DEPARTMENT OF CINEMA AND COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

048:034 MODES OF FILM & VIDEO PRODUCTION

Summer 2006

Course Instructor: Jennifer Proctor

Original course design by Leighton Pierce

With modifications by Sasha Waters Freyer

And Jennifer Proctor

Course Description & Goals:

Modes of Film & Video Production is designed to develop a broad range of skills integral to addressing a viewer/audience with moving images and sounds. Modes aims to advance skill not only in image and sound production and design, but also in writing and representational strategies central to this work. Throughout this semester, you will work collaboratively and on your own, using introductory technologies plus some writing exercises, to develop your critical skills as a viewer, maker and reader. The in-class workshops of your own work and the work of your peers are wonderful, essential opportunities for each of you to question, challenge, brainstorm and ask for help; they will work best and most successfully when everyone contributes with respect, energy and passion!

Required Texts:

Handbook & Assignment Guide (Coursepack) available at Technigraphics in the Ped Mall

The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film & Video available at Prairie Lights bookstore (15 S. Dubuque St.)

A note on due dates: Final projects are due on the last day of class, no exceptions. No late work will be accepted after the last day of class.

Assignments and Evaluation:

• Short Writing Assignments

20 points total

• One-Shot Assignment

5 points

• Midterm Exam

15 points

• Soundscape Assignment

10 points

• Bran & Park on Super 8

5 points

• Final Project: Pitch & Work-in-Progress

5 points

• Final Project: Portrait/Place

20 points

• Participation

20 points

Please note – all work is due on the date specified in the syllabus. Late work will be penalized.

Attendance/Participation:

Preparation and participation are at the heart of success in this course – active engagement in workshops/discussions and well-prepared pitches/works-in-progress will ensure a positive participation grade. Attendance in all course meetings is required. After the first unexcused absence, 3 points will be deducted from your grade for each additional unexcused absence. If you are late to class, one point will be deducted. If you will be absent, please let me know before the class meeting you will miss. After an absence, you have 48 hours to present a valid excuse; if you fail to do so, your absence may be marked as unexcused and 3 points deducted from your grade.

Extra Credit:

There may be extra credit opportunities granted for attending screening/lecture events with outside filmmakers and other visitors, however these are not guaranteed. There is no other way to make up missed work or gain extra credit.

Grading:

The specific point value for each assignment is listed in the Modes Coursepack along with detailed instructions. There are no extensions in this class. All work is due on the date specified in the syllabus/by the instructor and late work will be penalized.

Grades are based on both aesthetic and technical skills. For example, if an assignments calls for 10 seconds of black before picture, there should be 10, not 12 seconds or 8 – if it says “one shot” there should be no picture edits. Your video should be properly exposed and your sound well-recorded. These are examples of technical parameters. Aesthetic parameters concern your ability to convey a meaning through the vocabulary of image and sound. These are subjective to a point, but success in the aesthetic realm is directly related to your preparation and to your level of commitment to the production process.

A Note on Workshops:

We will spend many class sessions viewing works in progress. Getting feedback from peers is an invaluable tool to assist in honing ideas, refining techniques and developing creative strengths. It is vitally important that we all work to balance our candor with respect for the ideas or subject matter addressed by the works in the class, and to always remember that the goal of every workshop should be the betterment of the work. Respectful, constructive comments are essential to each filmmaker’s growth in this class, and anything less is unacceptable.

COURSE SCHEDULE: This schedule is subject to change should the need arise as determined by the faculty supervisor and instructor.

WEEK 1

6/6—COURSE INTRODUCTION

Introductions & syllabus review

Entrance survey

6/7—ICON & MORE COURSE DISCUSSION

1-2 page personal statement in class

Discuss film threads & assign Writing Ex. #1A [ppA1]

6/8—CAMERA

Assign film threads

Assign one-shot [ppA5]

Introduce cameras and camera operation

Reading due: “Bare Bones” Preface & Ch. 1. Mollison Ch 1 & 2 “The Camera” & “Image Control” [pp r12-23]

6/9—IMAGE DESIGN/MISE EN SCENE

Lecture/film clips

Reading due: “Bare Bones” Ch. 2, 3 & 4.

WEEK 2

6/12—FILM THREADS/IN-CLASS SHOOT

WRITING EX. #1A DUE

Writing #1B – exchange film element cards in class & assign Ex#1C, [ppA1].

In Class shoot [pp A2],

6/13—IMAGE DESIGN/CINEMATOGRAPHY

Lecture/film clips

6/14—FINAL CUT PRO

Intro to Final Cut Pro, in class editing, [pp A3].

Assign Writing Ex. Part 2 – Dialogue Observation, [pp A4].

Reading due: Final Cut Pro Basics [pp r1-11], Brenneis Ch. 2 pp. 29-44 (*on reserve)

6/15—MORE FINAL CUT PRO

Continue in-class editing

Drive assignments; review editing lab hours & policies

Reading: “Bare Bones” Ch. 5,6,7 & Mollison Ch. 10 “Nonlinear Editing” [pp r28--]

6/16—PITCHES

Film Thread Assignments DUE (#1C of Short Writing Ex).

Pitch One-Shots in class.

WEEK 3

6/19 – SCREENWRITING AND STORYBOARDING

Writing Ex. Part 2 - Dialogue Observation Due.

Lecture: Screenplays & Storyboards

Reading due: “Screenwriting from the Heart” p. 128-171, [pp r39-61]

6/20 – One-Shot Works in Progress.

6/21 – SCREENPLAY & STORYBOARD

Assign Short Screenplay AND Storyboard, [pp A6, A7].

WEEK 4

6/26—SCREENPLAYS & AUDIO

Pitch Screenplay.

Final Cut Pro Audio workshop.

Hand out midterm review.

Reading due: Mollison Ch. 6 “Video Signal” [pp [r23--]

6/27—MORE ON AUDIO

Pitch Soundscape.

Microphone Intro & Interviewing Workshop w/ examples.

Reading due: Mollison Ch. 11 [pp r33--], Randy Thom, Designing a Movie for Sound [pp r76--]

6/28—EDITING STRATEGIES

Lecture/film clips

6/29–-MIDTERM REVIEW

6/30—SOUNDSCAPES

Soundscape work in progress

More midterm review as needed

WEEK 5

7/3 – MIDTERM EXAM

7/4—HOLIDAY, NO CLASS

7/5—SCREENPLAY WORKSHOP

Screenplay Rough Draft DUE (bring 3 copies to class)

Screenplay small-group workshop.

Assign Bran & Park & discuss, [pp A11].

7/6 – NARRATIVE MODES AND GENRE

Lecture/film clips

7/7 – Soundscape DUE & discuss.

Assign Final Project: Portrait/Place.

Reading due: Kaplan “Women and Film” pp. 11-35 [pp r62-75]

WEEK 6

7/10—BRAN AND PARK PREPRODUCTION

Bran & Park set work & rehearsal

7/11—BRAN AND PARK PRODUCTION

Shoot Bran & Park

7/12 –DOCUMENTARY MODES

Lecture/film clips

7/13—FINAL PROJECTS

Final Project proposals DUE & Pitch to class

7/14—Conferences/work day

WEEK 7

7/17—ALTERNATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL MODES

Lecture/film clips

7/18—SCREENPLAY & STORYBOARD

Writing Ex. 3 & Writing Ex. #4 DUE - screenplay & storyboard

7/19—BRAN & PARK POSTPRODUCTION

Bran & Park in class editing – transfer footage & learn projector

7/20—BRAN & PARK POST-PRODUCTION

Finish Bran & Park editing

7/21—FILM FESTIVALS—WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?

Lecture/film clips

WEEK 8

7/24—FINAL PROJECT ROUGH CUTS

7/25—FINAL PROJECT ROUGH CUTS

7/26—LIFE AFTER MODES

Lecture

In-class work day

7/27—IN-CLASS WORK DAY

7/28—FINAL PROJECTS

FINAL PROJECT: Portrait/Place DUE & discuss

Course wrap-up