The Business of Film

This cross-disciplinary course brings together our Writing and Immersive Storytelling & Emerging Technologies concentrations to collaboratively develop, design and build an interactive XR game experience. Students will engage with technologies such as mixed and augmented reality, 360-degree navigable environments, WebXR, volumetric capture and 3D scanning. The course will include group and individual assignments outside of class to expand and challenge the student's exploration of the intersection between creativity and technical prowess. This course blends storytelling, character development, worldbuilding, and emerging technologies to create an immersive experience. ** This class requires Approval from the Course Instructors (Jason Gray and Sig Libowitz, who are co-teaching the class) to be admitted. Interested students should answer the three questions sent to you by Program Director, Sig Libowitz, and send their answers to both Professors Gray and Libowitz (at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively).

By dynamically using real-life case studies as a basis for discussion and learning, students in this course will explore the legal and business affairs aspect of filmmaking. We will examine the meaning and structure of copyright law, fair use, option & purchase agreements, key crew & talent agreements, distribution agreements, tax credit/rebate statutes, music licensing and product placement deals, among other topics.

In this hands on course, students will learn the basics of documentary filmmaking from development through post production and social impact. Through a series of screenings, discussions and real-time filmmaking exercises, students will engage in a process of exploration and discovery focused on honing each filmmakers personal voice. There will be a strong focus on telling stories with a clear and provocative point of view. Students will leave the course with a strong bio and personal statement, and having completed 3-5 minute documentary on the subject of their choosing.

Through in-class projects, interactions with working producers, line producers and AD’s and on-going independent productions, students will be exposed to the myriad responsibilities of producers, from the creative and on-the-field perspectives. We will explore the many elements that make up the creation of films and television shows, with a focus on a producer’s creative input from development to post production to a producer’s understanding of the nuts and bolts fundamentals of how to budget and schedule.

This class will explore the ways films reach an audience. We will examine festival strategy and traditional theatrical distribution as well as changing ancillary and online markets. Case studies of successful marketing campaigns across genres and platforms will be used as evidence. Testimonies by guest lecturers who work in the field of distribution will supplement the core syllabus.

Successfully pitching your prospective film, video game, pilot script or web-series is a key factor in making your dream a reality. A strong pitch can attract financing, distribution and star cast attachments. How do you craft a pitch that is compelling and engaging, while also concise and leaves them wanting more? Over the course of the semester, you will pitch multiple projects in different mediums and learn from observing your colleagues pitch their projects. You will create look-books, pitch-decks and sizzle reels. We’ll consider the use of visuals, music and props, and hear from successful writers, directors and producers about their techniques and insights from the front lines of professional pitching.

The Director of Photography has instrumental role in crafting the final look of a film. In the course, the four creative roles of the cinematography department – Camera Operator, Gaffer, Key Grip, and Dolly Grip are examined in-depth. Through a series of screenings, discussions and workshops, the students learn many of the dynamics between these roles. In class, students will mount detailed and intricately lighted shots. Students will work with the Arri Amira, a professional motion picture camera. Camera topics include camera settings & trouble shooting, on-set data management, ALEXA color science, working with LogC, look management, and dailies creation. Prerequisites: AS.455.640 (Graduate Studio I) or a demonstrated basic camera proficiency

In this introductory course, students will ultimately create their own short podcasts around stories that are meaningful to them and their intended audiences. Students will enact principles of listener-centered design, they’ll work to find stories worth telling, and they’ll learn to tell those stories powerfully. This course will build competency in recording and editing techniques, interviewing skills, creating story structure, and understanding the potential social impact of documentary work. Students will also study current monetization strategies in the booming podcast market and learn how to find, keep, and grow an audience.

Students develop and workshop short narrative scripts that they write. The course covers working with actors and understanding the filmmaking process from the actor's point of view. Students visualize their scripts so they are prepared to work with a Producer, Director of Photography and additional crew. The course also explores techniques of blocking and staging action for the camera, with emphasis on the practical problems and aesthetic questions that arise.

This course will lead students through the practical applications of documentary filmmaking within a professional environment. Beginning with actual client meetings that define production parameters, students (working with faculty) will take the project through development and preproduction into a collaborative production environment that culminates with a rigorous and detailed postproduction process. Working within strict timelines and a defined budget, students will take on lead roles to produce a series of short documentaries that fulfill (if not exceed) client expectations. The entirety of this process will be documented via a behind the scenes team, who will develop an electronic press kit (EPK) and manage the social media presence of this project. NOTE: Admission to the course requires Instructor and Program Director approval. Students are required to submit formal materials to the Instructors and the Program Director for consideration.

This course will lead students through the practical applications of documentary post-production within a professional environment. Students, working experientially with faculty, will take the designated project through a rigorous and detailed postproduction process (including potential production opportunities for additional interviews, b-roll and reshoots). Working within strict timelines and a defined budget, students will be provided the opportunity to earn key crew roles that fulfill (if not exceed) client expectations. The entirety of this process will be documented via a behind the scenes team, who will develop an electronic press kit (EPK) and manage the social media presence of this project.

Why are we drawn to stories … and why do we react so emotionally, viscerally, even physically to flickering images on screens (of all sizes)? What techniques do the most skillful, most agile cinematic storytellers apply to affect their audience and compel us to journey alongside? This course will examine cinematic “storytellers” and the multiple creative decisions they make in some of the most impactful films of the past 50 years. By “storytellers”, we include directors (of course) but also the writers, cinematographers, composers, editors, actors and other key personnel (sometimes creative producers as well) who join with the director to collaborate and elevate a story and the characters who dwell within. Discover how choices in sound, lighting, acting, music, shot selection and story/character development can dynamically and instrumentally affect the audience. Cinema provides a deeply personal lens, coupled with an enormous public reach, acting as both a reflection of - and an agent for - shifting perspectives on the world around us and our society. Together we will explore and analyze how cinematic storytellers' distinct choices on character, composition and conflict humanize our perspective on others' lives , different cultures, and complex issues far removed from our own --- and how you as developing storytellers can learn from such creative decision-making to craft your own stories.

This class will guide students through the process of developing, packaging and producing short form content (i.e., short films, web series, etc). We will learn about fundraising, budgeting, festivals and distribution. Beginning with an initial concept, students will develop a treatment and pitch deck, draft a schedule and budget, explore the grant writing process, and work through the planning phases of pre-production, production and post. By the end of the class students will have at least one packaged short form project on the path toward realization.

Robert Bresson said that “a film is born three times... First in the writing of the script, once again in the shooting, and finally in the editing.” Editing a film is one of the most important aspects of narrative filmmaking. Most professional directors arrive on the set with a good sense of how the scene they are about to shoot will eventually be edited. This class will focus on teaching the fundamentals of film editing by looking at techniques, tools, and approaches to understand what makes for a good cut and how to shape both a performance and a story (matching visual action, visual fluidity, pacing, transitions, montage, time manipulation, and time ellipses). We will discover how story beats are revealed and how the audience connects with the characters, as well as how to employ the elements of question and answer to build suspense and surprise. The class will focus specifically on the short film, an essential format for filmmakers in their early careers, as we define the different types of shorts (narrative, non-fiction, commercials) and learn how they employ different cinematic languages and story structures unique to the format. By the end of the class, you will know the rules, but also when to break them - all in service of the story and an emotional experience.

Beginning with an introduction to camera and the foundations of cinematography, this class will take a hands-on approach toward the definition and understanding of visual storytelling. Through a sequence of practical applications, students will come to understand the concepts of space, volume, pacing, composition, eye control, and various other cinematographic techniques and their applications within the worlds of physical production, ISET, and animation.

This class will explore the process of creating light specific show LUTs, various forms of cinematic lighting that prioritizes a predetermined postproduction workflows, and advanced editing techniques, compositing, and color correction in Davinci Resolve, as well as text, titling, and animation in both Fusion and After Effects.

This course will explore the marriage of visual and audio crafts in the creation of narrative. We will work from the presupposition that sound and picture are intricately and inherently linked. The course will help students uncover the visual and audible elements of genre, mood, tone, and cinematic texture. Then, working through a series of introductory to medium level assignments, students will create initial MOS works that visually shape these cinematic modalities and develop audible landscapes that further define the intent and visual aesthetic of each piece. Through the incorporation of guest speakers, craft workshops featuring professionals in the audio field, and exploring professional post-production environments, the course will allow students to develop a fundamental proficiency in the intersection of sound and visual aesthetic and an understanding of the tools and methods used in their creation.

Movie Magic is a specialized software used throughout the industry to schedule and budget films and television. Gain practical knowledge and training for the professional world to boost your job opportunities and experience. Over the semester, you will schedule & budget multiple projects including, for example: a short film, a commercial, a documentary, etc. and learn how to properly assess and budget for travel, locations, production departments, union positions (i.e., SAG-AFTRA, DGA, WGA and IATSE) and their corresponding Pension, Health & Welfare requirements.