ELECTIVE COURSES - 3rd & 4th SEMESTER


FILM DIRECTING 3

This course is for students that wish to pursue a career as a film director. Students electing this course set about the task of writing, producing and directing a short thesis film project. The thesis film is both a learning tool and for many a resume piece that will carry them into the professional world. Thesis film projects can be of any variety (short narrative, documentary, commercial, psa, or music video). Of the short narrative variety students can produce any genre; comedy, drama, horror, action, suspense, western, biopic, or trailer for a feature film. Students in this course work on developing a script and preparing it for production. Course work includes preparing the director’s notebook, blocking out sequences, organizing shot lists, drawing storyboards, determining the pictorial style and the corresponding art direction for the film. Frame forge 3d is taught in the course and used by the students to create an animatic of their film project. These animatics are presented in-class for discussion purposes, planning and critique by the instructor and the class. Students will also be required to conduct read-throughs of their scripts.

Course lectures include an in-depth study on the creative process and editorial decisions. More specifically the impact of how juxaposition, coverage, and shot order has on pacing.

Other topics discussed revolve around the day to day operations of the film director on set. This includes scheduling the day, organizing, making that critical decision to abridge a scene or shot list, working with name talent, preparing the next day, time management on set, working under pressure and how to deal with unforseen problems and delays. As a film goes into finishing one of the key elements is the post audio track. From a director’s perspective it is equally important as the cinematography. This course discusses the creative workflow in working with a composer and a post audio facility to get the best possible soundtrack.

4th SEMESTER

Once the directing student is “greenlit” for production they can begin shooting their film. Production includes casting, location scouting, rehearsals, propping, shooting, picture editing, audio post, DVD authoring and creating a show reel. Students have until August 31, 2008 to turn in their completed film on DVD or DVCpro tape, their project datafiles and supporting paperwork.

Film projects can be shot on any of the available formats offered by MPI that include 16mm, 35mm, DV 24p, Hi-Definition DVCProHD 1080i/p, 720p, or HDV 1080i/720p or any future format MPI may acquire for student use during that school year.


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