Search The Internet Movie Database Enter the name of a movie, TV show, or person and then
click "Go" to get more information about it/them from
imdb.com.
The "topics" (above) are from the new structure of the SCRIPT analysis directory (thematic v. chronological order). I plan to add another "bar" -- subjects. Maybe even -- themes. It's impossible to talk about formal principles of filmmaking without artistic tasks, WHAT we want to express -- and then "HOW"!
2005 * After so many years of webbing I cannot change the nature of my webpages -- they are what they were from the start; notes, thoughts, points I make for myself for classes and productions. Do they have an independent existence? Maybe, somewhere in the future...
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called film. Make your own badge here.
The focus of this course keeps shifting; I feel that actors should be the center of attention. There are many books on "business" of film acting, but the craft of the screen acting must be discussed first. The basics they, actors, should know. And the crew should know about actors and acting for the camera.
I started this little page for myself (in addition to Notes). I made Students page as well. FAQ and other service pages...
All because of the need for (self)organization! Too many pages must be created in order to get this course (really) online. But the structure is the key; my live classes have different nerves -- and mostly because of the constant interaction (film directing has to be workshop/seminar type). How to do it in cyber-space? Directors Forum is basically a board, for posts. The Yahoo courses are close to Blackboard...
One big problem is the nature of the Web. The crowd, no organization. Self-organization and the open structure?
IMPORTANT. To make use of my film pages for theatre classes! But first, to use film directing pages -- for Film & Movies class. Some could be included easy: production cycles, functions in the crew and so on. Now, the subjects -- "action" or "motion" pages. Ask them to the storyboarding (from the titles we see -- reconstruction exerc.)? [In direcing class I give them the Bergman's dream page, The Strawberry Field for storyboarding; and show the film. ] Why not to do it in reversed order? [ "Pulp Fiction" and "Terminator II" script-screen assignments didn't work. ]
The two main parts of each class -- lecture and workshop -- are different in nature (first -- me, second -- them).
I do not know who is using my pages or how usefull they are. So, I continue talking to myself. The order or some logic in reading instuctional film webpages. First: 200X Aesthetics, next -- Film & Movies. Plus, stage directing (Fundamentals of Acting is required for any directing class)... and only then this class!
Oh, yes, the dramalit and playscript analysis courses too.
Now, let me introduce the master-teacher in this class:
Yes, Sergey Michailovic Eisenstein, or "Eisen."
I am just an assistant, and associate professor. A middle man, a modem, a talking link between the students and the masters.
For now I am adding my private talks with the Master, although his English is good and he could teach the classes, the problem is that he is dead since 1948. So, I have to transmit, not translate, his thoughts. Sorry, if something is lost "in translation"...
Eisen: Anatoly, it's enough. Enough introductions. Get to the subject -- directing. What is film directing?
Anatoly: Film director?
Eisen: Yes, yes, what do they say?
Anatoly: well, "someone who supervises the actors and directs the action"...
Eisen: Nonsense!
Anatoly: "... a producer of motion pictures"?
Eisen: No!
Anatoly: "... the person who directs the making of a film"...
Eisen: What does it mean? "Directs the maiking of a film"? What is that?
Anatoly: "A film director directs the artistic and dramatic aspects of a film... Defining the overall artistic vision of the film." I give up, sir.
Eisen: Good. You have to have an open mind about things!
2006
More discipline in the order of pages and assignments!
[ make weekly quizes on reading? online posting? ]
Questions
Should I force on them the scenes (stage) directing right away? (Especially, if they had no previous experience) Give the assignments on the first day of classes and using the people in class. First, primary motion -- Mise-en-scene! Camera -- after they went through this experience with actors, space and text!
The camerawork was introduced too late!
Notes
2004: I will try what I learned with the Stage Directions in the Spring 2002.
[Still they do not know how to work/rehearse with actors -- and no time to force it.]
