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This is a beginner level course where students learn to master the roles of a film set. Students form tight-knit crews to gain a skilled grasp of the craftsmanship required in cinematography, directing, editing, and sound recording. While studying the craftsmanship of each area of film-making via direct instruction, hands-on modeling, and first-hand experience, students will also rotate roles to explore personal strengths and preferences; a student may be the assistant director on one project and then be the director of photography in the next. Students will learn to produce short films, manipulate lights and camera features, work as grips and gaffers, edit with Adobe Premiere Pro, and more. They will simultaneously initiate their personal portfolios consisting of visual exercises, scenes and short films, with the goal of compiling a body of work that exhibits growth and mastery.
This course builds upon the “crew skills” already mastered in order to explore, emulate, and create complex works . Students will rotate roles within the production, cinematography, directing, and editing teams and collaborate on projects that survey three major mediums of film-making: the narrative form, the experimental form, and the documentary form. Students will gain a more nuanced understanding of film-making as they examine the intricacies of story telling, directing, shooting, and editing. Some of the topics include plotting, script analysis, directing actors, emotional vs. realistic lighting, advanced camera operation,and many more. Students will be exposed to opportunities that will fine-tune their film-making strengths, as well as their aesthetic vision. College credit available as part of this course in the second semester.
This is the most advanced film course offered to students accepted. The goal of the course is to enrich the craft and aesthetic of advanced film students. Working as a small team of filmmakers and with the guidance of the instructor, students collaborate on intensive workshops to co-create scripts and storyboards and then utilizing their accumulated skills, they produce, shoot, and edit various film projects. Unlike the previous courses where students rotate roles, this course allows each student to concentrate on one of the departments (production, directing, or cinematography). The advanced team benefits from the independence of creating its own film projects, as well as from the support of an underclass crew. Designed as a collaborative round table workshop, the course also provides the environment for students to polish the skills of their preferred area of filmmaking. Additionally, students are required to submit their works to one or more film festivals at the local, national, or international level.
Film Theory is a course that trains students in the historical and aesthetic dimensions of filmmaking through the analysis and discussion of important works of cinema. In the course, we will examine the various “dimensions” that make up such a dynamic art form. Students will learn how to develop an appreciation of film based on the cinematic traditions contained within narrative, documentary, and experimental forms, and acquire a critical, technical, and aesthetic vocabulary relating to particular cinematic practices and structures. We will examine how meaning in films is shaped by the uses of camera, editing, lighting, sound, and acting and evaluate the importance of genre and the legacy of individual filmmakers throughout the history of cinema. We will examine films, filmmakers, and film movements from all over the world to enhance understanding. From German Expressionism to Soviet Montage, to Japanese New Wave, New Nigerian Cinema and many other film traditions, students will experience and analyze film from a broad spectrum of peoples and perspectives.
The aim of this course is to teach students basic editing skills from a basic technically-appropriate approach, to a creative-emotionally driven one; and to expand their knowledge and technical skills in areas of sequencing, titles, graphics, color correction and more. Students will gain editing theory and more and will become proficient with industry-standard software, specifically Adobe Premiere Pro. Students will learn the art of storyboarding as well as creating their own short films. This class is a DUAL-CREDIT course. Students will earn 3 elective credit hours towards college upon successful completion of this class.
The aim of this course is to advance students film editing skills from a basic technically-appropriate approach, to a creative-emotionally driven one; and to expand their knowledge and technical skills in areas of color grading & correction, sound design and basic VFX. The rationale behind the cut will be a constant in this course: Why cut there? Why like this and not like that? What about not cutting at all? This course is appropriate for students that already know how to use Adobe Premiere Pro and hence there will be no software usage teaching. Expect to watch and discuss great scenes & films, a test, in-class and online forum participation: in short, a constant workload. Students will be provided with material to edit and post-produce; but they’ll have the option to work on their own footage (approval required). This is a DUAL-CREDIT COURSE. Students will receive 3 elective credits towards college after successful completion.
