104811 - DIRECTION OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND CINEMATOGRAPHY

Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Maddalena Fedele

Trimester: First term

Credits: 10

Photography and Digital Cinematography is a subject dedicated to introducing the fundamental concepts in relation to this key aspect of the cinematographic and audiovisual universe, deepening knowledge about lighting and camera, as well as assessing the technical and aesthetic aspects of any audiovisual work.

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

LO1: Work as 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: Communicate personal ideas, points of view and opinions about a given topic.

LO6: Understand the role of the art director.

LO7: Develop the student's creativity.

Complementary learning outcomes are:

RAC1: Get to know different authors, movements and key works in the direction of photography and digital cinematography. 

RAC2: Understand the different narrative elements of film photography.

RAC3: Have the ability to evaluate technical and creative resources when dealing with different types of work related to the use of light and digital capture in the audiovisual.

RAC4: Encourage the study and analysis of the audiovisual as a narrative language with the intention that the student develops his critical and stylistic capacity when developing a project or evaluating others.

RAC5: Be able to work professionally when planning an audiovisual product as a cinematographer.

The theoretical concepts will be presented in class by the teacher, where practical exercises will also be solved and audiovisual examples will be seen that illustrate the theory in order to generate a debate in class with the participation of students.
The practices are a fundamental part of the classes, as they serve to work on the theoretical concepts taught in class on cinematographic lighting and the use of digital cinematography cameras in order to be able to carry out the work that will be requested during the course. The internships will increase with increasing level of complexity and consequently the requirement in their quality and delivery time will be affected. Therefore, the commitment on the part of the students when delivering the audiovisual materials on time is basic.

The theoretical sessions are divided into two of 2 and 4 hours each. In the 4-hour sessions there will always be the presentation of a technical article and a debate in relation to it. 

The practical sessions are 4 hours each week and will consist of a lighting and camera exercise with a specific goal and parameters.

Classroom operation 

The front door will close ten minutes after the start of class and will not be accessible until after the break. The front door will close ten minutes after the end of the break. The practical classes are compulsory and it is necessary to attend a minimum of 80% to be able to be evaluated in the works of the practical part. 

Notes are not uploaded to the virtual campus. Links will be posted in relation to the required readings and viewings, as well as resources for further information.

No activity or delivery will be evaluated if it is not delivered within the established dates.

T1. Cinematographic photography direction

This content works on the position of the director of photography within the audiovisual industry, the light sources that can be used, as well as camera accessories.

1.1. Components of the department

1.2. Lighting sources

1.3. Camera: accessories, mounts and filters

T2. Work the light

This content works on the fundamental concepts for working with light in an audiovisual production.

2.1. Direction, Contrast, Texture, Color, Continuity.

2.2. Composition

T3. Image formation and control

This content works on the fundamental concepts in the technical field to control the correct capture of an audiovisual image.

3.1. The human eye and the visible spectrum

3.2. Optics: optical characteristics and concepts

3.3. Image exposure

T4. Photochemical and Digital

This content works on the most outstanding features of the two main formats for capturing a cinematic image.

4.1. The photochemical image

4.2. The digital image

T5. Pre-production of the director of photography

This content works on the basic elements for pre-production within an audiovisual product as a cinematographer.

5.1. Pre-production agenda

5.2. Locate

5.3. Camera tests

5.4. Lighting schemes

T6. Digital parameters

This content works on the fundamental digital parameters for capturing images today, such as the different resolutions for film and television or color depth and especially compression formats.

6.1. Basic digital parameters: spatial resolution, color depth, temporal resolution, color subsampling, transfer flow, compression  

T7. Digital image recording and training

This content works on the parameters that are related to the formation of the digital image.

7.1. DSLR cameras

7.2. Digital cinematography cameras

T8. Cinematographic lighting styles

In this content we work and analyze the cinematographic lighting in different eras from oral presentations of students.

8.1. Primitive lighting: from natural light to theatrical light

8.2. Expressionist enlightenment and its influence

8.3. Classic lighting or rules

8.4. Modern European lighting and its influence

8.5. Current lighting

The learning activities are separated into groups:

Readings and viewings
Technical articles dedicated to the study of photography direction will be provided in specific films that will be used for viewing.

These activities are related to competences E14, G3, G4 and G5 and learning outcomes RA2, RA4, RA5, RA6, RAC1, RAC2, RAC3 and RAC4.

Photography direction practices
The practices dedicated to the direction of photography will be aimed at making use of all the components that are part of this task, with special emphasis on lighting. The practices dedicated to the digital cinematography part will be aimed at making use of all the components that are part of this task, with special emphasis on camera tests and their correct use in terms of digital parameters depending on the objective of the product.

1. Basic elements of cinematographic lighting

2. Camera tests

3. Outdoor Day

4. Photography and painting

5. Continuity in interiors

6. Cinematic references

7. Advertising

8. Night outside

9. Cinematographic lighting styles

10. Practical exam

The practical exam consists of the shooting of a sequence by the class groups where the group and individual competencies of each of the participants will be assessed according to their position in the camera and electrical equipment. 

These activities are related to competences E10, E15, E5, E7, E8, G2, G4, G5 and T2 and learning outcomes RA1, RA2, RA3, RA4, RA6, RA7, RAC3 and RAC5.

Directed activities
Activities will be carried out in relation to aspects of the theoretical syllabus: working on the light and pre-production of the cinematographer.

These activities are related to competencies E10, E15, E5, E7, E8, G2, G5, and T2 and learning outcomes RA1, RA2, RA3, RA5, RA7, RAC2, RAC3, RAC4, and RAC5.

Oral presentations
Students will carry out analysis work that will end with the oral presentation of specific aspects of photography in film genres and digital film cameras. 

These activities are related to competences E14, G3, G4 and G5 and learning outcomes RA3, RA4, RA5, RA7, RAC1, RAC2, RAC3 and RAC4.

Autonomous practices
Practical work carried out by students in groups as work of the subject and carried out outside school hours.

These activities are related to competences E10, E15, E5, E7, G2 and G5 and learning outcomes RA1, RA2, RA3, RA5, RA7, RAC2, RAC3, RAC4 and RAC5.

The evaluation of the subject is continuous and is based on practical and theoretical work:

- Theoretical works (Guided activities, oral presentations, readings and viewings): 20%

- Practical work (Practices of direction of photography and digital cinematography): 50%

- Final exam: 30%

Rules for evaluation

The subject evaluates the theoretical and practical knowledge with an equal perception due to the character of the subject. In this sense, in order to make an average, both the named and the theoretical part (Theoretical works and Final Practice report) and the practical part (Practical works and result of Final Practice) will be taken into account. In this sense, it is necessary to have a 4 in each part to be able to have a final average.

Beyond these two major blocks, the following should be considered:

- No grade below 4 will average. In the case of the final exam, it is necessary to get a minimum grade of 5 to make it average.

- It is necessary to attend 80% of practical sessions so that the deliveries related to the practical part of the subject do average.

- No work submitted after the deadline is accepted.

- Missing spelling, grammar and layout will be noted, and may lead to the suspension of a work. More than 15 misspellings involve suspense.

- Plagiarism involves suspending any work with a 0. A second plagiarism by the same student involves the suspension of the subject without the right to recovery.

- There is no recovery for the internship part of the subject. If the average is less than 4, this means the suspension of the subject.

- The recovery of the theory part will consist of an exam. Only marks of 5 or higher will allow this part to average with the mark obtained in the practices (as long as the mark of the practices is equal or superior to 4).

- Active participation in class will be considered absolutely necessary and will be taken into account for the final grade of the course

Brown, B. Cinematography: theory and practice. Oxford: Focal Press, 2012.

Stump, D. Digital Cinematography. London: Focal Press, 2014.

Schaefer, L. Masters of Light. Madrid: Plot, 2005.

AAVV. American Cinematographer Manual. Hollywood, CA (USA): The ASC Press, 2004.

Alekan, H. Lights and Shadows. Paris: La Cinemateque Française, 1980.

Samuelson, D. The technical manual of cinema. Andoain: Film and Video School, 1998.

Carrasco, J. Cinema and digital television: technical manual. Barcelona: Publications of the University of Barcelona, ​​2010.

Pank, B. The Digital Fact Book. 2008

Landau, M. Lighting for cinematography. Oxford: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014.

Ettedgui, P. Directors of Photography. Barcelona: Océano, 1999.

Ballinger, A .. New cinematographers. Madrid: Ocho y Medio, 2004.