Film Studies 280 - INTRO TO VIDEO PRODUCTION

Topics course. This course provides a foundation in the principles, techniques and equipment involved in making short videos. Working with already existing texts (short stories, plays, poems, films, songs, news stories, paintings, etc.), students develop their own projects. The course introduces the following: developing a project idea from a pre-existing text; script/treatment writing; aesthetics and mechanics of shooting; the role of sound; and the conceptual and technical underpinnings of digital editing. We do several short exercises early in the semester, working towards a longer final piece. By translating other media into cinematic terms, we develop our proficiency in the language of moving images. Prerequisite: Introduction to Film Studies. Application and permission of instructor required. Please complete the questionnaire at http://www.smith.edu/filmstudies/courses_apply.php. Enrollment limited to 12.

Topic: Experiments in Adaptation. Instructor permission.