104810 - CINEMATOGRAPHIC DIRECTION

Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Rafael Suarez Gómez

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

The optional subject "Film Direction" is carried out throughout the second term and has 4 hours of theory and 2 theory of practices per week. However, the nature of the subject is fundamentally practical and aims to deepen the student's understanding of what film direction means as an expression of an idea based on creative choices. We work from the search for the idea to shoot to a first version of the montage, through the writing and analysis of the different technical-artistic departments (art, photography, direction of actors…).  

The aim of the course is to make short films in groups, with a clear and well-communicated idea. The subject wants to help students to become people with expressive capacity, stimulating their creativity with various activities, some of a more technical nature and others linked to theory, more reflective and conceptual, with a special emphasis on the character. intimate, honest and personal of the projects that are developed.

The course is divided into two parts, theory and practice, which will be developed in parallel. The first will deal with technical issues about the different expressive possibilities offered by the film departments and how to apply them to our projects. All this from a practical point of view and applied from activities. 

The second is, in practice, a workshop in which short film projects will be developed for groups for later realization. Students will be organized into groups that will start from day one to develop the fundamental idea of ​​the projects. The short films that will be made will emerge from this initial phase. The students will be integrated in this way in a work group, of between 4 and 5 people, in which they will assume the responsibility of a determined department (art, photography etc…) to carry out the short film, that already from the beginning will have to have a minimum format, a clear concept and concrete and realistic possibilities of performance.

Both in practice and in theory a part of directing actors is included to help the student in his process of casting and dealing with the performers in the face of filming.

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19.
In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.

LO1-Work in a team and autonomously in the development of an audiovisual product, assuming the roles within the group.

LO2-Understand the technical and aesthetic elements needed to achieve the proposed emotional impact.

LO3-Stimulate and discover their abilities to relate to the professional world

LO4-Consolidate knowledge about audiovisual narrative and the language of fiction.

LO5-Develop the student's creativity.

COMPLEMENTARY:

RAC1 Understand the conceptual meaning of film direction.

RAC2 Position oneself in the role of director at a practical level.

RAC3 To know the narrative and aesthetic options of cinema, as well as their evolution.

RAC4 Open the creative perspective to a new individual who is more sensitive and willing to express himself. 

RAC5 Familiarize with management methodology and decision making. 

RAC6 Understand communicative language with actors. 

RAC7 Know the operation of casting processes. 

General of the subject

Count with two related parts: theory and practice (short film creation workshop). Both find their common goal in the realization of the final short film project. Within both parts is the area of ​​direction of actors, which has both practical and theoretical content.

Film direction is a subject organized from theoretical sessions in which the teacher will present the contents and students will actively participate through activities (directed learning). The design of the subject also incorporates autonomous learning in the development of the stages of the project and realization of the short film of the practical workshop. 

All the content of the subject is organized based on activities and the teacher-student dialogue.  All the activities will start from the classroom but many of them will raise a reflection that must have continuity outside it.

The subject is structured in 4h / week of theory sessions and 2h / week of short film creation workshop sessions. Attendance at the practical sessions is 100% mandatory and in the theoretical ones it is 80%.

The calendar of the subject will be marked from the beginning, so that the contents of the subject take place at the right time so that the development of the short film is benefited. It will begin with introductions to the creative universe and then move on to more technical sections: basic rules of audiovisual narrative, the different styles by department, planning and technical script and dramatic reading of texts. All this in parallel with the development of scripts in the short film development workshop. 

Once the scripts are closed, the subject will go into directing actors with a first approach in which the different schools and theatrical techniques will be known before being able to put them into practice. Students will be taught to become familiar with the treatment of performers, clearly convey the concepts to them, and make them a key tool for film direction.

We will finally move on to the filming phase and overseeing a first version of the montage.

Specific to the short film creation workshop

In a first phase, the student will be introduced to the concepts of empathy, conflict and sincerity individually.

Later students will be divided into working groups to develop short film projects from well-defined coordinates.

Each week, progress will be made in the content and form of the project in order to comply with the creation phases. A closed schedule will mark the closing moments of the synopsis, the literary script, the casting, and the technical script with the ultimate goal of reaching the stipulated filming date with minimal guarantees. Subsequently, there will be a margin of time to be able to follow the edition until a first version of the assembly.

The areas of directing actors and casting will be marked on the calendar and will take place once the scripts are closed.  

You will learn how to make a casting and how to carry it out given the needs of the projects.

The student will also learn, from practical exercises in the classroom with an actor / actress, the appropriate language to relate to the performers and will be able to simulate what the character of his project will mean before filming.  

Each student will have a marked role in the project and will have to defend their department in the short film project. The roles to be developed will be at least: director, assistant director, director of photography, art direction, production, editing and sound.

Specific to the theoretical area

There will be classes in which to delve into the concept of leadership. From viewings and exercises in the classroom (with continuity outside it) will shape the role of the director as a transmitter, as a communicator of ideas. What elements does the director have at his disposal to convey his ideas? Through viewings, activities and teacher-student dialogue, we will clarify this issue. All of them concepts that will help the student to make the right decisions for the shooting of his project.

As for the direction of actors, the different schools and interpretive techniques that can later be applied in the projects will be analyzed.

This course, due to the situation generated by COVID, some of the large group sessions will be held in hybrid format: face-to-face and online (via streaming). This will allow students to rotate to face-to-face classes, respecting the maximum number of students per classroom imposed by the distance measures. When they are not in contact, they will be able to follow the class online from home.
 
With regard to internship sessions in smaller spaces (such as laboratories, studios or sets), where appropriate, work will be carried out simultaneously in several spaces in order to ensure that the conditions established by the safety protocols are met.

THEORY

Luis de Sola (direction) and Carlota Frisón (direction of actors)

Theoretical and technical introduction to the concept of management

1. The profession of film director based on an etymological and historical reading.
2. Cinema and spectator. The principle of empathy. The point of view.
3. The nature of the film and the basic elements that make it up. The image and the sound.
4. Time and space in choreography.
5. Staging and / or staging.
6. The laws of cinematic language: axis, angles, Raccord, steps...
7. Photography: lights, shadows and colors.
8. The shooting. Structure and operating criteria.
9. Editing, the true invention of cinema
10. Assembly theory and technique
11. Acting: schools and acting techniques (Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Meisner, Grotowski, Lepage, Meyerhold, Lecog, Brook, Artaud, Brecht, Boal and Barba).
12. Introduction to the nomenclature of interpretation, fundamental concepts: feeling, listening, imagination, energy and risk. 
13. The importance of the adjective and the verb. The body.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Luis de Sola (direction) and Carlota Frisón (direction of actors)

Short film development workshop

1. The idea, tools to find and develop it.
2. Honesty.
3. Script principles and writing processes. The conflict.
4. storyline, synopsis, schedule and treatment.
5. The narrative style.
6. From the literary script to the technical script: cutting or scene and sequence planning.
7. Description and tasks of the different departments.
8. The shooting plan.
9. Acting: ways of approaching interpretive work. Casting, rehearsals and filming.
10. The language of the actor, how to address the professional interpreter.
11. The editing plan and supervision of the first version of the assembly.

THEORY ACTIVITIES (40%)

Activity 1: Individual theoretical exam (30%).

The level of penetration of the contents is evaluated from questions already posed from the beginning of the subject and that have relation with the own nature of the cinematographic direction. The result of the test will have a weighting of 30% on the individual final grade of the student. It is not considered that the student has to dedicate extra time outside the classroom to prepare the test but it will be difficult to pass it if he does not attend and participate in the subject. All the contents of the subject are included.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY.

Through this activity the acquisition of the results is guaranteed: all. 

Through this activity the competencies are worked: all. 

Activity 2: Exercises and participation (10%). 

These are a series of activities and exercises in class and also outside school hours, both individually and in groups, which aim to put into practice the theoretical concepts, such as: Video of the minute (INDIVIDUAL) , Frame analysis (INDIVIDUAL), Transcription of sequences (GROUP), Reading and interpretation of scripts (GROUP), The laws of audiovisual “calligraphy” (GROUP)

Through this activity the acquisition of the results is guaranteed: RA1, RA2, RA4, RA3, RA5, RAC1, RAC2, RAC3, RAC4, RAC5. 

Through this activity the competencies are worked on: G2, G4, G5, E5, E10, T2.
 

ACTIVITIES PRACTICAL PART (60%)

Activity 3: Storyline and individual pitching (5%)

Emotional opening exercise-generating gaze. Observation of reality and inner observation.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY. 

Through this activity the acquisition of the results is guaranteed: RA4, RA5, RAC1, RAC2, RAC4. 

Through this activity the competencies are worked on: G4, E5, E10. 

 

Activity 4: Creative and technical development of the short film based on the synopsis phases, literary script, location dossier (staging), technical script, etc. (40%)

Distribution of roles within the group. The final short film is worth 30% and the technical documents that will be delivered throughout the course 10%. 

GROUP ACTIVITY

Through this activity the acquisition of the results is guaranteed: all.

Through this activity the competencies are worked: all.

Activity 5: Actor management practice (5%).

Along with a professional actress, a chosen sequence of the short film they will make will be put into practice. We will work on how to address the actor / actress and the specific situations that may arise in the different processes.

GROUP ACTIVITY

Through this activity the acquisition of the results is guaranteed: RA3, RA5, RAC6.

Through this activity the competencies are worked on: G4, G2, G5, E5, T2.

Activity 6: Individual memory by role (10%)

Each person must submit a written paper about their role and tasks within the short film process.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY. 

Through this activity the acquisition of the results is guaranteed: RA1, RA2, RA5, RAC1, RAC2, RAC3, RAC4, RAC5, RAC6, RAC7. 

Through this activity the competencies are worked on: G2, E5, E10.

Depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and in the event of total confinement, all the activities provided for will be adapted to the corresponding situation, always with the aim of ensuring that they are carried out and that the competencies of the subject.

Theory (40%):

Activity 1: Individual theoretical exam (30%). Includes questions on theory, practice and direction of actors (INDIVIDUAL NOTE).

Activity 2. Exercises and participation (10%). (INDIVIDUAL NOTE).
 

Internships (60%):

Activity 3: Storyline and individual pitching (5%). (INDIVIDUAL NOTE).

Activity 4: Creative and technical development of the short film (40%). It is divided into: 30% Final result of the short film and 10% documentation. (GROUP NOTE). 

Activity 5: Actor management practice (5%). (GROUP NOTE). 

Activity 6: Individual memory by role (10%). (INDIVIDUAL NOTE).

-It is necessary to have presented the short film in order to take the final exam.

-The recovery will take the form of a short film exercise between the students involved and an individual written exam. It will never be able to surpass the 6 like final note when considering only the notes of "Final result of the short film" and "Exam". 

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