ACTING STUDIO
This is a practical course for directors, producers, scriptwriters, cinematographers or editors so that they may understand the actor’s craft. We will proceed from exercises and various improvisations to a given text, a dialogue and finally a monologue. At the end of each section students will perform a piece in front of the camera, directing each other and then assessing their work together. The actor is your creative partner and in order to understand his/her process you need to try the same yourselves.
ART AND CULTURE IN CZECH LANDS
This course takes place both in the fall and in the spring, but students are encouraged (and in the case of FAMU International required) to enroll both semesters considering the second semester complements the first. Over the course of the year we will chronologically examine the basics of Czech history, culture and art (i.e. architecture, selected literature, visual art). In the fall we will cover major developments in Bohemian culture over the last 9 centuries, paying close attention to developments in each region. Students will examine the major artistic figures in Czech art and history both in class and through audiovisual means; we will take a number of field trips to places of interest both in and outside of Prague. The course will continue in the Spring Semester, when we will focus on 20th century artists and contemporary art.
CAMERA AND FILM LANGUAGE
This seminar will focus on the role of the camera in cinematography. Elements such as shot size, axis rules, angles of view etc (technical tools that serve a dramatic purpose in film) will be examined in-depth. Several styles of cinematography will be considered in order to understand how to develop a story and cultivate a style using film language. “Movement“ as a fundamental tool of cinematography will be emphasized.
CINEMATOGRAPHER´S INFLUENCE
This course explores the cinematographer’s craft in the fields of exponometry, processing and other postproduction technologies. Over the course of the semester we will analyze the various exponometric (photometric) methods and their effectiveness in changing the aesthetics of the cinematographic image. The format of this course is lecture/seminar; students will receive courses in theory in addition to practical assignments.
EDITING FILM AND VIDEO: HISTORY, THEORY AND PRACTICE
This course will approach editing from both an ideal and a real perspective. In an ideal edit, heavily nuanced, making art is the main consideration and time is unlimited. We will analyze Vertov’s MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA as a fundamental text. In an editing job, one is working against a deadline and trying to give a clear presentation of someone else’s ideas. Each has its own set of potential challenges, which we will discuss. To a large degree, every edit is unique; there is always trial and error in the beginning, but there are many aspects they all hold in common. The beginning is always becoming familiar with and making a realistic assessment of the footage to be cut. A film must be totally reconceptualized between the shooting and the cutting. What is there is what is there (not what was intended or dreamt of, not what went on off-camera). Editing is then organizing (especially organizing!), reducing, and making rhythm (whether for clarity of argument, emotional development, or structural integrity); it is primarily creating meaning, clearly expressing the vision of the director. It is primarily making a nuanced rhythm, so it remains interesting. We will explore parallel concerns and problem-solving in music and writing. We will work with film strips as well as digital imagery, and explore how the materials and tools affect the decision making process. Students will learn to function on Final Cut Pro as early in the semester as possible. We will look at a wide range of films to see how they are cut, how they are constructed. There will be set editing exercises, but the students are primarily expected to bring their own projects to discuss and work on. Editing is a largely subjective activity. No rules exist that cannot just as well be broken. The only ways to learn to edit are by doing it (primary) and by studying what others have done (secondly).
CIRCULATING WITHIN THE MODERN CINEMATIC IMAGE
This seminar is a select examination of seven major films in pre-1950 Euro-American film history with special emphasis given to those cinematic moments that might teach and train us in new non-dominatory viewing strategies, in new creative ways of circulating, and in new nonsadistic ways of engaging with the most essential element of the cinema: the aesthetic unit of the image. Film criticism and film philosophy from Leo Bersani-Ulysse Dutoit, Gilles Deleuze, Siegfried Kracauer, Jacques Rancière, Erik Roraback, and Steven Shaviro will be used toward this end. All films are either in English or have English inter-titles or sub-titles. Clips and special features from the DVDs will also be shown. The course is conducted in English.
HISTORY OF AMERICAN EXPERIMENTAL FILM
Taking the dominance of narrative in film and the consequent hegemony of Hollywood as an historical anomaly owing to the economics of film production (an issue from the pre-digital past, now that filmmaking, like record collecting, has become essentially free), we will explore fringe work as an alternative reality which contains seeds of a positive future vision for moving-imagery, i.e., avant-garde film will be viewed as a model of consciousness seeking expansion. Ideally this will be a study of works in which form and content are perfectly merged, the focus being on film as a thing itself, not films “about” something. We will view as many films as possible, films that bounce off each other in different ways, and certain key works may be viewed more than once. Availability on DVD is redefining film history, and such access plays a major role in the structure of this course
HISTORY OF ANIMATION FILM
Over the course of the semester we will watch and discuss the most important Czech and foreign animated films relative to era, country and individual. I have taught this course for a number of years to Czech students; therefore, I have a solid archive of films that provides an ideal platform for exploring animated film. Our exploration of various films will create a rich panorama of how different countries and artists have shaped the history of animated film.
HISTORY OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
Documentary or non-fiction film is a special category of cinema. Currently the term documentary is used primarily for production and distribution purposes, but in addition to this perspective, non-fiction film has its own long tradition due to aesthetical, creative and other institutional specifics. The term is reported to have first been used systematically in 1926 in John Grierson‘s article on Flaherty’s film Moana. In his efforts to express a new nature of this artistic yet non-artificial masterpiece, Grierson suggests referring to all films of this kind as “documentaries.” This course will consider the central “peaks” in the history of non-fiction film and the field’s influence on the whole of cinema (e.g. documentary streams in the avant-garde, neorealism and new waves). This course focuses on the development of the documentary before the mass accession of television, concentrating on European and American examples and influences.
INTRODUCTION TO FILM HISTORY AND CRITICISM 1 (Mise-en-scène)
This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of film with a focus on the development and treatment of mise-en-scène. Students will watch select films in their entirety (English version or subtitled) as well as short clips highlighting particular topics. Through practical and factual analysis of films students will encounter the different stylistic and creative developments that appeared in cinema over the last century. The notion of mise-en-scene as a tool of directing will be critically and analytically examined so as to determine a film’s possible themes and meanings. Analysis will focus on the realist code of thought, but alternative styles will also receive consideration.
INTRODUCTION TO FILM HISTORY AND CRITICISM 2 (Contemporary Czech Cinema)
This course presents different aspects of recent development of Czech cinema with particular stress on analysis. Students will watch select films in their entirety (with English subtitles) as well as short clips highlighting the topics. Through practical and factual analysis of films students will encounter the different stylistic and creative developments that appear in post-1989 Czech cinema. The films will be discussed so as to determine a film’s possible themes and meanings.
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGING
The practice of still-photography and cinematography is becoming more a branch of applied science and less an empirical craft; therefore, it is increasingly necessary to base the practice on a thorough understanding of photographic materials and processes rather than on rule-of-thumb methods. In a sense, the craft has been simplified by advances in the production of more satisfactory new materials and equipment and the development of new and better methods, but the very diversity of these materials and the tremendously increased scope of modern photography and cinematography combine to demand a more thorough knowledge of fundamentals than was formerly necessary.
PRACTICAL ANALYSIS: DIRECTING
This course will show students how experienced directors handle some of the most common cinematic situations. Among other things, we will cover introducing the protagonist, first and last shot of the film, chasing scenes, four person table dialogues and characters exiting a car. By analyzing examples of similar situations approached by different directors we will achieve many things: 1) the basic rules concerning how to direct a specific situation (of course we will not force adherence to these rules, but students should be aware of them). 2) The different directing styles and their development over the course of film history. 3) How master directors apply the vast possibilities of film language in unconventional, concise and surprising ways. Through these exercises students will begin to recognize not only the beauty of the story, but also the beauty of specific film techniques and cinematic language. Furthermore, by analyzing their master predecessors’ approaches to common cinematic problems, students will better understand the challenges and hopefully learn to develop interesting and creative solutions.
PRAGUE STORIES
The Czech Republic, a nation realizing its political and social aspirations through culture: literature, the visual arts, music and education. Through the stories and lectures of Jan Wiener, this course will examine how cultural developments have shaped the Czech Republic’s contemporary landscape. In addition to in-class lectures, Mr. Wiener will lead students on multiple walking tours to historical points of interest that complement the course material.
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGING
The practice of still-photography and cinematography is becoming more a branch of applied science and less an empirical craft; therefore, it is increasingly necessary to base the practice on a thorough understanding of photographic materials and processes rather than on rule-of-thumb methods. In a sense, the craft has been simplified by advances in the production of more satisfactory new materials and equipment and the development of new and better methods, but the very diversity of these materials and the tremendously increased scope of modern photography and cinematography combine to demand a more thorough knowledge of fundamentals than was formerly necessary.
PRODUCER´S CRAFT
This course focuses on the work and art of a film and television producer, the craft of the person who serves as 1) Highly skilled and organized project manager 2) Counterpart and/or partner to director and screenwriter 3) And on occasion, creative author of a project. A producer leads the dialogue in a project (i.e. feature, documentary, newscast, sports magazine, whatever) that ultimately generates a result agreeable to the desired audience in the appropriate country and, ideally, in the broader international landscape, while also bringing in a positive financial reward. The key areas of information for a producer (and this class) are marketing, financing, budgeting, legal and business affairs in the stages of project development, all stages of production and distribution.
SCRIPT ANALYSIS
One purpose of this course is to study films from a dramaturgical perspective, to demonstrate diverse narrative techniques, dramatic structures and genre forms, and to closely examine the craft of screenwriting. Each film is screened twice: first, in its entirety with an introductory lecture about the film and its creators; the second time, in sequences and scenes accompanied by detailed analysis.
SCRIPT FOR DIRECTORS WORKSHOP
In this bi-weekly workshop, directing students will concentrate on short screenwriting exercises in order to gain a practical understanding of some of the basic tools of script writing.
The course will culminate in with a polished five minute screenplay ready for production in the TV studio. The theme of the directing exercise is “The Love Triangle” set inside a standard hotel room. Each student must write a three character story beginning with this situation.
ACTING THEORY
This course keeps in mind the needs of the film artist in her work with actors, offering explanations into the actor‘s process. “Theory“ is considered those assumptions implicitly guiding the actor‘s performance, assumptions that vary depending (in part) on the training an actor receives. This course will cover the essentials of both contemporary and historical theories in order to help film directors and other film artists communicate effectively with actors from varying pedagogical and cultural backgrounds. Whenever possible, in-class exercises will be used to illustrate different approaches to acting.
TOOLS OF DIRECTING
This course will explore the basics of the ‘directable’ elements of cinematic language. Although conventional aspects of cinema such as storytelling and acting are crucial to a quality film, this course will examine why more subtle elements such as image and sound (and how they are constructed together) embody a role of equal importance. Each session we will watch and analyze films (or excerpts of films) and discuss how cinematic language has been employed to either a positive or negative end. We will visit exceptional instances of cinematic construction as well as examples from ‘bad movies,’ for although we need to know what ‘to do,’ sometimes it is more important to know what ‘not to do.’
THE TOOLS OF MOVIE IMAGE DESIGN
This course analyzes the various cinematic tools that together compose concept in moving images. We will focus on the three fundamental points of view 1) Image linearity 2) Image tonality 3) And the phenomenon of time and movement within the single shot. Through lectures, screenings and demonstrations students will recognize the utility of these various tools and identify their application (both positive and negative) in images.
TOPICS IN AVANT-GARDE FILM
This course will examine the evolution of avante-garde film over the course of the 20th century. Students will become acquainted with nearly all strains of avante-garde film (i.e. cinéma pur, non-objective film, surrealist´ film, formal film, structural/material film, found-footage film, assemblage and collage film etc.) with the objective of demonstrating the vast possibilities of film language (filmic devices, film technique, methods of montage or animation, etc) in non-narrative cinema. Each lesson is accompanied by various examples screened on VHS.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION – VISUAL IMAGERY
Through lectures, readings and excursions, this course will analyze the concept of light from a multitude of new and interesting perspectives. Students will use the material as a platform to establish their own way of considering light in photography and film, while also applying the concepts to establish new movements in their own creativity. The course will concentrate on the period in history between the end of the 19th Century up to the 1940s.
VISUAL THEORY
This course explores how visual images (concentrating mainly on photographs and film images) are constructed. It analyzes the use of various aesthetics and design elements used by image-makers and the effects of these elements on the viewer. It is in lecture/seminar format in which students are given simple practical and theoretical assignments that enable them to experience the effects of these dynamics for themselves. There are both slide and video presentations that support the content of the lectures.
PHOTOGRAPHY: THE INVISIBLE CITY
This is a research driven, production based course concerned with narrative, photography as art and as a cultural phenomena. We consider the image as a "soft", information-rich condensation of thought, memory, history and desire. The relationships and insights we form within the heterogeneous space we call 'the city', and the critical and poetic frames of reference we assert within its networks become the basis for our work. This course is about telling stories in pictures.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN CINEMA
A History of Central European Cinema explores the most important names, movements and films in Central European film. Primarily, this course chronologically examines Czech, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian and Romanian cinema, but we also discuss the various stylistic developments in each respective country. Considering the vast history and geography of the subject, lectures are primarily informational; details receive less emphasis. A strong accent is placed on the ‘60s, i.e. "New Wave" movements (the Czech New Wave, the Slovak New Wave, the second generation of the Hungarian School, the 3rd Polish Cinema, the Generation ´70 in Romania, etc.) although we also visit each country’s current cinema (chiefly the Hungarian and Romanian New Waves). The films screened (on average two films from every national cinema) are chosen to reflect and illustrate the aforementioned criteria; typically we watch a film from the ´60s and a film from another important era in the country’s cinema.
FILM SHOT AS A COMPONENT OF FILM LANGUAGE
The foundation of the course is the theory of communication, in which the course will primarily investigate the emotional dimensions of communication. From this point the course progresses to emotive creative expression, and -- using a general definition of art -- toward the basics of graphic composition and their function as the conveyors of emotional expression. Examples will be derived from composition in photography. Understanding film as a medium will follow. At this point the course will concentrate primarily on the system of montage as the fundamental means of film expression. Following the determination that the foundation of montage is the film shot, the course will explore the significance and characteristic properties of the film shot, and thereby examine the cameraman‘s influence upon the quality and function of the shot in a film work. By examining the means in which basic technical demands relate to the film shot, the course will describe the expressive means of the Director of Photography, that enable him/her to become a vital co-creator of the emotional atmosphere of a film work.
CINEMATOGRAPHER´S WORKSHOP
This workshop provides a comprehensive study into the tools and the craft of cinematography. Each week students meet with their mentor/professor to analyze various aspects of cinematography in relation to a specific field project. The field projects (see course schedule for details) will explore the tools of the cinematographer (i.e. camera equipment, lighting, exponometry, etc.) while at the same time providing students the necessary theory and experience to develop an individual style and poetic. By the end of the semester students will have the groundwork to conceive and photograph the final “Dream” project. In order to ensure personal attention this workshop is limited to 8 students.
COLOR GRADING WORKSHOP
This workshop will focus on working with the postproduction grading system FinalCut Pro Color Corrector. This computer program contains functions for improving and/or radically changing the appearance of your DV or HD film project. To complement the technical elements of the class, Director of Photography Marek Jicha will share his recent experiences using different technologies to make 35mm feature films. Considering this is a workshop, the class size will be limited to 10 students
DIRECTOR´S WORKSHOP
This workshop focuses on mastering the fundamentals of film language and its grammar. Students will establish a theoretical knowledge of the craft by developing their own projects and discussing the process and results with the instructor and fellow students. Through practical projects students will practice and explore filmmaking in three organically overlapping parts: 1) Narrating a story—the role of the author 2) The fundamental elements of film production such as film narration, the creation of film time and space in the editing room, working with actors, mise en scene, blocking, etc. 3) The role of the director: visualizing and composing shots, staging dialogue sequences with two or more actors, mobile staging and frame depth.
NON-FICTION FILM WORKSHOP
Departing from FAMU International’s traditional emphasis on making short narrative films in groups, this group will focus on making NON-narrative films on their own as individual artists: actuality, structural, material, experimental, poetic, abstract, documentary, etc. Shooting in 16mm and editing work-print on the flatbed will be encouraged, alongside radical explorations of emerging digital possibilities. After confirming or acquiring necessary skills (shooting digital video, recording digital audio, editing in Final Cut Pro and related programs, using a light meter, shooting 16mm on a Bolex, making tape and cement splices, editing on a Steenbeck, etc.), students will conceive, discuss, shoot, edit, and complete at least one significant film before the break. Classes will be largely tailored to the students needs in performing this task. Many exemplary films (and other art works) will be examined.