Course Outline
WEEK 1 Overview of film industry and independent film production, from development to distribution. Discussion of roles and responsibilities of a film crew. Discussion of short film format. Introduction to basic storytelling and screenplay structure. Screening of short student film.
Assignments 1: Read a screenplay and rent the movie.2: Write treatment for short film, 5 to 10 min.
WEEK 2 Discussion of assignments. Students present proposals for short film projects. Students vote on the top two or three proposals. Students divide into teams to develop proposals into screenplays (teams of 4-6 will work on each film as cast, crew and editors). Discussion of screenplay format. Overview of process of pre-production including script breakdown, budgeting, assembling cast and crew, props, costumes, sets, locations. Auditions, rehearsals, scheduling, call sheets. legal releases. Discussion of camera angles, storyboarding and the director’s shot list.
Assignments 1: Teams collaborate on 1st draft of 5-10 page screenplay.2: Place an open casting call for auditions for student films.
WEEK 3 Students read 1st drafts of screenplays. Feedback and discussion. Overview of the production process. Set protocol, chain of command. The basic functions of assistant director, DP, sound man. Discussion of the importance of script supervisor and continuity. Students will all work on each other’s films as one large team and rotate responsibilities from one project to the next. Introduction to the equipment and basic camcorder operations including exposure, focus, white balancing. The proper use of lights, sound, tripod, sandbags, cords, production box.
Assignments 1 Teams complete final draft of sceenplays.2 Teams breakdown screenplays.
WEEK 4 Students read final drafts of screenplays. Overview of working with actors, audition techniques, how to get the best out of an actor on the set. Equipment drill, proper framing, lighting and sound techniques. Optional: Students will have the option of using the last two hours of class for auditions.
Assignments 1: Audition and select actors, begin rehearsals2: Scout locations, collect releases.3: Finalize shooting schedule for Project #1
WEEK 5 Inside the mind of the director part I: clips of works from famous directors. More equipment drills with camera, lights and microphone. On-set simulation. Former TFI student presents short film, discussion. Final questions, comments and concerns before class goes to shoot Project #1.
Assignments 1: Students begin shooting Project #1
WEEK 6 The good, the bad and the ugly: Post-mortem on first week of shooting. Screening of dailies. More equipment drills with camera, lights and microphone. Optional on-set rehearsal with actors for Project #2 Inside the mind of the director part II: more clips of works from famous directors.
Assignments 1: Finish shooting Project #1.2: Finalize shooting schedule for Project #2.
WEEK 7 Dissection of final week of shooting for Project #1. Screening of dailies. More equipment drills and on-set simulations if needed. Introduction to editing, including editing theory and practice. Montage vs. long take, dictations of genre and psychological effects. Discussion of different formats of editing, film editing, VCR to VCR, nonlinear. In-class demonstration of linear and nonlinear editing. Inside the mind of the editor part I: film clips from famous movie sequences. Final questions, comments and concerns before class goes to shoot Project #2.
Assignments 1: Begin shooting Project #2.2: Begin logging/editing footage/collection of music and sound effects for Project #1.
WEEK 8 Discussion of first week of shooting for Project #2. Screening of dailies. Optional in-class linear editing for Project #1. Optional on-set rehearsal with actors for Project #3. Inside the mind of the editor part II: more clips from famous movie sequences.
Assignments 1: Finish shooting Project #2.2: Finish rough cut of Project #1.3: Finalize shooting schedule for Project #3.
WEEK 9 Discussion of final week of shooting for Project #2, screening of dailies. Presentation of rough cut for Project #1. Final questions, comments and concerns before class goes to shoot Project #3.
Assignments 1: Begin shooting Project #3.2: Begin logging/editing footage/collecting music and sound effects for Project #2.
WEEK 10 Discussion of first week of shooting for Project #3, screening of dailies. Optional in-class linear editing for Project #2.
Assignments 1: Finish shooting Project #3.2: Finish rough cut of Project #2.
WEEK 11 Discussion of final week of shooting for Project #3, screening of dailies. Presentation of rough cut for Project #2. Optional in-class linear editing for Project #3. Discussion of now my film is finished, what now? In other words, an introduction to marketing and distribution.
Assignments Finish final cuts on Projects #1 and #2, rough cut on Project #3.Complete all production notebooks.
WEEK 12 Discussion of film finance, raising money for making the next film. Each student wraps up with a reflection of the past 12 weeks, recorded on camera. At the end of class will be a small private party/screening of the three completed film projects with a limited number of invited guests.