Film Directing Class Assignments

FILM directing * class * 470 * 2006 * students * homework * possible assignments * projects * online *

"Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls." - Ingmar Bergman

[ introduction of masters ]

THR470 Film Directing

2006 -- keep updating! new (see bottom)

Class exerc. and homework: "Crime & Punishment" scene, for example. To demontsrate the rules and techniques covered diring the lectures. Action page related to Shots (distance from the camera) and Motion pages.

Summary

.... Mamet'06 Oleanna (Final segment, ending) -- storyboard in class [ ]

....

Questions

Anniversary by Chekhov (scripting and story boarding?) * "Plays" (scenes) Fall'06 Acting for the camera class

Fall show: Pinter Homecoming (Oleanna instead)

Notes

the class is split into crews of 3-4 during camera, editing and scenes exercises.

gerenal:

1. Screenwriting: A Confucian maxim holds that you can’t carve rotten wood. It’s the same with screenplays - the best directing and the best actors cannot salvage a poor script. Screenwriting classes will teach the most important aspects of dramatic writing in the context of film. Organized around writing assignments, classroom critique and screenings, the sessions will concentrate on such elements as story concept, character, storytelling, format and more.

2. Directing: While a quality screenplay provides the basis for a good film, it does not guarantee one. Directing is the art of translating a script to screen. Knowing how to work with actors, work from a storyboard, and breakdown a scene is essential to film production. Here students will receive instruction in directing short narratives, student-produced and other. Classes incorporate hands-on shooting and lecture/screening sessions.

3. Cinematography: Students will be instructed in the aesthetics and techniques of the cinematographer’s craft. Principles of continuity, shot sequencing, and technical aspects related to cinematography and shooting on video and film are taught. The intensive studio classes also cover composition, lighting, camera controls and more. Each student will shoot his or her own film, in addition to completing various other exercises. Students will use video cameras.

4. Editing: This part of the program covers the aesthetic and technical aspects of editing. Understanding storytelling techniques and the basics of dramaturgy is necessary in furthering the creative vision of the director.

Part 3 & 4 are less covered (textbook).

"Cut to sound" assignment (Amadeus in class, p.77 -- Editing Analysis) --

Project 5.1 and 5.3 (Oleanna)

"First Footage" assignment ("First Snow")

"New Movies" mini-review (The Departed, 2006), posts @ yahoo-cls-directing (200words)

conferences w/anatoly by appointment

Index * Mining Film * Books * Film-North * Film & Drama * Theatre Theory * METHOD acting * STAGEMATRIX: Fundamentals of Direction *

* Classes * Virtual Theatre * Bookmark vTheatre! Mailing List & News -- subscribe yourself * The Book of Spectator *

FILM directing ASSIGNMENTS

week-by-week

[ general guidelines ]
Grades:
1. Scripting: all stages of scripting must be done (proposal, outline, first and final draft)
2. Jobs in teams: directing, camera, acting, production manager (must be posted). Each extra job will have extra grade!
3. Tests (Editing Test).
4. "Your favorite movie" (200words): select the episode, explain why do you like it, analyse the dramatic core of the scene and how it is expressed on the screen. See the checklists and edit pages. (Sample from Milosh Forman's "Valmont" --"Dangerous Liaisons").
5. "9-11" stories (in class and as a homework?)

Your grades reflect the progress in class and the time you put in: do the extra rewrites and -- you get a better grade. Do the new revision of the storyboard -- your grade is higher.
The exercises in class are not graded, but the participation is!
Team work is a part of filmmaking, your contributions to class-film-projects are judged by your peers.

[ more details later * Class attendence and participation are the part of your grade. ]

What is the criteria for evaluating each job? (Team project)

Most of them are evaluated on the final cut of the movie-project, but there are the stages of development such as storyboards and shot-by-shot boook (each of you is responsible for different section of the book; production manager will be judge for organizing the production schedule, locations, props).

Homework

Most of the work in this class is done outside of class. Shooting monologues (sample):

Memory of Water - Shelag Stephenson

Fuck it! I went to this counselor--- did I tell you this?--- or a therapist or something and she said I had this problem and the problem was, I give to much, I just do too mush for other people, I'm just a very giving person, and I never get any credit for any of it. I haven't even got any friends. I mean, I do but I don'tlike most of them, especially the women, and I try really hard, it's just I'm just very sensitive and I get taken for a ride, nothing, ever goes right, every time, I mean, every time it's the same--- like with men. What is it with men? I mean, I don't have a problem with me or anything. I love men. I've been to bed with seventy-eight of them, I counted, so obviously there's not a problem or anything, its just he didn't even apologize or anything and how can he say on the phone he doesn't want to see me anymore? I mean, why now? Why couldn't he have waited? I don't know what to do, why does it always go wrong? I don't want to be on my own, I'm sick of people saying I'm better off on my own, I'm not that sort of person, I can't do it. I did everything for him,I was patient and all the things your supposed to be and people kept saying don't accept this from him, don't accept that, like,you know, when he stayed out all night, not very often, I mean once or twice, and everyone said tell him to fuck off, but how could I because of what he did? Because they all do, everyone I've ever met does,they all disappear and I don't know if it's me or what.
I don't want to be on my own, I can't stand it, I know its supposed to be great but I don't think it is. I can't help it, its no good pretending,its fucking lonely and I can't bear it.

[ dramatic breakdown + storyboard draft ]

other monologues from acting directories ( act.vtheatre.net/mono or/and method acting )

Next: Test Sample

@2001-2006 film-north and Film-Books *

homework page 06: director's notebook + director's (schooting) script -- descriptions!

other film segments for analyis:
* Life of a Dog Chaplin
* Wild Strawberries Bergman
* 8.5 Fellini (first min.)
* Amadeus Forman (transcript below) ch.5 project (textbook)
...
Ch. 6. Shooting Projects

Ch. 7. Screenwriting concepts [ Part III ]
Plot Development (Story) = Action
Character Development (Hero) = Actor-Centered
Message, Idea Development = Thought

Cirular, not linear writing (p.150)

Adapting (in ch.9)

Ch. 10 -- Story development strategies

Ch. 11 -- scene-writing exercises (Game p.184)

Development curve for the traditional tragedy p.218

Part V (textbook)

Preproduction * Interpreting the Script * Casting * Directing Actors * Actors' Problems * Improvisation Work to Explore Acting * Exercises with a Text * Rehearsal and Development * Director and Actor Prepare a Scene * Final Rehearsals and Planning Coverage * Checklist

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/a/amadeus-script-transcript-wolfgang-mozart.html

[ Amadeus Script ]

[ Music ]

Mozart!

Forgive your assassin!

I confess, I killed you!

Si, I killed you, Mozart.

Mozart, pietà! Forgive your assassin!

Forgive me, Mozart!

Signore Salieri, open the door, be good now!

Signore, we have something special for you.

Something you' re going to love.