104232 - CINEMATOGRAPHIC DIRECTION TECHNIQUES

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Maddalena Fedele

Trimester: Third term

Credits: 4

The subject belongs to the field of image, technique and content creation.

The various topics covered in the course are designed to train students to learn and deepen the audiovisual narrative with a fixed camera or with movement either in dialogues with various characters or with follow-up.

The subject enables them to work in groups, solve problems with initiative, create their own content according to an audiovisual narrative and know how to work with a professional video camera.

At the end of the course the student must be able to:

- Work professionally on video techniques based on the characteristics of the recording.

- To acquire theoretical-practical knowledge of the different technological and narrative tools when recording an audiovisual product.

- Know how to work in a team and fulfill a specific role within the production company that allows the audiovisual product to be developed to be managed with maximum efficiency.

- Develop their work efficiently when carrying out an audiovisual project.

The theoretical concepts will be presented in class by the teacher. In the same way, practical exercises will be solved that illustrate the theory to generate a debate in the classroom with the participation of the students.

In the practical activities the manipulation of the audiovisual material will be carried out. Practices are a fundamental part of the classes, as they serve to show in a tangible and direct way the theoretical concepts taught in class. The internships will increase their level of complexity and consequently, the requirement in their quality and in their delivery time will be affected. Therefore, the commitment on the part of the students when delivering the audiovisual materials on time is basic.

Content title 1: Introduction to staging

Description: This content works:

• 1.1 Introduction to staging
• 1.2 Composition
• 1.3 Trends in contemporary cinema
• 1.4 Cuts, transitions and camera movements
• 1.5 Blocking and plant schemes
• 1.6 The technical and literary script: structure and planning
• 1.7 The connection, space and time
• 1.8 The field and the off-field.
• 1.9 Staging mechanisms: gender and morality
• 1.10 The breaking of rules

Related activities: Activity 4, Activity 5, Activity 6

Title content 2: Dialogue between two characters.
Description: This content works:

• 2.1 The principle of the triangle and its variants.
• 2.2 The axis of action and the axis jump with two or more static characters.
• 2.3 Camera positions in front of two actors.
• 2.4 Work with one or more cameras and the set

Related activities: Activity 1, Activity 4, Activity 5, Activity 6

Title content 3: Conversation between three or more characters.

Description: This content works:

• 3.1 Locations of the camera in dialogues of three characters.
• 3.2 Pivoting the camera.
• 3.3 Predominance of the center of interest.
• 3.4 Camera locations in four-character dialogues.

Related activities: Activity 2, Activity 4, Activity 5 ,, Activity 6

Title content 4: Camera positions and continuity with moving characters.

Description: This content works:

• 4.1 Links during and after the movement: Waiting plane and sustained plane.
• 4.2. Axis jumping with moving characters.
• 4.3 Ways to visualize the action
• 4.4 Staging in low cost cinema

Related activities: Activity 3, Activity 4, Activity 5, Activity 6

Activities will take place on both sets. The TCM as well as the M1TV. You will be informed of the rules to follow and the terms to carry them out. It is necessary to be punctual during the Practices in set. Lack of punctuality will not be allowed. Audiovisual projects will be delivered via e-mail with a Vimeo link on the day of delivery marked by the teacher. The emails will always have the title of the internship in addition to the components that make up the working group sorted alphabetically by their last name and the project report. Any Activity that does not comply with these rules or that is delivered outside the marked date will obtain a 0 regardless of the reason for not presenting it.

The activities written individually will take into account the spelling. A serious misconduct or several minor ones will mean not being able to get more than a 5 of maximum mark in the exercise or even to suspend it. In the works a fault will discount 0,5 points, whereas in the examination will discount 0,25. Under no circumstances will an exercise outside the delivery date set by the teacher be accepted, regardless of the student's justification. The individual activities will be delivered in paper format, or through the Moodle platform. Activities without a name or without following the established presentation delivery format will not be evaluated, and the numerical grade will be 0.

The subject will also have one Activity 0 which will take place on the first day of class as an introduction to the subject and where students will learn to use the stage and artistic direction as methods to enhance the staging. This activity will be carried out in the practical classes and will have a value of 5% of the final mark.

There will also be group work (Activity 4) of a theoretical and practical nature. The work will be related to issues of staging and narrative language and will take place during one of the theoretical sessions. It will have a value of 10% of the final grade.

The evaluation of the subject is separated between theoretical content, taught in class, and practice in the laboratory (set).

The theoretical content will be evaluated in a test (Final Exam) that will suppose 40% of the final note of the asignatura. There will also be a group work of a theoretical and practical nature. The work will be related to issues of staging and narrative language and will take place during one of the theoretical sessions. The sum of the grade for this work will be 10% of the final grade.

The practices will be scored as follows: Activity 0 will be worth 5% of the final grade; activity 1 will be worth 10% of the final grade; Activity 2 will be worth another 10% of the final grade of the subject; and finally the 3 25%. An undelivered Activity will be equivalent to a 0 of numerical mark. In the latter case, 15% will be assessed by the internship teacher and 10% by the theory teacher.

Apart from the activities mentioned, there will be a voluntary option that will consist of presenting a project at the Calella Film Festival. Those who participate in the contest will receive an extra 5% on their grade.

To be able to average, the mark of the theoretical exam must be at least a 5. In case of failing the subject, the recovery will consist of a theoretical exam of all the content of the subject that will average with the average grade of the practices. The minimum grade to average with the practice must be a 5. Only those students who have taken the final exam can qualify for the recovery.

In case of going to recovery, the minimum mark of the exam to average with the practices will have to be of a 5, otherwise the subject will be suspended. The internship grade will not be saved from one course to another.

Summing up:

Activity 0 (Scenario): 5% of the grade.

Activity 1 (Dialogue 2 characters): 10% of the grade.

Activity 2 (Dialogue 3 characters): 10% of the grade.

Activity 3 (Pursuit): 25% of the grade.

Activity 4 (Group work in the theoretical class): 10% of the mark.

Activity 5 (Calella): + 5% extra.

Activity 6 (Final Exam): 40% of the mark.

Total: 10%+10%+25%+10%+40%+5%=100% (+5%)

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