Module Information

It seems to me unlikely that any important portraits will ever be painted again. Portraits, that is to say in the sense of portraiture we now understand it. I can imagine multi-medium memento-sets devoted to the character of particular individuals. But these will have nothing to do with the works now in the National Portrait Gallery.
John Berger 1969

Character and character development is a significant dynamic in documentary story telling. This module - delivered through a combination of seminars, workshops and screenings - explores the complexities of modern individuals and how to create innovative filmic portraits of them. Rather than profile a character in terms of how the world sees them, in this module students will explore research skills and methods to create filmic portraits in which every individual is able to describe what they want the world to know and understand about themselves, expressing their aims, ambitions and desires.

Students on this module will be exposed to different ideas about portraiture, through an examination and discussion of relevant paintings, photographs and films. They will discover different ways to approach the subject of a portrait, by developing their awareness of conversation and interviews, looking and listening.

During the first half of the semester students will work on and discuss several short exercises in which the camera and microphone will not simply be used as recording devices, but as microscopes through which otherwise unseen and unheard dynamics of character can be uncovered.

During the second half of the semester students will each make a ten minute filmic portrait which attempts to evoke an intimate portrait of a character. During this production, weekly seminars and tutorials will encourage students to place the work produced within a critical context. The aim is to exhibit these portraits in public spaces and accumulate a ‘gallery’ of portraits for and about Wales


Throughout this module all students will workshops to develop advanced technical skills in operating a video camera, recording sound and using non-linear editing software.

Character and character development is a significant dynamic in documentary story telling.

This practice-based module - delivered through a combination of seminars, workshops and screenings - explores the complexities of modern individuals and how to create innovative filmic portraits of them. Students will discover different ways to approach the subject of a portrait, by developing their awareness of conversation and interviews, looking and listening.

It seems to me unlikely that any important portraits will ever be painted again. Portraits, that is to say in the sense of portraiture we now understand it. I can imagine multi-medium memento-sets devoted to the character of particular individuals. But these will have nothing to do with the works now in the National Portrait Gallery. John Berger 1969

Each student will each make an innovative, ten minute, filmic portrait which attempts to evoke an intimate portrait of a character. During this production, weekly seminars and tutorials will encourage students to place the work produced within a critical context of audio-visual and textual arts.

The aim of this module is that all the portraits will be exhibited in public spaces and will accumulate as a ‘gallery’ of portraiture for and about Wales

The module is delivered over a 10-week teaching period through a series of seminars, tutorials and technical workshops. A field trip to the National Portrait Gallery and the Sir John Soane’s Museum is part of the module.

For the final and assessed project in this module each student will be asked make a 10-inute video portrait and a 2500 word paper which offers a critical analysis of the video essay produced and the process of making it.

WEEK 1 - Interview, Testimony and Conversation
Introduction to module
Screen and discuss ‘a sketchbook for The Library Van’ (Koppel, 2006)
‘The Fog of War’ (Morris, 2003)
Discussion and workshop : Interview, Testimony and Conversation.
Workshop : Lighting a character for single camera interview
Set project : one interview around the subject ‘food’.


WEEK 2 – Associative Images
View and discuss interview project
Screen and discuss ‘Black Sun’ (Tarn, 2005)
‘Lift’ (Isaacs, 2002)
Set project – associative images
Workshop: Sound editing


WEEK 3 – Observing Work
View and discuss associative images project
Screen and discuss ‘La Ville Louvre’ (Philibert, 1990)
‘In the Dark’ (Dvortsevoy, 2004)
Set project 3 – Work Project
Workshop : advanced sound and radio microphones


WEEK 4 – Portrait Project Introduction
View and discuss work project
Screen and discuss ‘Zidane – A 21st Century Portrait’ (Gordon, Parreno 2006)
Introduce Portrait Project


WEEK 5
Tutorials – filming Portrait Film
Workshop –camera and location sound surgery

WEEK 6
Tutorials – filming Portrait Film
Workshop –camera and location sound surgery

WEEK 7
Tutorials – edit Portrait Film
Workshop – editing surgery

WEEK 8
Tutorials – edit Portrait Film
Workshop – editing surgery

WEEK 9
Tutorials – edit Portrait Film
Workshop – editing surgery

WEEK 10
Tutorials – edit Portrait Film
§Workshop – editing surgery


FIELD TRIP
National Portrait Gallery, London:
Tour of select paintings and photographs exploring a broad history of portraiture
Exercise to create a written portrait.

Sir John Soane’s Museum, London:
Exploration of the museum – treating the building and its contents as a ‘self portrait’ of Sir John Soane