Hands-on Intensive Special Holiday Filmmaking Workshop with Discounted Tuition

OVERVIEW

This workshop runs from early December until late January with a two-week holiday break in the middle. During the break, students will be able to do preproduction work for their Final Film. This program follows the Six-Week Filmmaking Workshop curriculum.

The Holiday Filmmaking Workshop provides students with a strong foundation in filmmaking in which they each make three films.

The Special Holiday Filmmaking Workshop is held at our film school campuses in New York and Los Angeles only. While the workshop curriculum remains the same, both of our film schools offer a unique experience.

Classes meet Monday through Friday, although additional time may be required on some Saturdays. Students shoot their individual projects in crews of three or four. As in the other Film Academy workshops, students participate in classes covering directing, writing, cinematography, production, and editing. Students shoot their films using Canon 5D digital video cameras, professional lighting packages, and digital editing software.

After the first three weeks of classes and project work, students will use the holiday break to begin preparations for their work in the second half of the program. Upon returning to classes, students will receive instruction on more advanced techniques, and will complete preproduction on their final projects. For the final project, students will direct and edit a longer film of up to ten minutes in length, and will incorporate multiple tracks of sound including music, sound effects, ambient sounds, and/or voiceover.

OBJECTIVES

PRODUCTION GOALS

• Write, direct, and digitally edit three short films. All three of the films will be shot on digital video. The Final Film can be up to 7 minutes in length with multiple tracks of sound (but no dialogue).
• Serve as a cinematographer, gaffer, and assistant camera on your classmates’ films.

LEARNING GOALS

• Explore and understand the art and technique of visual storytelling including directing, cinematography, editing, and post-production sound design.

Course Descriptions

Director’s Craft Writing Editing Hands-on Camera/Lighting

Production Workshop Budgeting and Scheduling Sound Recording

Director’s Craft

Director’s Craft introduces students to the language and craft of filmmaking. Topics covered include storyboarding, composition, camera movement, continuity, montage, pacing, and rhythm. This course introduces students to the language and craft of film directing.

Writing

This course is designed to help students develop their scripts for their final films. Students will be instructed in story structure, dramatic arc, creating characters, text and subtext, refining stories, and scriptwriting style.

Editing

Editing is an art unto itself. Regardless of the editing system a filmmaker uses, it is the editor’s ability to work with the shots and tell a story that makes all the difference. Workshop students will learn how to use the digital editing system, Avid Media Composer. Each student edits his or her own films and can supplement classes with individual consultations at the editing station. Students are taught the fundamental concepts of film editing, both practical and aesthetic.

Hands-on Camera/Lighting

A hands-on class and instructor-led workshop in which students are introduced to the fundamentals of HD image making. The craft of composing images with the Canon 5D HD cameras will be taught “from the ground up” and will presuppose no prior knowledge of filmmaking. The proper use of basic lighting instruments and their contribution to the image will be explored in class exercises and demonstrations. The students will also learn fundamental lighting techniques.

Production Workshop

The Production Workshop is designed to demystify the craft of filmmaking. It is a hands-on class in which students stage and shoot exercises under the supervision of the instructor. The technical aspects of filmmaking are seen as tools to realize the story. The guiding idea is that once students can articulate the objective of a given scene, the necessary craft and techniques will follow. Through the in-class exercises, the rules and tools of mise-en-scène and continuity are defined and practiced.

Budgeting and Scheduling

This course introduces students to the craft of producing, preparing a budget and scheduling a film for shooting, including script breakdowns, call sheets, production schedules, permits, location insurance, and actor contracts. During the course, students will get an overview of all the essential elements of producing short films -- ranging from pre-production through post-production.

Sound Recording

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.

Dates & Tuition