Overview

Are you someone who is wanting to begin their journey as a filmmaker or want to further develop their craft? If you are a lover of cinema and have always wanted to learn about the artistry of film form, and create a film yourself, then this course may be for you! This course will introduce you to the foundations of the film visual language and explore how you can utilize it all to achieve your creative goals. The course has been designed in such a manner, that no matter what type of filmmaking you practice (narrative, documentary, or experimental), you will be able to learn about the visual language in all forms and apply it to your own creative practice. It is important to note that this course will not include any technical instruction such as camera operation or software training but will instead focus on the creative craft and theory of filmmaking. While not required, creative film assignments will be offered in each lesson, providing opportunities to put creative concepts into practice. To complete the creative film assignments, you will need basic knowledge and experience with nonlinear editing software (such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Davinci Resolve), and access to a camera or smartphone.

Syllabus

Course Overview
The Language of Film

At the heart of film form is mise-en-scène, encompassing all of the elements within the frame of a film. In this lesson, you will immerse yourself within the elements of mise-en-scène, and apply them to your creative expression. This 'language of film' is critical for interpreting and creating films , in order for you to be an engaged viewer and filmmaker. Being able to identify, analyze, and discuss these elements and their relationship to film meaning and form will prepare you to better engage with the temporal and spatial relationships in filmmaking.

Exploring Visual Space

Film form is rooted in artistic expression through the visual language and the use of physical, imagined, and captured spaces. By utilizing the visual language through cinematography and placement of figures in space, you can convey meaning and context. In this module, you will engage with the spatial relationships in the visual language of film to expand your creative vision

Observational Filmmaking

Part of gaining mastery in the visual language of filmmaking is being able to express your creative vision through an active, observational gaze. This applies to both staged events in narrative and experimental film, as well as captured events in non-fiction filmmaking. Movements in film history, such as the Cinema Verité movement in documentary filmmaking, have further influenced how filmmakers develop and express an observational perspective in all forms for filmmaking. In this lesson, you will look at the impacts of these movements and develop skills and strategies for an observational approach to your filmmaking.

Expressing Time in Film

From the foundation of motion pictures, the film form is expressed in temporal relationships. This includes the conveying and manipulation of time through the elements of the form, including: cinematography, editing, narrative structure (or abstraction of a structure), and mise-en-scène. In this lesson, students will learn about different forms of temporal relationships, and how the use of the craft can transform viewer's perception and relationship to time. In addition, students will synthesize the knowledge learned during the course and apply it through analysis and creation of an optional final project.