Pasa 7272 Cinematography 3b Course Outline

COURSE OUTLINE

BPSA THEATRE, FILM & TELEVISION 2008

PASA 7272 CINEMATOGRAPHY 3B Level 7

Course No. PASA7272

Course Name Cinematography 3B

Credits 15

Course Coordinator Dan Wagner - [email protected] Teaching Staff Dan Wagner - [email protected] Alan Locke - [email protected] Guests 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 Outline Goal The goal of this semester is to bring together your prior learning to enable you to shoot your Y3 Short Film at the maximum level of skill, craftsmanship and artistry you’re capable of, and; to solidify your viability as a crew-member (Camera Assistant, Lighting Assistant, Grip Assistant) as you prepare to enter the market.

Content The first main thrust of this semester is, of course, your graduate SHORT FILM. Coursework leading up to this project will build on prior learning, exercising major skillsets (which synthesise individual skills into a whole greater than the sum of its parts). After the shoot, and a copious debrief, we’ll begin touching down by addressing some of the contexts through which you might enter the market. This includes a high-powered jumpstart to your speedy and proficient crew skills – which is the intention you’ll bring to both the ACTING SHORT FILM project and your supportive crewing of the YEAR 2 SHORT FILMS . It also includes a look outward at some of the specialties you’ve been developing and/or asking about: we’ll visit both a lighting and a grip rental house, we’ll do one final tough focus-pulling exercise, and we’ll go back to Panavision for a film camera-building and mag-loading session.

Course Aims and Learning Outcomes Course aim: To enable students to consolidate a body of advanced theories, concepts and techniques relating to specialised creative practice and to articulate a personal voice for cinematography.

Learning Outcomes: On completion of the course you will be able to: 1. Employ sophisticated creative, technical and managerial skills whilst running a specialist department on a short narrative film 2. Employ discipline specific professional behaviour and practices

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COURSE OUTLINE

BPSA THEATRE, FILM & TELEVISION 2008

Course Assessments and Due Dates Weighting

Nature of assessment

40%

Assignment 1 (DP: Y3 Short Film)

40%

Assignment 2 (Gaffer: Y2 Short Films)

20%

Assignment 3 (Professional Conduct)

Learning Outcomes

Due Date

1

8th September

1, 2

10th November

2

17th November

Class Schedule Wed-23Jul AM

3/C1

DW

Th-24Jul PM

3/C2

AL

Wed-30Jul PM

3/C3

DW

Y3SF DP Script Discussions // Y3 DP’s Plan Location as character - why choose one location over another or a given angle of a location over another angle? What's the best time of day to shoot a given scene and why?

Advanced Exposure - Review H&D curve, sensitometry, meter use. // Exercise: Our own exposure test: Greyscale and Grey Towel Tests; the waveform monitor. How the 900's interpret light. Exercise: shooting a face with varying contrast ratios (using the above information).

Wed-6Aug AM

3/C4

DW

Scene Emulation - students pick shots from films and as a class analyse and replicate them

Shots - Different approaches to making a shot, venturing beyond the obvious. Tues-12Aug AM

3/C5

AL

Th-14Aug AM

3/C6

AL

Making compelling choices. Each shot presents a rich opportunity to visually convey an emotional landscape. This class is about structuring the photography of each scene by employing a purposeful combination of lens choice, proxemics, depth, movement, light and shadow.

Specific Y3SF Issues // Emulate Director’s film references YEAR 3 SHORT FILMS

Mon-8Sep PM

3/C7

DW/AL

Th-11Sep AM

3/C8

DW

View & Discuss Rushes [Acting Short Film prep class] - Occurring 2 days after the preprod meeting for this project, this class will focus on the challenges posed by the project. We’ll also strive to formulate a unified look for the film, as you will rotate as DP’s. Exercise and discussion.

ACTING SHORT FILM TERM BREAK Tues-14Oct AM

3 / D1

Wed-16OctPM

3 / D2

DW

Final Focus Exercise (or field trip, if scheduling is best for it here) [field trip] YEAR 2 SHORT FILMS

Th-13Nov AM

3 / D3

[field trip]

Mon-17Nov PM

3 / D4

[field trip]

Fri-21Nov PM

3 / D5

[field trip]

Field Trip Possibilities (depending on availability of these):

Cine Stuff (lighting rental house) The Dolly Shop Panavision (learning to load as many types of mags as we can get our hands on) (a working film set)

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COURSE OUTLINE

BPSA THEATRE, FILM & TELEVISION 2008

Required & Recommended Items REQUIRED TEXT Cinematography: Theory and Practise – Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors and Videographers, Blain Brown, Focal Press, 2002 ISBN: 978-0-240-80500-9

REQUIRED ITEMS (same as last semester – you’d better have these by now!) Staedler Lumocolor Non-Permanent Universal Pens You want the Fine (316WP4) or the Superfine (311WP4). You want the pack of 4. Torch http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=57 [some sort of small torch – doesn’t have to be this brand] Space Blanket http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=31 USB flash drive at least 1GB

RECOMMENDED READING Ballinger, Alex, New Cinematographers, Collins Design, 2004 Elkins, David D., The camera assistant’s manual, 2nd Edition, Focal Press, Boston, 1996 Giannetti, Louis, Understanding Movies, 10th Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2004 Hines, William E., Operating cinematography for film and video: a professional and practical guide,

Ed Venture

Films Books, 1997

Malkiewicz, Kris, Cinematography: a guide for film makers and film teachers, 2nd Edition, Ward, Peter, Picture composition for film and television, Focal Press, Boston, 1996

Simon & Schuster, 1992

Also: see Blackboard for more RECOMMENDED READING

RECOMMENDED ITEMS [not necessary to purchase from HPS – these web pages are for reference]

Fiberglass Tape Measure http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=34 Tool Pouch http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=303 Ditty Bag http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1011 Work Gloves http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=975

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