Module Information
Module Identifier
FM20240
Module Title
Film Craft
Academic Year
2020/2021
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)
Other Staff
Course Delivery
Assessment
Due to Covid-19 students should refer to the module Blackboard pages for assessment details
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Creative Portfolio (1500 word Essay) | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Short Film (Individual, 2-6 min) | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Creative Portfolio (1500 word essay (including self- and peer evaluation); evaluation of practical skill (assessed from craft specific work(s) done in other modules, as well as in during workshop and practical sessions.); and art work (interdisciplinary)) | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Short Film (Skill-specific short film (Individual, 2-6 min) or presentation (Production Designers)) | 25% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Creative Portfolio (1500 word essay; practical work) Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module | 25% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Short Film (Short film (2-6 min) Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module | 25% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Creative Portfolio (2000 word essay (including self- and peer evaluation); evaluation of practical skill (assessed from the craft specific work(s) done in other modules, as well as in during workshop and practical sessions.); and art work (interdisciplinary)) Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module | 25% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Short Film (Skill-specific short film (Individual, 2-6 min) or presentation) Students must take elements of assessments equivalent to those that lead to failure of the module | 25% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Determine how filmmakers communicate and innovate through film craft;
Synthesise practical concepts, processes, and terminology specific to their specialist role;
Engage in aesthetic and stylistic enquiry through practice.
Manage independent and collaborative practical projects to successful completion;
Apply visual and aural filmmaking techniques to realise a critically located personal vision;
Effectively utilise creative problem solving in a variety of film production situations.
Brief description
This module explores filmmaking from the perspective of the technical craft of filmmaking. Screenings and lectures will demonstrate how filmmakers from a broad range of positions and practices have pushed the boundaries of film form. Combining theory and practice, workshops will provide hands-on exploration of the film crafts of Cinematography, Production Design / Art Direction, Sound Design, and Postproduction (Editing, VFX and Colour Grading) to allow students to explore the aural and visual aspects of film language.
At the end of the first semester, after gathering a thorough introduction to these craft skills, students will choose two preferred craft skills to concentrate on during the second semester. The available skills paths are: Cinematography, Production Design / Art Direction, Sound Design, Postproduction (Editing, VFX, Colour Grading). Towards the end of the second semester students will select one of these chosen skill paths to be assessed on.
At the end of the first semester, after gathering a thorough introduction to these craft skills, students will choose two preferred craft skills to concentrate on during the second semester. The available skills paths are: Cinematography, Production Design / Art Direction, Sound Design, Postproduction (Editing, VFX, Colour Grading). Towards the end of the second semester students will select one of these chosen skill paths to be assessed on.
Content
The module will build on the fundamentals of film aesthetics and filmmaking through screenings, lectures and seminars as well as studio and on-location workshops. Students will have the opportunity to gain fluency in image and sound creation as well as editorial construction.
In the first semester, a series of weekly lectures will provide an arena for film screenings, for debate about the films viewed, texts read, and projects planned and made by the students. The presentations given in the lectures cover the theoretical aspects of all the above mentioned craft skills, complemented by a screening of a film related to them.
Lecture subjects by week:
- Moving the image
- Shoot it! (Cinematography)
- Vision made of ... (Cinematography)
- Look of a Film (Production Design)
- Sounds like it Audio)
- The Cut (Editing)
- Beyond the Real (VFX)
- The Power of Red, Green and Blue (Colour Grading)
- How it’s Done
- What we’ve Done
In the first semester a series of weekly seminar / workshops will provide students with an in-depth introduction to the various craft skills. These sessions will be connected to the subjects introduced during the lectures, providing a mixture of primarily practical sessions with some seminar-style sessions. At the end of the first semester, students will choose two preferred craft skills to concentrate on during the workshops in the second semester.
A series of fortnightly studio workshops will provide students with an opportunity to increase their practical skills and will provide a testing ground for their implementation. Prior to each studio session, students will sign up for a crew position and carry out all the necessary preproduction tasks, such as script, floor-plan, shot-list, lighting-plan, props, etc. Students will then shoot a 3-5 shot sequence during the scheduled workshop session. After the sequence has been shot, the students who signed up for postproduction role will complete the work. The completed pieces will be screened and discussed/critiqued in lecture and workshop sessions. Students will be expected to undertake independent work beyond the scheduled teaching time to successfully complete the tasks required.
Staff and peer feedback is an integral part of the learning experience; in-class workshopping and one-to-one tutorials will offer a supportive and collegiate environment in which to share student work and solve creative and practical problems. Students will be expected to document, and critically reflect upon, their learning experience and work-in-progress.
In the first semester, a series of weekly lectures will provide an arena for film screenings, for debate about the films viewed, texts read, and projects planned and made by the students. The presentations given in the lectures cover the theoretical aspects of all the above mentioned craft skills, complemented by a screening of a film related to them.
Lecture subjects by week:
- Moving the image
- Shoot it! (Cinematography)
- Vision made of ... (Cinematography)
- Look of a Film (Production Design)
- Sounds like it Audio)
- The Cut (Editing)
- Beyond the Real (VFX)
- The Power of Red, Green and Blue (Colour Grading)
- How it’s Done
- What we’ve Done
In the first semester a series of weekly seminar / workshops will provide students with an in-depth introduction to the various craft skills. These sessions will be connected to the subjects introduced during the lectures, providing a mixture of primarily practical sessions with some seminar-style sessions. At the end of the first semester, students will choose two preferred craft skills to concentrate on during the workshops in the second semester.
A series of fortnightly studio workshops will provide students with an opportunity to increase their practical skills and will provide a testing ground for their implementation. Prior to each studio session, students will sign up for a crew position and carry out all the necessary preproduction tasks, such as script, floor-plan, shot-list, lighting-plan, props, etc. Students will then shoot a 3-5 shot sequence during the scheduled workshop session. After the sequence has been shot, the students who signed up for postproduction role will complete the work. The completed pieces will be screened and discussed/critiqued in lecture and workshop sessions. Students will be expected to undertake independent work beyond the scheduled teaching time to successfully complete the tasks required.
Staff and peer feedback is an integral part of the learning experience; in-class workshopping and one-to-one tutorials will offer a supportive and collegiate environment in which to share student work and solve creative and practical problems. Students will be expected to document, and critically reflect upon, their learning experience and work-in-progress.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | Students will be engaging in team work, learning through experience and receiving feedback on the effectiveness of their own critical communication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Via independent and group work, students will learn how to make use of the available means, how to overcome obstacles, as well as how to cope with (constructive) criticism. |
| Information Technology | Students will be making film work using digital media technologies competently and appropriately. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will be using the Portfolio as an effective working tool for academic and career development and reflection. Students will evaluate and analyse their own work and that of their peers with reflexivity and consideration. |
| Problem solving | Students will be challenged with both practical and theoretical problems and then engaging in individual and group activities to solve these problems. |
| Research skills | Students will think analytically, researching in both practical and intellectual contexts, developing distinctive skills as a practitioner-theorist. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will be able to make film work to an increasingly professional standard in their chosen craft. |
| Team work | Students will extensively be engaged in teamwork not only during seminars and workshops, but also in their assignment projects, gaining knowledge and experience in team co-ordination and organization. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5