Pasa 5265 Camera Course Outline

CAMERA COURSE OUTLINE

2009

PASA 5265 FILM & TELEVISION 1A - CAMERA Level 5

Course No. PASA5265

Course Name Film & Television 1A

Credits 15

This course runs throughout Semester One and will introduce you to basic camera techniques and gear, which you will utilise during your various exercises and projects. This is a compulsory paper for those who wish to be considered for the Camera Elective in Semester 2. [Please note that when students are considered for any of the electives in Semester 2 their performance in all their BPSA papers will be taken into consideration.]

Staff Contacts Teaching Staff Dan Wagner (Camera Tutor) [email protected] Alan Locke (Camera Tutor) [email protected] Production Staff Nikki Baigent (Screen Production Manager) – [email protected] Gayle Jackson (Props & Costume Assistant) – [email protected] Sai Yin Leung (Maintenance Engineer) - [email protected] Theo Gibson (Screen Technician) - [email protected] Programme Co-ordinator Victor Grbic (Film & Television) – [email protected]

Course Aims and Learning Outcomes COURSE AIM: To enable students to gain a practice-based understanding of fundamental theories, concepts and techniques associated with film & television technology and production. LEARNING OUTCOMES: 3. Explore the various roles and professional practices involved in creating work for screen. - Demonstrate technical, operational and procedural skills to a basic standard in set exercises for each of the following specialisations: Camera;Directing;Editing; Production; Sound;Writing - Demonstrate knowledge of the technologies associated with film and television production - Demonstrate professional practice

Course Information 24909880.doc

CAMERA COURSE OUTLINE

2009

GOAL The primary goal of this semester is to get you up and running with the camera and lighting gear, and to provide you with a context within which you, as a potential camera crew member, may function. The secondary goal is to adequately prepare you for the Camera assessment, taking place in Term 2. CONTENT In Camera class, you will:  Gain context through learning the historical evolution of the motion picture camera in storytelling as well as the development of the film industry and where you fit in.;  Learn the various roles on the camera crew and how they interact with one another and the rest of the crew;  Familiarise yourself with the Year 1 cameras;  Develop basic proficiency in the fundamental skills of Camera Craft: Camera Operating, Camera Assisting (including Focus Pulling), Lighting and Gripping;  Get introduced to many of the contributions Light and Lens can make to Visual Storytelling;  Learn to use the gear.

Course Assessments and Due Dates The Camera Assessments will focus on your basic proficiency with the gear and on your grasp of certain fundamental concepts such as the foundational “road rules” of film making. Cam 1A – 6th April - (5% of this course) The WRITTEN TEST will be a timed online test administered through Blackboard (which you’ll learn about). Cam 1B – 2nd & 3rd June - (10% of this course) The BASIC BUILDING SKILLS assessment will be an in-class practical camera-sound combination test. This means that you be in a small group, fulfilling four different crew positions (camera operator, camera assistant, lighting assistant and sound recordist) - being assessed on each one as you rotate through them.

Class Schedule Here are the camera classes, and what will be covered during each one. As there are a good number of you in Year 1, we’re dividing the class in half. On Tuesday, Group 1 comes to Camera and Group 2 goes to Editing. Then, on Thursday, you switch: the first half goes to Editing and the other half of you come to Camera. 24909880.doc

CAMERA COURSE OUTLINE

2009

As you see, the Camera Workshops are the practical (hands-on, not bookbased) portions. Any class you miss will be something you’ve not learned for the assessments. You must ATTEND ALL CLASSES! LESSON # [tutor]

DATE Tues-24Feb PM OR Th-26Feb AM

TOPICS COVERED

1/A1 AL & DW

Intro to: Course / Camera History & You / Making of a Shot / What's in a Frame?

Tues-3Mar PM OR Th-5Mar AM Tues-10Mar PM OR Th-12Mar AM

1/A2

Intro to: Crew Roles / Y1 Camera / Shot Sizes CAMERA WORKSHOP (hands on)

1/A3

Intro to: Composition / Operating CAMERA WORKSHOP

Tues-17Mar PM OR Th-19Mar AM

1/A4

Tues-24Mar PM OR Th-26Mar AM Tues-31Mar PM OR Th-2Apr AM

1/A5

DW DW

Intro to: Camera Protocols Timecode, Slating, Camera Logs, the Set Calls CAMERA WORKSHOP

DW

Intro to Lighting and Lights, Shadows and the Cutter. CAMERA WORKSHOP

AL

Bringing it all together - Camera, Lighting and Set Protocols: CAMERA WORKSHOP – Practice for Formative Assessment

1/A6 DW

Written Test

Mon-6Apr 10:30am Tues-7Apr PM OR Th-9Apr AM

1/A7

Formative Assessment

DW

Mid-semester break 1-MINUTE EXERCISE SILENT EXERCISE INTERVIEW PORTRAITS Mon-25May PM OR Tues-26May PM

1/ B1 AL & DW

1st half: One Test Case Team for Mock Assessment w/ stop-start comments; 2nd half: Portraits lecture / demo

Required / Recommended Items REQUIRED TEXT Thompson, Roy, Grammar of the Shot, Focal Press, 1998 - ISBN: 978-0-240-51398-0

RECOMMENDED TEXTS Ballinger, Alex, New Cinematographers, Collins Design, 2004 Giannetti, Louis, Understanding Movies, 10th Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2004

REQUIRED ITEM USB Flash Drive – at least 1GB You need to be able to take DIGITAL STILL PHOTOS (if you don’t have a dedicated camera, a phone will suffice) and get selected pictures onto the Flash Drive – hopefully in JPEG format. If this is a challenge for you, please see Dan.

24909880.doc