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Classes Overview | Schedule | Instructors | FAQs | Contact Winter/Spring 2009 Class Schedule Use the links below to browse and register for classes.
SCREENWRITING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION MEET THE MAKER FILM STUDIES LABS
Screenwriting I:
Launch Your Screenplay This class introduces students to the art of storytelling for the screen through lectures, discussions, writing exercises, films clips, workshopping and peer critique. Students are grounded in basic elements of the craft such as plot, theme, character development, dialogue and building and maintaining conflict. The work will be both practical and intuitive as students practice a unique storytelling structure en route to creating richly layered, compelling stories for the screen. The goal of the course will be to draft a first act of a three-act screenplay. Screenwriting II:
Complete the Journey This class takes students through Act II, the major journey of the story, and Act III, where the arcs of the plot, theme and major characters culminate, and focuses on creating a dynamic structure, developing characters and theme and making thoughtful and innovative dramatic choices. The course includes weekly craft discussions and workshopping, students will shoot and critique a scene with professional actors. The goal of the course will be to complete a first draft of a screenplay (90-120 pages) that works visually and dramatically and is imbued with many rich elements beyond its commercial potential. Film Festival Publicity
and Marketing 101
Your film has just been accepted into a festival. Now what? Learn from San Francisco International Film Festival insiders how to get the most out of your festival experience and utilize fests as platforms to market and publicize your films. Get tips on preparing to attend a festival with or without a film, writing a press release, preparing a press kit, preparing stills, whether or not to hire a publicist, budgeting for publicity and marketing, compiling a press list, the difference between publicity and marketing, and how to work with TV, radio, print and online media. In addition, fests will be considered as launching pads for theatrical release. Fiscal Sponsorship Orientation Whether you are a filmmaker with a seed of an idea, heading into production, have just finished your rough cut or are putting your distribution strategy into action, fiscal sponsorship can help you access much-needed funds from foundations and individual donors. How do you apply for fiscal sponsorship? What types of proposals are foundations looking for and likely to fund? And
how can a fiscal sponsorship program set you
on the right course for your particular project? This free seminar will answer all of these questions and many more, and is essential for filmmakers seeking fiscal sponsorship with the Film Society. How To Ask People for Money New filmmakers emerge daily and all of them are seeking funds from precisely the same sources, yet foundations that fund filmmakers are increasingly pinched in the current economy. In contrast, raising funds from individual donors allows for more control of—and easier access to—crucial monies while solidifying relationships that ideally will pay off for years to come. This class covers a lively, hands-on process to help filmmakers craft the messages and tools they need to approach individual donors. You will put this information to work during the class and prepare to take your show on the road through mock pitch sessions with a panel representing potential funders. Pitch Masters
Whether high concept or high art, all ideas must first find ears before becoming motion pictures. Pitch Masters presents a series of techniques to condense stories and projects to their most essential and exciting elements in preparation for sharing them with potential collaborators and funders. In addition to revealing the financial engine beneath the creative chassis, this course also will explore story categories, alternate structures, pitching techniques, research practices and current pitch storyline trends to demonstrate styles designed to capture the imagination. Bring your projects and your concepts to share and shape, and prepare for the next step on your journey to motion picture making and marketing. The Tribe: A Case Study
Local filmmaker Tiffany Shlain’s The Tribe was screened at Sundance and Tribeca, has won 15 international awards and has been singled out by the Sundance Institute, the New York Times, Hollywood Reporter and Variety as a groundbreaking example of how to harness the power of the Internet to reach film audiences in truly new ways. Shlain will present a case study of the ways in which she and her team produced and self-distributed the film, and will lead a brainstorming session on innovative methods that attendees can utilize to reach widespread audiences with their own projects. Grant Writing and
Film Budgeting Essentials Creating a successful grant proposal is challenging, and the process often seems to require reinventing the wheel every time you write an application. Many filmmakers are unsure if their proposal will speak to a foundation’s mission. Discover how to craft a successful blueprint proposal for your project that can be adapted for multiple applications. Learn how to create a compelling log line, background, synopsis, treatment, fundraising strategy, marketing and distribution plan, key personnel bios and project status reports. Creating a rational budget will help to convince a funder that you know what you want and how to make it happen. Learn the basics of budgeting for documentary or narrative films while exploring the differences between above-the-line, preproduction, production, postproduction, marketing and distribution costs. Producing and Directing Documentaries This two-day intensive workshop covers primary issues involved in producing and directing a documentary: selecting a topic, research, writing a proposal, fundraising, preproduction, casting, trust-building, directing, camerawork, sound, lighting, interviewing, ethics, editing and distribution. Students are encouraged to bring works-in-progress or draft proposals for feedback. Structuring the Character-Driven Documentary Acquisition executives from HBO, PBS and Sundance all want story-driven films that deliver an engaging narrative rather than a meandering essay. Whether you are a novice making your first non-fiction film or a seasoned veteran, this acclaimed seminar promises to reveal the essential narrative building blocks that will attract funders, entice television execs and keep your viewers glued to the screen. We will learn the lore of dramatic structure, screen clips from award-winning contemporary docs, and analyze case studies. This information-packed seminar shows you how to adapt screen-writing devices such as the inciting incident, midpoint, backstory, climax and denouement, so your documentary will be as engaging and fun to watch as a narrative film. You’ll receive clear direction and exercises for solving structural problems in your own film. Don’t miss this outstanding, acclaimed seminar, which is geared for those in both pre- and post- production. Color Correction Within the
Post-Production Workflow
Given the various acquisition formats available today, filmmakers are faced with an increasing number of options for when and how to color-correct; this class will cover those options, with a focus on HD Video, RED Camera and film-based formats, all taught at the prestigious Spy Post studio (spypost.com). Topics will include the workflow decisions made during the post-production process and how they may impact color correction, film-to-tape transfer, video formats, color space, Quicktime formats and codecs, RED camera footage, titling and graphics application. DaVinci Systems color corrector will be used to demonstrate the basics of color correction and how these apply to related tools including FCP and Color. Other topics will include dailies and offline editorial management, online conform and final deliverables. Shooting Digital Video
To shoot great video you need to know the essentials. Ideal for first-time shooters and intermediate students who want to improve their shooting skills, this two-part class will cover the basic operations of DV cameras as well as aesthetic considerations through in-class shooting assignments, audio recording techniques and practical tips. Students are encouraged to bring their own video camera or follow along with the instructor’s. Don’t just capture footage—create memorable high-quality digital video no matter which camera you use. Panasonic HVX200 HD
Camera Orientation Take an in-depth look at the Panasonic HVX200 HD camera. Topics covered include basic operation, recording media, shooting techniques, scene files, importing media through P2 cards, developing workflows for your project, proper media organization, production needs, postproduction possibilities, necessary system specs and a general Hi-Definition overview. Get tips on which recording format to shoot in, using filters with HD, and on-set usage and protocol. Sound Essentials Sound can make or break your project. This hands–on class will assist beginning and intermediate filmmakers with recording and shooting. Learn about boom technique, microphones and recording devices, strategies for recording amid various weather conditions, choosing and trouble-shooting locations, and postproduction recording solutions. The Aesthetics of Editing
Resources on the technical aspects of editing are plentiful; harder to find is insightful information about editing aesthetics. What’s your story and how should you tell it? Which shot goes next? Where should the cut happen? This class examines the many elements that editors must keep in mind when cutting a film. Students will analyze early versions of scenes from documentary and narrative works. Ideal for editors at all levels of proficiency, this class also is geared toward non-editors who wish to gain more insight into the creative side of editing, both to improve their interactions with editors and to inform their directorial choices. Students may bring in-progress scenes to class on a DVD or on a hard drive as a Final Cut Studio project. Lighting Essentials
Ideal for beginning cinematographers, lighting designers and directors, this illuminating class will provide students with a hands-on understanding of basic lighting techniques and theory. Learn how to use standard motion picture lights to create great pictures and how to light various situations. Also gain an understanding of exposure, color temperature, light meters, amps, watts and volts. Bring a good pair of work gloves. Red One Camera Orientation Learn all about the Red One Camera through prep, production and conversion of RAW master files to several formats needed for postproduction. Day one will cover the camera system, menu, compatible lenses, recordable media and accessories, formats and record modes; day two will cover working with the camera in various situations, downloading and backing up recorded media and transcoding the RAW footage into a final deliverable format. Meet Jay Rosenblatt Jay Rosenblatt’s films—including The Smell of Burning Ants, Phantom Limb and Human Remains—explore our emotional and psychological cores. They are personal in their content yet universal in their appeal. Since 1980, Rosenblatt’s work has screened around the world. He has completed more than 25 films and has received more than 100 awards. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to get up close as Rosenblatt—a member of the Film Society’s Filmmaker Advisory Board and a recent recipient of the prestigious United States Artists Fellowship in Media—shares clips of his work and discusses his creative process. “Jay Rosenblatt makes short, pointed, poetic films, and to see a collection of his work is to know he’s a major artist. His specialness has no single source. He’s a master at matching music and image, and the nature of his work, which usually involves discovering and using found footage, requires profound patience. Yet mostly, I suspect, what makes almost every Jay Rosenblatt film a full emotional experience is his empathy, his deep, unfeigned and unmistakable respect for life in its many forms.” —Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle Emergent Media
The integration of digital technologies into film and video has changed the ways in which we make, transmit and consume media. This class will introduce students to an array of nontraditional and emerging screen-based media forms and will explore their social, cultural and aesthetic impacts. Media such as mobile video, live cinema, video jockeying, social media, animation, multimedia performance and others will be presented and explained. This class will provide a solid basis for understanding the implications of changes in the production, distribution and exhibition of our shared media landscape. Film Criticism What are the criteria used by film critics when they develop their essays, reviews and recommendations? Why is it that two respected critics often disagree over the value of the same film? Many critics simply tell you what they like and don’t like, relying on nothing but their taste and culture. This class will introduce you to some of the major rubrics of film criticism—ontology, epistemology, ideology, aesthetics and realism—and will provide a foundation for gleaning specific reasons behind critical responses to films. A reading assignment will be emailed to students one week before class begins. Race in Animation
Since its inception, animation has mined racial stereotypes for entertainment and propagandistic purposes. Most early cartoons featured characters developed from vaudeville and minstrel show stereotypes. Wartime cartoons used racial and national caricatures to mock and demean America’s enemies. Later, studios repressed their own work: Disney squelched the Academy Award–winning feature Song of the South in 1986, and YouTube routinely pulls down vintage theatrical release cartoons saturated with exaggerated racial imagery. This class investigates suppressed historical and contemporary cartoons, deconstructing their meaning and uncovering their cultural and historical contexts. San Francisco: The Movie
Whether you’re a filmmaker, location manager or film aficionado, you’ll benefit from this definitive presentation of what has made our city one of the most intensely filmed and meaningful locations in film history. From being the subject of Edison actualities in the 1890s and a silent film capital that rivaled Hollywood, San Francisco became a favored location for film noir and served as an indispensable capital of 1970s comedy. The city itself has been cast as a character in films like few others in the world. Through clips from films by Eric von Stroheim, Orson Welles, Woody Allen and many other Frisco devotees, students will see that the city’s cinematic charisma is an amalgam of its visual beauty, high-profile urban neighborhoods and reputation for eccentric characters and wild nightlife. Make a Music Video in 24 Hours
This lab will familiarize students with the challenging, often exciting process of making a music video featuring Bay Area artists. Key concepts related to producing, budgeting, shooting and editing styles will be explored in three extended classes. From concept through production, students will act as crew members and will complete the class with a music video credit and a copy of the final product. Email filmmakeredu@sffs.org for updates before enrolling. |
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