Credit Points: 30
Study Time: 300 Hours

You will have the opportunity to further develop your negotiated specialist practice through the making of a short film in production teams.

The subject and nature of study for this unit will be identified and articulated through a Learning Agreement. To include seminars, screenings and discussions, with a focus on creating a film's specific "look" and on conveying emotions from screen to audience; reinforcing knowledge of the language of film, in particular an understanding and appreciation of visual language, and exploring the use of sound.

Your films will be based on defined themes, such as "Time and Memory" or "Sense of Place", giving the opportunity to work either in the studio or on location. The ideas for the films will be selected through a pitching process, which is a key way to articulate ideas to an audience and crucial to the way contemporary films are defined and produced. You will be required to plan your work carefully and work towards industry standard documentation. You will negotiate a body of work within the context of the brief through a Learning Agreement.

Outline Syllabus

• The pitching process 
• Production requirements 
• Creating the 'look' 
• Role of sound 
• Conveying emotion to the audience 
• Time, Memory, Place
• Studio and location

Method of Delivery
Lectures, screenings, seminars, discussion group work and independent learning.

Aims

A1 To develop your skills of visual and aural expression in film.
A2 To plan efficiently, applying the appropriate levels of discipline required at this level of the course and work effectively in a team.
A3 To encourage an exploratory approach in seeking creative ideas and solutions through research.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit you will be able to:

LO1 Develop and enhance key skills in film communication.
LO2 Plan a production and work efficiently in collaboration with fellow students.
LO3 Use a variety of media, methods and strategies in researching, generating and presenting ideas.

Reference Material

Key
Altman, R (1992) Sound theory sound practice. London: Routledge
Ettedgui, P (1999) Cinematography screencraft. Switzerland: RotoVision.
Eco, U (2004) On Beauty: A History of a Western Idea. London: Secker & Warburg.

Recommended
Almendros, N. (1984) A Man and a Camera. London: Faber and Faber.
Beck, J. ed. (2008) Lowering the boom : critical studies in film sound. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Belton, J. & Weis, E. (1985) Film Sound, Theory and Practice. New York: Columbia University Press.
Bergman, I. (2008) The Magic Lantern. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Chandler, C. (2001) I, Fellini. Cooper Square Press.
Chion, M. (1999) The voice in cinema. New York: Columbia University Press.
Meyerowitz, J. (1990). Creating a Sense of Place. Smithsonian Press.
O'Pray, M. (2003). Avant-Garde Film: Forms, Themes and Passions. London: Wallflower Press.
Robertson, R. (2009) Eisenstein on the AudioVisual, The Montage of Music Image and Sound in Cinema. London: Taurus Academic Studies.
Sitney, A. (2002) Visionary Films, 3rd Ed, Oxford University Press, UK
Tarkovsky, A. (1989) Sculpting in Time: Reflections on the Cinema. Texas: Texas University Press.
Wittingham, W. (2007) Sound Design & Science Fiction, Austin: University of Texas Press.
Yewdall, D.L. (2007) Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound. London: Focal Press.