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“I think one of the privileges of being a filmmaker is the opportunity to remain a kind of perpetual student”. – Edward Zwick

Every student enrolled in the 6-Week Filmmaking Workshop will write, direct, shoot and edit 4 of his or her own films.

Theory is important. But every filmmaker will tell you the best learning experience comes from making films. And that is the emphasis of the 6-Week Workshop in which students will gain invaluable experience writing, directing and editing 4 of their own films. In addition, each student’s first-hand knowledge will be enriched by taking on a key role in their classmates’ projects, roles like cinematographer, lighting technician, sound mixer, assistant camera and more. And this first-hand experience begins on day one, when students venture out of the virtual classroom to shoot their first elementary directing exercise.

FILMMAKING COURSES

Below is a list of courses, students will experience during the 6-Week filmmaking workshop:

  • Directing

  • Screenwriting

  • Working with Actors

  • Cinematography for Directors

  • Editing

  • Aesthetics

  • Budgeting and Scheduling

  • The Business of Filmmaking Pre-Production, Production & Post-Production Techniques

  • Professional Guest Lecturers

Classes are conducted daily in 3-hour sessions from 3:30-6:30pm, and on the weekends, students are expected to be available for filming. As the projects grow in complexity, additional time is allotted for preparation and 1-on-1 meetings with the instructor.

A final screening for classmates, cast, friends and family will cap off the 6-Week program. All students who successfully complete the workshop leave with a letter of recommendation and a copy of all their projects and their classmates’ projects on which they participated.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

All the classes in the 6-Week program have been integrated so that each week, the lessons learned can be applied immediately to the shooting of their upcoming project. Below is a more detailed look at each of the classes students will take during the program.

DIRECTING

These classes provide students with a foundation in the basic techniques of directing. Topics include learning to create the 4 basic preparation tools every director needs to know: how to create a shot list, a floor plan, a storyboard, and a shooting schedule. Students will also learn the 2 fundamental forms of film grammar: continuity and montage. Later classes will focus on a professional method of working with actors.

SCREENWRITING

At the heart of every good film is a good story. Students will be introduced to the fundamental technique of visual storytelling and guided through the writing of the four scripts, which will be the foundation of their film projects. Topics covered will include story structure, character design, subtext and dialogue

EDITING AESTHETICS

Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. Regardless of whether students are using iMovie, Adobe Premier, LumaFusion or other software, it is the art and technique of assembling shots into a coherent sequence that can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful film. In these classes, students will be taught the basic tools of the editor: continuity editing, cross-cutting, the cutaway, the insert, J-cuts, L-cuts and jump cuts. Each week students will have their films screened and critiqued by the instructor and will receive feedback from their classmates. 1- on-1 consultations with the instructor can supplement these lessons.

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR DIRECTORS

Filmmakers are visual storytellers. And so it is essential that that they have an understanding of how images are captured and how they can be used to create mood, tone and atmosphere. These classes will introduce the fundamental principles of controlling the visual image. Students are introduced to techniques of cinematography like: lighting, framing, composition, camera angles, camera movement, lens choice, exposure and color. 

PRODUCTION WORKSHOP

In Production Workshop, students are divided into small crews of 3-4 classmates to shoot exercises. These exercises are designed to prepare students for the individual project they will shoot that weekend. Production workshops are intended to provide students with practical experience in the art of collaboration, leadership and perseverance.

BUDGETING AND SCHEDULING

Regardless of the quality of the story and the acting, it is nearly impossible to make a good film without careful planning in preproduction. Budgeting and scheduling are key components of this planning process. These classes introduce students to the fundamental techniques of producing a short film, including breaking down a script, creating call sheets, production schedules, location scouting, and actor contracts.

SOUND RECORDING & DESIGN

Although most students will be recording audio into their iPhones, the use and proper placement of a simple microphone can make a world of difference in the quality of the dialogue. But audio recording doesn’t stop with dialogue. This course will also cover the recording and mixing of sound effects, ambiance, narration and music, as well as tips on how to find and work with a composer, and how to acquire rights for prerecorded music.

FILM PROJECTS

CONTINUITY

The first film that students work on during the 6-week filmmaking workshop centers around continuity, one of the fundamental principles of modern filmmaking. By making a “continuity film,” students learn the way cuts can advance the story while sustaining the reality of the scene. They learn the difference between “film time” and “real time.” Students are challenged to make a film of up to 3 minutes in length, cutting together 10-16 shots that maintain continuity in story, time, and space. Students must produce a clear, visual scene while maintaining the truthfulness of the moment. Students must thoroughly organize and pre-produce their Continuity Film by completing the following elements: Script, Location Scout, Breakdown, Shot List, Floor Plan, Storyboard, and Schedule of Shots.

MONTAGE & MUSIC

Students work on the relationship between music and image, as well as the narrative technique of montage. In this second project of the 6-week filmmaking workshop, students are encouraged to explore a more personal form of visual storytelling. Students choose a short continuous selection of music. In the editing stage, they cut their images to work in concert with, or in counterpoint to, the music. Students should experiment with rhythm and pacing. Each student writes, directs, and shoots his or her project on film, edits digitally, and screens a completed Montage & Music Film. In addition to storyboards, students may use a still camera to plan their films. This assists them in their choice of locations, distances, angles, and lighting.

THE SUBTEXT FILM

This project challenges students to explore the relationship between dialogue and dramatic action. It serves as the student’s first foray into directing a film with dialogue recorded on set. Students are provided with short dialogue-only scripts with no description of physical detail or action. The student director determines the “who, what, where, when, and why” of the story. Above all, each student director must identify the characters’ objectives and dramatic beats of the scene. In the 6-week filmmaking workshop, students will learn how these elements determine the meaning of the dialogue and should deepen their understanding of text versus subtext. When the finished projects are screened in class for critique, students will discover how different directorial interpretations of the same scene reveal the characters and the impact and meaning of the story.

FINAL FILM

In the final three weeks of the 6-week filmmaking workshop, students work on their final film, which is more ambitious in scope than the previous exercises. It builds upon the foundation of skills and knowledge gained in the first half of the workshop. There is a five-day pre- production period during which students meet with faculty for consultation. The shooting period is two days for each film. All the film projects students make can be of any genre, and can be narrative, documentary, or experimental. Each film project is screened in class for discussion and critique. These screenings are an important part of the learning process and help students improve on their next projects. There is a group screening celebrating all final films open to cast, crew, friends, and family.

[NOTE: All aspects of this course, including duration of the program, length of classes, and scheduling can be customized to suit the needs of the student and the institution. Tuition and Salary will be a collaborative determination by the Claude Kerven and NIDO.]