Digital Communications & Media (FILV1-UC)

In this introductory course in 16mm filmmaking without sync sound, each individual has the opportunity to write, produce, direct, and shoot film, and edit using Final Cut Pro. The class works in small production crews within a rotating responsibility system in order to help fellow student's complete individual projects. In the final project, each student creates a color film with transition effects, music, and credits. Film projects are transferred to digital video and provided to the students.

Through a series of six progressively challenging projects, this hands-on workshop provides students with professional concepts and techniques in film and digital media production. Emphasizing the aesthetics of cinematography, sessions cover the role of the cinematographer, interpreting the script visually, working with the director, the goals of lighting, camera operation, lens selection, working with a crew and a lab, shooting exteriors and interiors, duties of the camera assistant, knowledge video formats, and using digital exposure meters. Through hands-on practice, students shoot both film and DSLR HD video.

This course surveys the basic skills needed to record sound for film and digital video. The emphasis is placed on the underlying acoustic and electronic principles employed. Topics include analog and digital recording; mike designs and powering; selection of mike pick-up patterns; boom techniques; sync systems, including time code sync playback for music videos; radio mikes; sound mixing and scene matching from camera perspective; set protocol; proper slating; recording narration; and sound effects.

In this workshop, students practice building and lighting sets, which are filmed and analyzed. Sessions provide experience with the methods, equipment, and special requirements for different locations. Topics include creating and communicating with light; characteristics and properties of lights and lighting styles; effective low-budget lighting for film and digital production; full-control studio lighting; mixing daylight, fluorescent, and incandescent; location lighting-interiors and exteriors; finding electrical power; and night-for-day and day-for-night.

Weekly screenings and analyses give students an understanding of the cinematic vocabulary. Topics include the shot as the basic unit of film structure, the effects of lighting and composition, editing, mise-en-scene and montage, sound and overall film techniques, and the relationship between form and content. Screenings and analyses include works by directors such as Allen, Chaplin, Coppola, Einstein, Ford, Godard, Griffith, Hawks, Hitchcock, Keaton, Lucas, Renoir, Penn, Scorsese, Spielberg, Weir, and Welles.

In this advanced class, each individual has the opportunity to write, produce, direct, and shoot a sync-sound project, and edit on digital nonlinear computer editing systems using Final Cut Pro. The class works in small production crews. Each student edits the image with dialogue, music, sound effects, and adds credits and transition effects. Projects are transferred to digital video and provided to the students. Using FilmLogic cut list software, students have the opportunity to match back a final computer edit to 16mm work print. Participants also learn the process of conforming the original color negative.

This hands-on introductory course covers basic DV camera operations, elementary nonlinear editing with Final Cut Pro, and how to prepare a video production. Working in teams with rotating crews, you write, produce, direct, and edit individual and group projects--ultimately demonstrating growing confidence with production equipment and professional practices. Students use Panasonic 24P cameras and Final Cut Pro equipment with an allotment of videotape and other supplies provided by the school.

This advanced course is designed for students who are ready to build their creative professional future by concentrating on making one digital video project for festivals, competitions, and other forms of digital video distribution. Students are required to work in teams and to assist each other as crew while working on their own projects. Students have access to cameras and equipment after a review of technical operations. All editing is completed on Final Cut Pro, and the final version is output to digital video.

Using DV footage, students work in pairs to learn each step of digital nonlinear editing; log and capture footage, three-point editing, trimming, motion effects, audio mixing, generating and EDL, on-lining a master tape, and exporting digital file formats. Through lectures, screenings, demonstrations, and practice, the course emphasizes the aesthetics of editing, including continuity, pacing, and dramatic structure.

This introductory lecture course presents the fundamentals in the practical and creative aspects of digital filmmaking and video techniques and technology. Through lectures, demonstrations, and assigned readings, the course demystifies complex technology principles to support future digital filmmakers, producers, artists, directors, video cinematographers, editors, and all users of the digital film and video medium. Topics include: cameras and lenses, audio, light, analog and digital theory.