SYLLABUS. Art/Film S144: Cinematic Storytelling in Prague. May 31 - June 26, 2015

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1 SYLLABUS Art/Film S144: Cinematic Storytelling in Prague May 31 - June 26, 2015 Meetings: Instructors: Contact: Monday-Friday, 9:00/10:00-17:00/18:00, Locations TBA (please see Google Calendar for updated meeting times and locations) For Yale: Jon Andrews For FAMU: Pavel Jech, Michal Bregant, Zuzana Wienerová, David Jařab, Jakub Kudláč, Bára Kopecká, Michael Gahut Yale: Jon Andrews, jon.andrews@yale.edu, phone TBA FAMU: Žaneta Cagasková, zaneta.cagaskova@famu.cz, phone TBA Program description: An intensive, hands-on exploration of the theory, tools and techniques of narrative filmmaking offered jointly by Yale and FAMU, the national film and television academy of the Czech Republic. The program comprises two distinct but complementary parts: a Yale seminar, in which students learn the fundamental principles and techniques of cinematic storytelling via readings, screenings, discussions and weekly creative exercises; and a workshop, offered by FAMU, in which students expand and apply the knowledge acquired in the seminar in hands-on workshops and the production of two group projects: an observational documentary and a fiction film. Grading: Grades for the Yale course will be calculated as follows. For each creative exercise, the student will receive two grades: a group grade for the overall quality of the completed exercise and an individual grade for the quality of the student s work in the role to which he or she was assigned (director, cinematographer, or sound mixer): Weekly quizzes: 20% Exercises, group grades: 25% Exercises, individual grades: 25% Collaboration/participation: 30% Grades for the FAMU workshop will be calculated according to FAMU s formula, but when transferred to Yale all passing grades will be simplified to TR (for transfer credit). Required reading: Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film & DV Production, by Mick Hurbis-Cherrier, ISBN , MSRP $58.95 ($34.81 from Amazon, free as an online resource via Yale Library with VPN connection) Required equipment: External hard drive with USB connector and minimum 250GB free space (Toshiba, G-Drive or Western Digital drives recommended for reliability) Recommended ios applications: Cadrage director s viewfinder, $10.99 Cinemeter/Cinemeter II, $5/$20 Sun Surveyor Lite, free Pocket Lightmeter/myLightMeter Free, free

2 LIST OF EXERCISES FOR THE YALE SEMINAR: All creative exercises will be completed by groups of three students, which will be assigned at the start of the program. In the case of the Simple Silent Scene and the Cinematic Storytelling Documentary, students will collaborate without being assigned to specific production roles. For the other creative exercises, the roles of director, cinematographer and sound mixer will rotate among the three group members, so each member serves once in each role. Editing will be done by the group. Simple Silent Scene: A short dramatic scene shot and edited on 16mm film, comprising no more than 10 shots and featuring one or two characters, a close up and a point-of-view shot. Roles: none. Simple Sound Scene: A short dramatic scene shot and edited on digital video, comprising no more than 10 shots and using sound as a narrative device. Park Bench Scene: A 1-2 minute dramatic scene shot and edited on digital video, comprising no more than 20 shots, following the conventions of the continuity style of staging and editing and featuring one or two characters, a park bench and a problem. Location Scene: A 2-3 minute dramatic scene shot and edited on digital video, comprising no more than 30 shots, featuring two to three characters, a slow pursuit and a strong sense of place and mood. Cinematic Storytelling Documentary: A 2-3 minute film, shot and edited on digital video, documenting the student experience of the Cinematic Storytelling in Prague program.

3 PROGRAM SCHEDULE: (Yale meetings/assignments in blue) Sunday, May 31 9:30-17:00: Students arrive at CET apartments, Veverkova 25, Prague 7 17:00-19:00: Walking tour of Mala Strana with Zuzana Wienerova 19:00: Welcome dinner (location TBA) Read Voice & Vision, chapters 8, 10 and 12. Monday, June 1 10:00-11:00: Workshop: The Film Camera (Jon Andrews) 11:00-13:30: Exercise: Simple Silent Scene (Jon Andrews) 13:30-14:30: Lunch break 14:30-17:00 Screening at Kino Ponrepo (with Michal Bregant, director of the Czech National Film Archive) Read Voice & Vision, chapters 9, 13, 15 and 16. Tuesday, June 2 10:00-11:00: Workshop: Seeing the Light (Jon Andrews) 11:00-12:00: Workshop: The Digital Cinema Camera (Jon Andrews) 13:00-14:00: Workshop: Digital Sound Recording (Jon Andrews) 14:00-17:00: Exercise: Simple Sound Scene (Jon Andrews) Read Voice & Vision Chapters 1-4. Finish shooting your Simple Sound Scene if necessary. Begin documenting your activities for the Cinematic Storytelling Documentary exercise. Wednesday, June 3 10:00-11:00: Seminar: Introduction to Czech Language and Culture (Zuzana Wienerová) 11:00-12:00: Lunch break 12:00-15:00: Lecture: Writing the Dramatic Scene (with Pavel Jech, dean of FAMU) 15:00-17:00: Seminar: Acting for Film (David Jařab) Thursday, June 4 9:00-10:00: Seminar: Introduction to Czech Language and Culture (Zuzana Wienerová)

4 10:00-12:00: Seminar: Sound in Cinema (Jakub Kudláč) 13:00-15:00: Lecture: Writing the Dramatic Scene (Pavel Jech) 15:00-18:00: Workshop: Fascination with Prague (Bára Kopecká) Friday, June 5 10:00-11:00: Seminar: Introduction to Czech Language and Culture (Zuzana Wienerová) 11:00-12:00: Lunch break 13:00-15:00: Lecture: Writing the Dramatic Scene (Pavel Jech) 15:00-18:00: Workshop: Fascination with Prague (Bára Kopecká) Monday, June 8 10:00-13:00: Workshop: Film Editing (Jon Andrews) 13:00-14:30: Lunch Break 14:30-17:00 Screening at Kino Ponrepo (Michal Bregant) Read Voice & Vision chapters 20 & 21 and write a 1-2 minute dramatic scene featuring: one or two characters a park bench a problem Tuesday, June 9 10:00-12:00: Workshop: Digital Video Editing (Jon Andrews) 13:00-14:00: Seminar: The Continuity Style of Staging & Editing (Jon Andrews) 14:00-17:00: Exercise: Park Bench Scene (Jon Andrews) Read Voice & Vision chapters 5-7 and Transfer, log and sync the files for your Park Bench Scene and be prepared to edit on Monday, June 15. Wednesday, June 10 9:00-10:00: Seminar: Introduction to Czech Language and Culture (Zuzana Wienerová) 10:00-12:00: Lecture: Directing (David Jařab) 13:00-15:00: Seminar: Editing (Bára Kopecká) 15:00-18:00: Workshop: Lighting the Dramatic Scene (Michael Gahut)

5 Thursday, June 11 9:00-10:00: Seminar: Introduction to Czech Language and Culture (Zuzana Wienerová) 10:00-12:00: Lecture: Directing (David Jařab) 13:00-15:00: Seminar: Acting for Film (David Jařab) 15:00-18:00: Workshop: Mentored production of Classical Scenes (Michael Gahut) Friday, June 12 10:00-11:00: Seminar: Introduction to Czech Language and Culture (Zuzana Wienerová) 11:00-12:00: Lunch break 12:00-17:00: Workshop: Sound Exercise (Jakub Kudláč) Monday, June 15 10:00-12:00: Workshop: Editing the Dramatic Scene (Jon Andrews) 13:00-13:45: Seminar: Place, Character, Plot (Jon Andrews) 13:45-14:30: Workshop: The Location Scout (Jon Andrews) 14:30-17:00: Screening at Kino Ponrepo (Michal Bregant) Write a 2-3 minute dramatic scene featuring: two or three characters a single, accessible location a slow pursuit Scout your location and bring photos & notes to class on Tuesday. Tuesday, June 16 10:00-12:00: Workshop: Pre-visualization & Production Planning (Jon Andrews) 13:00-17:00: Exercise: The Location Scene (Jon Andrews) Read Voice & Vision chapters Transfer, log and sync the files for your Location Scene and be prepared to edit on Monday, June 22. Wednesday, June 17 10:00-12:00: Seminar: Sound in Cinema (Jakub Kudláč)

6 13:00-17:00: Seminar: Sound in Cinema (Jakub Kudláč) Thursday, June 18 10:00-17:00: Mentored production of Final Projects Friday, June 19 10:00-15:00: Mentored post-production of Final Projects 15:00-17:00: Workshop: Introduction to Sound Editing and Mixing (Jakub Kudláč) Monday, June 22 10:00-13:00: Workshop: Editing the Location Scene (Jon Andrews) 13:00-14:30: Lunch break. 14:30-17:00: Screening at Kino Ponrepo (Michal Bregant) Tuesday, June 23 10:00-12:00: Workshop: Editing the Cinematic Storytelling Documentary (Jon Andrews) 13:00-16:00: Workshop: Editing the Cinematic Storytelling Documentary (Jon Andrews) 16:00-17:00: Workshop: Finishing and Output (Jon Andrews) Wednesday, June 24 10:00-12:00: Workshop: Presentation and critique of final project rough cuts 13:00-17:00: Workshop: Low Budget Location Lighting (Michael Gahut) Thursday, June 25 10:00-17:00: Mentored post-production of final projects Friday, June 26 10:00-14:00: Independent post-production of all projects 16:00-18:00: Final screening 18:00-20:00: Farewell dinner (location TBA)