Working With Light and Shadow

This course will introduce students to the basics of cinematography and film production. In addition to covering camera operation, students will explore aesthetics, composition, visual style, and overall operation of lighting and grip equipment. Students will work together on scenes, directed and produced in class, that are geared toward the training of set etiquette, production language, and workflow. Students will discuss the work and give feedback that will be incorporated into the next project. For conference work, students will be required to produce a short project on HD video (3-5 minutes in length), incorporating elements discussed throughout the semester. They will write the concept, outline the project, draw floor plans and shot-lists, edit, and screen the final product for the class. Alternatively, in conference (with professor approval), students may also explore opportunities to work as cinematographers on other productions, such as the Web series project or films made in other upper-level production courses. This is an intensive, hands-on workshop that immerses the student in all aspects of film production. By the end of the course, students should feel confident enough to approach a film production project with enough experience to take on introductory positions in the industry—with strong potential for growth.