mm Panavision and the RED Digital Cinema cameras. In addition to being trained to operate advanced camera equipment, students study basic color theory and learn to control the color palette of their projects. Special attention is given to the emotional attributes that can be assigned to an image by changing the hue, saturation, and contrast of any given image. Students learn to incorporate these theories into their projects, and gain a greater understanding of aesthetic image control.
|
|
Sound Recording II
|
This course introduces students to professional sync-sound dialogue recording techniques. In addition to being trained in the use of the Roland recording equipment and lavalier microphones, students study concepts in mixing multiple track on-set recordings. These techniques are practiced and perfected during production workshop exercises under the supervision of the sound instructor.
|
|
Editing II
|
This course teaches students to edit their sync-sound projects. Students are encouraged to expand upon previously mastered techniques to establish a consistent editing design, dialogue rhythm, and sense of pacing and continuity that compliments the story as a whole. Post-production equipment and software learned by students include: After Effects, ProTools, and the DaVinci color mixer.
|
|
Screenwriting II
|
In addition to providing an in-depth study and exploration of dialogue in film, Screenwriting II focuses on the writing, rewriting, and polishing of the One-Year Final Film scripts. Students will conduct live readings of their screenplays and engage in instructor-led discussions of the work. The goal of this seminar is to increase the writer’s mastery of those aspects of screenwriting as outlined in Screenwriting I.
|
|
Production Workshop II
|
This hands-on course challenges students to interpret and apply all theory and practice of the first semester curriculum in a series of sync-sound production exercises. Students shoot complex dramatic scenes on 16mm film and high definition video from their own scripts with the guidance and critique of the instructor. Students must determine what adjustments to make to their scripts and shooting plans before entering into production. These practice scenes are expected to be fully pre-produced (storyboarded, cast, scouted, rehearsed, and pre-lit) and executed at a professional level.
|
|
Individual Editing II
|
This course prepares students for the challenges inherent in cutting a more complex narrative film with dialogue and multiple sound tracks. Students are required to dedicate a large portion of time to editing their projects with the aid of trained editing lab teaching assistants.
|
|
Cinema Studies II
|
Cinema Studies II is designed to help students become more fluent in film vocabulary, aimed to develop their analytical skills when it comes to historical and international range of film works. The students also discuss aesthetic and social aspects of film in this class. This course involves story analysis where the instructor goes through a film scene by scene, as well as genre studies.
|
|
Advanced Directing
|
This course advances students’ knowledge of the director’s craft to a professional level. Topics include advanced approaches to shot size and dramatic purpose, camera angle, composition, camera movement, location, blocking, lenses and dramatic purpose, and communication with actors. Students are challenged to create unique and specific visual styles that support their stories, such as the use of space, line, shape, tone, color, rhythm and movement.
|
|
Music Video Production
|
Music Video Production is an introduction to the business, art and craft of music video production. This course covers the history of music videos, popular music video directors, and styles, as well as music video workflow. Second year students explore the craft of prepping, shooting, and editing a professional quality music video. Students are challenged to contact an artist or band and negotiate the acquisition of a pre-recorded song or soundtrack.
|
|
Advanced Cinema Studies
|
This course examines the contemporary landscape of narrative filmmaking. Style, structure, and the narrative form itself are discussed through close analysis of current filmmakers from the international arena as well as examples from the world of documentary and the burgeoning field of new media. This course challenges students to identify techniques and a conceptual framework to apply to their own body of work.
|
|
Commercial Production
|
Commercial Production is an introduction to the business, art, and craft of commercial production. It explores the development of the modern commercial and commercial types. Students learn how to work with an agency or an art department, balancing art and intent. In this course, second year students explore the craft of prepping, shooting and editing a TV commercial—defined as a promotional film for a Product (‘the Brand’). These commercial spots are produced at lengths of 30, 45, or 60 seconds.
|
|
Advanced Screenwriting
|
In this course, students will apply the basic conventions of screenplay— theme, premise, structure, character development—to the creation and completion of an original feature length screenplay. Students are introduced to the working method of professional screenwriters, from outline to treatment to first draft.
|
|
Advanced Production Workshop
|
Students are split into shooting crews of 3-4 people to shoot film exercises with the RED Epic camera. The instructor will screen and review the footage from previous workshops and discuss any outstanding issues of the production that the students have. These workshops are for the application of theory into practice where students can exercise creative interpretation of story and effectively use the tools of film craft.
|
|
Advanced Cinematography
|
This course is designed to help students master many elements of cinematography using professional HD cameras including the RED ONE camera system. Advanced Cinematography seeks to increase students’ knowledge as cinematographers by examining variations on the three-point set up, creative lighting and the use of alternative sources, and working with overhead grids amongst other topics.
|
|
Production Design
|
This course examines film design through notable classic and contemporary films. Classes focus on the analysis of the production designer’s role, the work of popular contemporary designers and fundamentals of the film design process. Students also explore the business of production design, as well as the various theories of production design that apply in different mediums.
|
|
Advanced Sound Design/Sound Mixing
|
Classes are designed to help students create quality sound designs for film. Topics include, but are not limited to production sound, location sound, room tone, natural sound, hyper-real sound, emotional realism, sound motif, foley sound and ADR.
|
|
Advanced Editing
|
Advanced Editing is a course designed to enhance students’ editing techniques by introducing them to nontraditional and experimental editing. By the end of the course, students will be competent in incorporating Adobe After Effects and DVD Studio Pro.
|
|
Advanced Producing
|
This course equips students to produce a feature film, covering topics such as types of producers, line producing, finding material, securing rights, and scheduling. Students learn how to budget for the feature, and examine the elements of film finance and distribution.
|
|