SCREEN 200

Foundations of Screen Production

Please note: this is archived course information from 2018 for SCREEN 200.

Description

A foundation-level core course for a major or minor in Screen Production introduces students to the conceptual and practical aspects of realising a narrative for screen. The overarching goal is to learn that filmmaking is a very deliberate process, everything seen on screen is a choice made by the filmmaker.  We will analyse films and the choices made by filmmakers to find links between conceptual ideas and the practical techniques used to realise them.

The course comprises of lectures, discussions, screenings, exercises and four key creative projects demonstrating lessons learned. Assessment is based on participation, in-class exercises and four practical assignments in the four major areas of tuition utilising the techniques learnt in lectures and workshops.

The course is broken into four major areas corresponding to the four aspects of production: camera, sound, lighting and post production. Each week will feature a two hour workshop where we will investigate the techniques highlighted in the one hour lecture that precedes it.

The first five weeks of the course focus on the conventions of image in film, the visual language of film, camera movement, continuity and coverage and how we realise a script in the visual medium. We will then cover the various aspects of editing, production and post-production sound and lighting for film.

 Course Objectives:

• Students will understand the fundamentals of production techniques in narrative storytelling for screen
• Students will achieve basic familiarity with camera, editing, lighting and sound techniques and software
• Students will learn collaborative skills and ways to receive and provide constructive criticism
• Students will develop four projects from concept to completion that expose them to the different techniques of cinematic storytelling

Provisional class limits information for 2018: Enrolment is limited to 40 students. On-time applications will be selected on the following criteria, ranked in order of importance: 1.  Completion of FTVMS 101 (MEDIA 101 from 2018) and either COMMS 100 or 104. 2.  Grade in FTVMS 101. 3.  The qualitative evaluation of the application including evidence of creative lateral. thinking and personal statement of intent. 4.   GPA.

Availability 2018

Semester 2

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s)  Peter Simpson

Assessment

Coursework only

Points

SCREEN 200: 15 points

Prerequisites

30 points from COMMS 100, FTVMS 100, 101, MEDIA 101 and Academic Head or nominee approval