RTF 343D Cinematography – Fall 2018 Class/Lab: Mon. 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM & Wed. 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Instructor: John Fiege Office: CMA 6.162 Office hours: Mon. 12:00 – 3:00 PM and by appointment TA: Carlos Estrada Meetings by appointment My father would tell anyone who would listen that this dentist thing he was doing was not his passion; cinematography was. - Lasse Hallström DESCRIPTION This course is an intensive workshop in cinematography and visual storytelling, with an emphasis on both hands-on practice of the cinematographer’s craft and in-depth study of the art of cinematography and its role in filmmaking. The art and craft of cinematography are two sides of the same coin: in order to execute your vision, you must have a clear understanding of your tools. The projects in and outside of the classroom will help students develop conceptual and technical proficiency, including knowledge of film and digital motion picture cameras, lenses, camera support, lighting, grip equipment, and set procedures. Students will also develop a solid foundation of working skills, strategies, and discipline that will benefit further study of cinematography and filmmaking. Readings, assignments, and class presentations will deepen students’ understanding of the role of cinematography in the practice of filmmaking and storytelling. In addition to critiquing the work of their classmates, students will develop their critical analysis skills by examining the work of the world’s leading cinematographers. Through participation in class activities and assignments, students will further develop their writing, communication, oral presentation, and critical thinking skills; their ability to work in groups effectively; their understanding of the filmmaking process; and their ability to express themselves artistically through filmmaking. This is an advanced level course that requires familiarity with a broad range of filmmaking skills. By the end of the semester, students should have a strong understanding of the role of cinematography in filmmaking and visual storytelling and of the cinematographer’s work, both on set and off set, from pre-production through production and post-production. 1) Learn how to listen; 2) Choose one strong idea per film; and 3) Really understand your motivations, why you do something and not something else, and the direction you take in your work. - Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED TEXTS I’ve learned so much from reading American Cinematographer, and the best professional advice I ever received was from an interview with Gordon Willis. In it, he stressed the importance of always having a point of view when approaching a scene. It’s the first question I ask myself when I’m designing my coverage: what is the point of view, or whose? Once I’ve answered this question, everything falls into place with much more ease. - Ernest Dickerson, ASC All required readings are available free of charge on the internet, and the links are listed under “Required Readings” on Canvas. There is a textbook for the class, and I include the textbook reading assignments in the syllabus. However, the textbook is optional, due the varying experience levels of students. Students should be familiar with the information in the textbook, and I highly recommend it as a resource, even for more experienced students. It is available from the University Co-Op or online, new or used: • Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors (3rd Edition), by Blain Brown, 2016. !1 Cinematography is a field with endless possibilities and ways to study. Here is a list of books for further study of cinematography in addition to what is required for class: • American Cinematographer Manual, 10th edition, Michael Goi, 2013 • Beauty and the Beast: Diary of a Film, Jean Cocteau, 1972 • The Camera Assistant’s Manual, Sixth Edition, David E. Elkins, SOC, 2013 • Cinematography, Peter Ettedgui, 1999 • Cinematography, Kris Malkiewicz and M. David Mullen ASC, 2005 • Contemporary Cinematographers on Their Art, ed. Pauline B. Rogers, 1998 • Film Directing Shot-by-Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, Steven Katz, 1991 • The Five C’s of Cinematography, Joseph V. Mascelli, 1965 • Magic Hour, Jack Cardiff • The Magic Lantern: An Autobiography, Ingmar Bergman, 2007 • A Man with a Camera, Nestor Almendros, 1984 • Masters of Light: Conversations with Cinematographers, Dennis Schæfer and Larry Salvato, 2013 • Matters of Light and Depth, Ross Lowell, 1999 • More Contemporary Cinematographers on Their Art, ed. Pauline B. Rogers, 2000 • Motion Picture and Video Lighting, Blain Brown, 2007 • Painting with Light, John Alton, 2013 • Sculpting in Time, Andrey Tarkovsky, 1986 • Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution, Harry C. Box, 2010 • Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Scott McCloud, 1994 • Ways of Seeing, John Berger, 1990 SUPPLIES Storage: • You will need hard drives or other storage media for your media files and your editing project files. Always keep at least two copies of all digital files on separate drives. If you store footage on school computers, make sure to have one (and preferably two) of your own copies elsewhere. AC kit: • Orange stick • Medical cotton swabs • Blower • Lens cloth • Lens brush • Cleaning fluid • Small magnifying flashlight • One inch colored paper tape • One inch white cloth tape • One inch black cloth tape • Two inch black cloth tape OR Two inch black paper tape • Tape measure • Grease pencil/dry erase marker • Fine tip wet erase marker • Screwdriver (flathead + phillips) • Hex keys (metric + imperial) • Velcro/Bongo Ties If you want to build out a more extensive AC kit, here are some good guides: • http://www.theblackandblue.com/2011/12/15/camera-assistant-toolkit/ • https://ehranjade.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/building-a-camera-assist-toolkit/ !2 FILM SCENE PRESENTATION: CINEMATOGRAPHY BREAKDOWN & ANALYSIS In pairs, students will present scenes (3-5 min.) from a film and analyze the cinematography in the context of the film’s style, themes, and narrative. In addition to showing clips, use screen captures from the film to breakdown and analyze the cinematography. Your presentation should address how different elements of the cinematography work together to tell the story. Consider lighting style, color, lenses, camera movement, frame rate, location, mood, tone, genre, and production design, among other aspects of cinematography. Be prepared to answer questions afterwards. Make sure that each person in your group does an equal amount of work in both the preparation and presentation of the assignment. These presentations will be about 20-25 minutes in length. You will be graded on both the content of your film breakdown and analysis and on the effectiveness of your presentation. Make sure that you carefully plan the presentation with your partner, practice the delivery ahead of time, and communicate your ideas in a clear, concise, organized, and engaging way. See the class schedule for timeline and due dates. In class on Monday, September 24, you must announce your group and your intention of which film you’d like to analyze. My preference is for you to choose films from directors and cinematographers who are not listed in the class schedule already. However, I’ll consider one that I’m planning to cover as long as you present before my scheduled lecture. Have a back up or two in case another group has picked your first choice. We will then schedule the presentation dates, so have your preferences in mind. CREW EXPERIENCE Each student will serve as a crew member for at least 4 days on the final project shoots of other students in the class, in any role in the camera or lighting departments. You can work on one project or multiple projects, as long as the total time on set is at least 4 days. After you complete your crew work, write 1-2 pages on your experience, including what went well or not, what you enjoyed or not, and what you learned. In addition, include 1.) a list of days worked on other students’ shoots, with a description of your crew position on each day; 2.) a crew list for your own final project, with a description of who filled the various crew positions on each day of production; and 3.) a scan of the camera reports from your camera assistant on your final project. FINAL PROJECT I once worked with Irving Penn, who told me a simple rule: less is often better. He used a single soft light for most of his shots. We shot a number of Pepsi commercials that way, and those spots won several Clios. - Torben Johnke, ASC Each student will serve as director of photography on a short film. You may direct this film yourself as well, or you may work with a director, either another student in the class or another RTF student outside the class. The film can be in any genre and photographed either digitally or on film, although each project should have a clear and compelling visual approach. Rather than being graded on the quality of the film, you will be graded on your process of conceiving the visual approach to the film and your execution of the cinematography. The final film should be 1-9 min. in length. Students should determine the shoot dates and crew roles for your final project and then recruit classmates to fill crew positions. For crew positions you can’t fill with classmates, you may work with crew members who are not enrolled in the class. Each shoot will be different, but most should have a camera assistant, gaffer, and key grip. The camera assistant should create a camera report for the shoot that you include with your crew experience write-up. Final project plans are subject to my approval. Students will turn in their work at various stages of the production process, and each stage will be graded separately.