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1 Course Title IFDI/MCOM 630 Directing Drama for Film and Television Credit Hours 3.0 Semester Spring Class Time Monday Class location E2591 Instructor Name Sanghoon Lee Office E2561 Telephone Office Hours Monday 2:00pm-4:30pm and Tuesday 2:00pm-4:30pm by appointment Media Lab Location E1517 Telephone (708) Grad Assistants Robert Beshara, Jason Knade Hours 34 hours per week; consult media lab door or class notes Course Prerequisite Course Description Restriction Rationale Intended Audience: IFDI/MCOM 502 Digital Film Production or MCOM 440 Television Production or permission of instructor. IFDI/MCOM 502 or MCOM 440 may be taken concurrently. The art and craft of directing dramatic film and television productions, including exercises in critical viewing, the drafting of shot lists and storyboards. Understanding director s role such as blocking actors, shot composition, and continuity directing. None There is arguably no more influential role in the making of dramatic film and television than that served by the Director. Students who wish to work in film or broadcast media will benefit from understanding the role of the director, regardless of the creative or crew positions they may pursue in future. Students in Media Communications and Independent Film and Digital Media with a personal or professional interest in independent filmmaking or creative work in the film and television industries. Expected Student Outcomes The following are the primary student learning objectives for the M.F.A. in Independent Film and Digital Imaging: 1. Students will undertake productions in the discipline of independent film and digital imaging, in laboratory, studio, and remote production. Undertakings include the making of gallery works and feature-length (one broadcast half-hour and longer) high definition video productions. Students will engage in exercises related to conception, development, composition, producing, photography, cinematography, directing, lighting, sound recording, sound mixing, still graphic design, motion graphic design, video editing, marketing and publicity. 2. Students will develop professional skills that enable them to be considered candidates as faculty in the applied multimedia disciplines of post-secondary education, and independent digital filmmakers and artists. 3. Students will master discipline-related theory and aesthetics and demonstrate this mastery through effective written and oral presentations. 4. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and evaluative abilities as they relate to interpretations of digital photographic arts and the cinema.

2 The following expected student outcomes are assigned parenthetical numbers to show their relationship to the MFA- IFDI outcomes. Upon completion of this course students should be able to: - Analyze film and television productions and differentiate between the contributions of directors in relation to those of writers, producers, actors, art directors, cinematographers and crew. (IFDI 1,2,3,4) - Comprehend the concepts of cinematic storytelling, mise-en-scene, and recognize and interpret several different directors deployment of symbols and archetypes. (IFDI 1,2,3,4) - Create documents utilized by professional directors, including synopsis, treatment, Director s Notes, and Storyboards. (IFDI 1,2,3,4) - Perform as a director on the set by understanding director s role. (IFDI 1,2,3,4) - Recognize and interpret several different directors deployment of symbols and archetypes. (IFDI 3,4) Instructional Modalities The lecture component will explain concepts related to aesthetics of directing drama. The lecture will be immediately followed by a question and answer period and extensive discussion. In-class exercises and assignments will be carried out and assessed in an environment of constructive criticism, mutual support, and teamwork. Activities Class activity includes the coordination and supervision of film crew. In classes and in written examinations, demonstrate comprehension of the complex creative relationships between the director, producer, writer and other above-the-line personnel. Texts and Materials Test: Rabiger, Michael, Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics. Boston: Focal Press, 4 th Edition, 2007 Optional Text: Katz, Steven D., Film Directing Shot by Shot, Michael Wiese Productions, 1991 Arijon, Daniel, Grammar of the Film Language, Silman-James Press, 1976 Topical Outline / Course Content Please note: the Course Outline is subject to change during the trimester. Class 1 January 24 Class 2 January 31 Class 3 February 7 Class 4 February 14 Class 5 February 21 Discuss syllabus, course outline, rules and assignments. Select films to watch. Seminar: Who Wants to Be A Director Lecture: Film Analysis Screening: Citizen Kane (1941, B/W, 119min, Orson Welles) Lecture: Developing a Story Reading: Part 1. Artistic Identity and Drama Lecture: Visual Language Reading: Part 2. Screencraft & Part 6 Chapter 29. Mise-en-Scéne Assignment Due: Film Analysis Citizen Kane Lecture: Filmmaking Aesthetics Reading: Part 4. Aesthetics and Authorship 2

3 Class 6 February 28 Class 7 March 7 March 14 Lecture: Pre-production Activity: Casting and directing actors Reading: Part 5. Preproduction Individual meeting with instructor Screening: Psycho (1960, B/W, 109min, Alfred Hitchcock) Midterm Review Assignment Due: Scene breakdown and Shot List NO CLASS SPRING BREAK Class 8 March 21 Lecture: Production (1) Activity: Developing a crew, Shooting process Reading: Part 6. Production Class 9 March 28 Lecture: Production (2) Activity: Directing actors - blocking and acting Reading: Part 6. Production Assignment Due: Artist s Statement Class 10 April 4 Activity: Class Shooting (Group A) Class 11 April 11 Activity: Class Shooting (Group B) Class 12 April 18 Class 13 April 25 Class 14 May 2 Lecture: Postproduction Seminar: Director s role in the post-production process Reading: Part 7. Postproduction Final Review Final Exam Assignment Due: Critical Review Screening for Class Shooting Assignment Due: Class shooting assembly Assignment and Evaluation Grade Percentages Film Analysis for Citizen Kane 10% Analyze one of Hollywood classical film Citizen Kane with structural Sequence-Scene analysis. Scene Breakdown/ Shot List/ Floor Plan 10% Identify the shots and list of coverage required to build the assigned scene, and illustrate setups (Floor Plan) to the best of your ability. The script will be provided. (You may use your own script, if you wish) Artist s Statement ( words) 15% Director is artist who creates her/his own story with audio-visual medium. This is your philosophy as director. If you have made film as a director, it will be your statement/notion of your works. If you are new to directing, it will be your goal statement as a director. Directing Performance 15% The Directing assignments are remote exercises in which you will be called upon to direct performances, compose shots, and coordinate the activities of a small crew. You may also be called upon to work as a 3

4 crewmember and possibly as an actor for your group project. Each of these jobs should be performed with equal enthusiasm you are not graded solely on the work you do as director, but in these ancillary roles as well. You are evaluated for your diplomatic abilities (a key strength in any director) as much as your technical development and performance, and acknowledgment is given for helping on other students projects. Critical Review (8-15 pages) 20% Each student will research the career of an influential film director by analyzing two to five films. (8-15 pages) The following Directors are recommended for your critical viewing research paper (choose one or offer an alternate, contingent on approval by instructor): François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese, Atom Egoyan, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Jane Campion, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarentino, Robert Altman, Joel Coen, Steven Soderbergh, Tim Burton, David Cronenberg, Ang Lee, Takeshi Kitano, Jim Jarmusch, Michael Mann, Hal Hartley Final Exam 20% The examinations each consist of 30 to 50 questions. Approximately two-thirds of the questions call for short written responses; one-third of each exam is based on a time-limited, in-class expository assignment on a supplied topic related to directing. Attendance and Participation 10% See note below. Grading Policy Undergraduate Graduate A Superior Performance % % B Above average performance 80-89% 85-92% C Average performance 70-79% 77-84% D Marginal performance 65-69% 69-76% F Failure 64% and below 68% and below Advisory for graduate students: You are expected to meet a higher qualitative standard than the undergraduates enrolled in this course. You are also required to achieve an above average performance (see Grading Policy, below) with respect to assignments, examinations, and participation. Requests for Incompletes: A grade of I (for Incomplete ) is assigned and an extension may be granted only by permission of the instructor. In all courses outside of thesis projects and internships, please be aware that after an Incomplete is approved, a student s maximum attainable grade for the course will be a B or lower. Attendance and Participation Employment in the film and television production industries requires reliability and the full participation of all involved: we want to underscore this professionalism in the academic context. It should go without saying that this encompasses all personal conduct and the respectful treatment of your fellow students. Please notify the instructor at your soonest convenience after attending to an emergency that has necessitated an absence. Attendance is otherwise required in all classes. 4

5 Students are allowed 2 (two) absences or late appearances (15 minutes late or more). With the exception of emergencies, each absence or lateness thereafter will result in the drop of one letter grade. In special circumstances, a student may make arrangements to miss class by calling the instructor at least one week in advance. A student who misses a class is expected, regardless, to turn in projects that are due on or before the due date. Any missed assignments or tests cannot be made up. Your mark for participation is linked to your attendance. If you re not here, you re not participating. This grade is affected even if an absence is excused. Academic Honesty Statement: Students are expected to fulfill academic requirements in an ethical and honest manner. This expectation pertains to the following: use and acknowledgement of the ideas and work of others, submission of work to fulfill course requirements, sharing of work with other students and appropriate behavior during examinations. These ethical considerations are not intended to discourage people from studying together or from engaging in group projects. The university policy on academic honesty appears in the catalog appendix, which can be found on the website at Disability Statement: GSU is committed to providing all students equal access to all university programs and facilities. Students who have a documented physical, psychological, or learning disability and need academic accommodations, must register with Access Services for Students with Disabilities (ASSD). Please contact the Coordinator of ASSD in Room B1201 in person; by , assd@govst.edu; or by calling If you are already registered, please contact your instructor privately regarding your academic accommodations. 5