Intro to Filmmaking for Non Majors

Course Number: 07:211:110

Have you ever thought deeply about what it takes to make a movie? Have you ever wanted to learn the tools and techniques of the film maker, transforming your research, creative practice, idea, or experience into a film? Whether you are a scientist or painter, a journalist or poet, this rigorous introduction to filmmaking will teach you the foundational methods you need to stage, shoot, and edit sounds and images into works of film art. Through readings, film screenings, technical workshops, classroom discussions and critiques, and production assignments, we will learn to use film to study, story, and experiment. Our focus will span narrative, documentary, and avant-garde practices and will use this unique interdisciplinary course as an opportunity to examine how film intersects with art, science, scholarship, and entertainment.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Learn the fundamentals of producing audio for the moving image.
• Learn the essentials of recording audio in the field, editing, mixing, and basic sound design, particularly in acquiring critical listening skills. 
• Learn to use state-of-the-art equipment for recording sound on location and sound post-production with Pro Tools. 
• Acquire skills and professional sound vocabulary to apply to future films and sound collaborations.

Sound For Film

Course Number: 07:211:111

Introduces students to the fundamentals of producing audio for the moving image. Explores emerging techniques and strategies of sonic practice while also emphasizing underlying principles that have defined the film industry for the past century. Students will learn the essentials of recording audio in the field, editing, mixing, and sound design, with particular emphasis on acquiring critical listening skills. Students produce a series of short projects culminating in an ambitious final project.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 

• Learn the fundamentals of producing audio for the moving image.
• Learn the essentials of recording audio in the field, editing, mixing, and basic sound design, particularly in acquiring critical listening skills. 
• Learn to use state-of-the-art equipment for recording sound on location and sound post-production with Pro Tools. 
• Acquire skills and professional sound vocabulary to apply to future films and sound collaborations.

Cinematography

Course Number: 07:211:120

In this class, students will work with digital cameras to learn composition, lighting, lenses, and filters. They will study the language of film with a focus on visual storytelling. Students will become proficient in technical aspects of shooting digital cinema, both for documentary and narrative scenarios.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course: 

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Learn the fundamental technical aspects and operation of shooting digital cinema cameras for documentary and narrative scenarios.
• Learn preliminary lighting techniques used in different shooting situations.
• Learn the professional vocabulary for camera operation and lighting.
• Develop their skills to analyze films to deduce which shooting techniques were used in various films.
• Develop visual storytelling skills by shooting their projects and critiquing classmates’ efforts. 

Video Editing Online

Course Number: 07:211:130
Course Format: Lecture
Mode of Instruction: Online Asynchronous

Note: This course will not fulfill a film requirement elective.

This course is an introduction to both the technical and creative elements essential for video editing. In this class through reading and assignments, students will examine the role of video editors in the storytelling process. Students in the class will learn the tools necessary to manipulate existing footage into thoughtful and creative video edits using Adobe Premiere Pro software. Through a series of readings and provided video examples, the students will expand their understanding of editing concepts and storytelling tools. Then they will use that creative knowledge and apply it practically through a series of video editing assignments.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None
Learning Goals of Course

Learning Objectives/Outcomes
By the end of the semester:

• Students will develop proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro software.
• Students will learn how to create meaning and story through the juxtaposition of sounds and images.
• Students will gain a basic understanding of different editing styles and how these styles can be used to influence story.
• Using film language, students will learn to analyze the video editing styles of existing films and to identify what these creative choices can reveal about a character or world.
• Students will gain an understanding of the ways in which editing styles have changed in conjunction with editorial software advancements and other new filmmaking technologies.
• Students will gain a basic understanding of the post production process and the importance of organization and project management.

Required and Recommended Course Materials

Required Reading: Adobe Premiere Pro CC: Classroom In a Book by Maxim Jago / Adobe Creative Team (2022 Version)

(Official training workbook from Adobe Systems)

This book contains footage that will be used to edit throughout the class. It is required that students buy this book and use the footage that is provided with it as a source for the assignments. The printed version of the book comes with a Data DvD inside the back cover that contains the editing work files. If you have a DvD drive on your computer, this is the easiest way to install the footage. The book is also available in a Kindle/ e-Book edition. If you buy the digital version you will need to download the footage online. At the very beginning of the Kindle/ e-Book version there is a page that begins “How to Get Your Lesson Files.” On that page you will find a link and instructions to set up an account and download the files from the Adobe Press website. (These downloadable files are also available if you buy the printed book but don’t have access to a DvD drive.) Because Adobe is continually making changes and adding features to Premiere Pro CC and to their other programs, I recommend getting the current version of the textbook as well as staying up to date with Premiere Pro CC software program updates.

Students will also be required to read selected chapters and articles that will be posted online as part of the week’s assignments.

Required Computer Software and Hardware:

• Quizzes will be proctored electronically using Respondus Lock-Down Browser software, which is included with the course. Quizzes must be taken on PC or Mac computers – no phones, tablets or Chromebooks allowed. You will also need to have a functioning webcam camera and microphone on your computer.
• For this course, students will be required to edit on a computer (PC or Mac) with the Adobe Premiere software installed. We will be using the CC version of the software. For computer requirements to run the software, you may view this page: https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/system-requirements.html (Links to an external site.)

Please take these minimum hardware requirements seriously. A slow computer that does not meet the requirements and crashes repeatedly is not an excuse for late or missing assignments!

• A 3-button mouse with scroll wheel, although not required, is highly recommended and will provide an easier and more efficient interface for working with the software.
• A fast (Thunderbolt or USB3) external hard drive (or SSD drive) is also highly recommended.

Rutgers currently has a licensing arrangement with Adobe that allows students to use the Premiere Pro software as well as the rest of the Creative Cloud software programs for free. To obtain the software you will need to visit https://it.rutgers.edu/adobe/ (Links to an external site.) and follow the instructions for accessing the Creative Cloud and downloading the software you’ll need.

Policies for Exams, Assignments, Attendance, and Grading

Type of Assessments:

• Quizzes (3) 60 points each / 36% total
• Editing Projects (4) 2600 points total / 52% total
• Discussion forums participation (12) 5 points each / 12% total

Students are expected to log in on a regular basis several times a week. Forum participation is required for all students on a weekly basis, assignments have specific due dates and quizzes are only available during limited time frames. Late submissions may be penalized.

Instructors:
Dave Sperling, dhs78@mgsa.rutgers.edu
Neal Bennett, nb486@comminfo.rutgers.edu
Stephanie Zimmerman

Intro to Film Production I

Course Number: 07:211:191

Through a series of short film and sound exercises this introductory course puts basic film theory, language, and dramatic structure for the screen into action. During the course, students will study formal devices such as camera framing, lighting, sound, dialogue, and editing choices.

4 credits

Learning Goals of Course:

• Have a basic understanding of the film medium using visual storytelling skills through film clip analysis and critical in-class discussion.
• Gain preliminary knowledge needed to create short film projects from conception, development, and production to finished product through various stages of planning, shooting, rushes, rough cuts, and final editions.
• Gain basic technical knowledge of camera, sound, and lighting equipment.
• Gain basic technical knowledge of film editing techniques to complete their films.
• Learn the basics of how to respond effectively to editorial feedback from the instructor and peers through revisions.

Intro to Film Production II

Course Number: 07:211:192

In this course, students will continue learning the basics of film language through a series of short film exercises. Each exercise will explore a specific approach or formal device. Using specific feedback exercises, students will learn to engage critically with each other’s work.

4 credits

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:191
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Continue to develop their understanding of the film medium using visual storytelling skills through film clip analysis and critical in-class discussion.
• Develop their understanding of constructing different types of projects (i.e., narrative, documentary, and experimental films).
• Further develop their knowledge needed to create short film projects from conception, development, and production to finished product through various stages of planning, shooting, rushes, rough cuts, and final editions.
• Develop the preliminary skills to work collaboratively with others while communicating their ideas to the group from conception to completion of a short film.
• Develop preliminary cinematography skills.
• Develop a basic understanding of actor blocking, framing, lighting, and scene coverage.
• Continue to develop the ability to respond effectively to editorial feedback from the instructor and peers through revisions.

Principles of Cinematography Online

Course Number: 07:211:201
Course Format: Lecture
Mode of Instruction: Online Asynchronous

Note: This course will not fulfill a film requirement elective.

This course provides an introduction to the art of cinematography. By analyzing selected film clips and reading interviews with the cinematographers who created them, students learn about the process of creating these compelling visuals. Students are also introduced to the language and technical basics that are the cinematographer’s everyday tools and will discover how motion picture photography has transitioned over time, embracing the latest technological developments and adjusting to the changing media sophistication of the viewing audience. The course emphasizes how the aesthetic choices of cinematography bring life to visual storytelling.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None
Learning Goals of Course: The course will focus primarily on the artistic and practical aspects of cinematography, emphasizing the creative decisions made as part of the cinematographic process. Special attention will be given to the way the cinematography of a project affects the viewer’s perception of the story.

Students will learn:

• The differences between our visual perception and the way the camera captures it -- and how the cinematographer provides the bridge between the two.
• How choices made in frame selection, composition, movement and lighting effect the viewer’s perception of the story being told.
• How different cinematographers bring their own vision to similar subject matter, producing varied looks and producing different emotional responses.
• How cinematography has transformed over time by adapting to both technical advancements and changing audiences.
• The relationships and collaboration between cinematographer and other major creative forces (director, production designer, special effects & editor) on a film.
• Students will be introduced to and work with a number of online resources and software tools as they learn about the creative process that goes into cinematography. In doing so, they will employ current technologies to access information, conduct research and report findings.
• Students will also be introduced in a non-technical way to the basic features of cameras and lighting that are utilized as part of the cinematographer’s art, as well as the language of film and video production.
• As part of the learning process, students will perform exercises to improve their ability to understand cameras and lighting; and will learn to create their own storyboards to help them design compelling ways to tell visual stories. Many of the assignments are designed to hone their problem solving abilities and technical skill set while allowing them to make personal choices and express their creativity

Required and Recommended Course Materials

Required Reading:

• Masters of Light: Conversations With Contemporary Cinematographers by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato (University of California Press) (also available for Kindle)
• Students will also be required to read selected articles from American Cinematographer Magazine and from ICG (International Cinematographer’s Guild) Magazine.

Policies for Exams, Assignments, Attendance, and Grading

Type of Assessments:

• Quizzes (2) 66 points each/ 22% total
• Final Exam (1) 96 points / 16% total
• Film Scene Analysis Essay (1) 90 points / 15% total
• Homework Projects 142 points total / 23.67% total
• Blog Entries (3) 12 points each / 6% total
• Discussion forums participation (12) 8 points per unit / 17.33% total

Instructor: Dave Sperling, dhs78@mgsa.rutgers.edu

Screenwriting – Short Film

Course Number: 07:211:205

This introductory course allows students to learn the fundamentals of screenwriting while developing a short 12-16 page screenplay. Students will learn about dramatic structure, development of character, writing dialogue, developing a theme, and concept as it applies to writing a short screenplay. The students will create “video drafts” from their screenplay to provide them with the opportunity to visually explore creative ways to drive the narrative beyond the word on the page. This interaction between writing and production allows the screenwriter to explore visual language and visual storytelling.

3 credits

Learning Goals of Course:

• Gain theoretical and practical experience writing a short Three Act 12-16-page screenplay.
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of modern dramatic structures that can be applied to screenwriting.
• Gain various professional screenwriting techniques and an understanding of professional screenwriting vocabulary.
• Learn how to conceptualize a layered character, develop character, and understand the relationship between the character and plot.
• Learn how basic cinematography and video editing can enhance screenwriting via a video draft.
• Learn the valuable process of numerous revisions as it applies to screenwriting.

Advanced Sound

Course Number: 07:211:211

This advanced audio course explores creative production and post-production techniques for sound design. In this course, students will learn to design sound for an array of applications, from composition to sound for moving image to sound installation. We also learn DIY and experimental strategies for sound production in the field. Students will work with Pro Tools digital audio workstations and field recorders to produce a range of projects oriented around a set of unique design challenges.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:111
Coures Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course: 

Upon completion of the course, students will possess the knowledge and skills to:

• Develop a more profound technical knowledge of the abilities of digital cinema cameras.
• Operate an advanced digital cinema camera (including advanced composing, shooting movement, handheld, and static camera set-ups.)
• Learn advanced lighting techniques used in numerous shooting situations.
• Learn the psychological effects of color in lighting, wardrobe, and production design.
• Advance their technical analysis skills so they can analyze films to deduce which shooting techniques were used.

Digital Field Production

Course Number: 07:211:212

This course gives students a comprehensive understanding of group-oriented Digital Field Production which can be applied to both fiction and documentary production strategies. Students will receive training on various camera systems and audio equipment. This is a hands-on, field-production course that covers single- and multi-camera shoots in multiple settings and locations. Students will work in small groups in a wide variety of real-world production situations. Students will learn production skill sets and the importance of collaborative processes in both the pre-production and production stages of filmmaking.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites: 01:351:309, 01:351:314, 07:211:191, 07:211:192, 07:632:305, or 07:632:307
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop the practical skills necessary for organizing and executing the various field shoots.
• Gain practical experience working as a team and learning the different roles in all stages of field shoot filmmaking.
• Understand how to effectively use audio, lighting, and camera equipment to ensure the successful production of various field shoots.
• Learn about a film crew’s organizational structure by understanding each crew member’s separate roles.
• Gain confidence in multi-media expression by consistently crewing and generating material over the course.

Horror Film Production

Course Number: 07:211:217

This production course is a deep consideration of horror as both subject and cinematic/artistic form. Horror has been dismissed for its “crude” aesthetics; criticized for the pleasures it takes in violence, misogyny, racism, escapism, etc.; lauded as a potential vehicle for subversion and critique. Class viewings will include a wide array of narrative fiction (“canonical”, Hollywood, B-movies, cult films, arthouse, foreign, etc.), experimental films, and documentary, as well as works of video art, performance, photography, and radio. Class readings draw from film studies, cultural studies, psychoanalysis, and fiction. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to filmmaking, students will produce one nonfilmic work (audio, performance, or creative writing), a nonnarrative “horror” short film, and one final film.

3 credit(s)

Learning Goals of Course:

• Familiarity with the themes, aesthetic forms, narrative conventions, and film theories that address and inform the horror genre in cinema and some of the history surrounding them.
• Critical skills and theoretical language of cinematic analysis specifically targeted to an in-depth understanding of how cinema can function as a medium of expression, discourse, and social practice.
• Appreciation for the social, political, and economic contexts in which historical and contemporary cinema is constructed and circulated.
• Tools to consider and offer constructive interpretation and feedback about cinematic production, whether one’s own, one’s peers, ‘canonical’ work, or in popular culture.
• Gain theoretical and practical experience in completing a horror short film.
• Ability to apply all of the above to one’s artistic/cinematic practice.

Advanced Cinematography

Course Number: 07:211:220

This is an intensive hands-on production course, intended to serve as a venue through which students will expand upon the skills they have acquired through Cinematography (211:120). In this course, students will learn more sophisticated lighting techniques, advanced composition, color, and different lens options. Students will study films for specific techniques, then attempt to shoot using those in class, then follow up with a group homework shoot that will be presented in the class.

3 credit(s)

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: 07:211:120 or 07:632:300

Learning Goals of Course: 

• Develop a more profound technical knowledge of the abilities of digital cinema cameras.
• Operate an advanced digital cinema camera (including advanced composing, shooting movement, handheld, and static camera set-ups.)
• Learn advanced lighting techniques used in numerous shooting situations.
• Learn the psychological effects of color in lighting, wardrobe, and production design.
• Advance their technical analysis skills so they can analyze films to deduce which shooting techniques were used.

Animation 2D

Course Number: 07:211:230

Introduces the basic terminology, concepts, and principles of 2-D animation intended to illustrate or reinforce narrative concepts. It covers three distinct techniques within 2-D animation: animating for the web, stop motion animation, and 2-D vector-based animation. While focusing on technical aspects of 2-D animation, this course takes into consideration the historical perspective, current technologies, and applications of animation within documentary and fiction film.

3 credits

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the history of digital art and animation and be able to identify significant influences and technologies relating to the current state of 2D animation.
• Understand the basics of motion perception.
• Develop application-specific 2D techniques related to a variety of media applications.
• Understand animation principles and know the appropriate usage.
• Understand line and form and how they may achieve specific goals.
• Develop a basic understanding of color and its usage.
• Understand sound used in animation in relation to form.
• Understand drawing for animation.
• Gain theoretical and practical experience in completing a 2D short film.
• Combine the entirety of the class goals to generate a stand-alone 2D short film.

Image Post Production

Course Number: 07:211:231

This course is designed to provide a workshop opportunity for students to develop their postproduction skills. We will explore a set of tools, concepts, and methods covering both primary and intermediate aspects of digital video postproduction. Over the course of the semester, we will delve into editing, compositing, sync sound, color correction/grading, and exporting techniques. The class time will be comprised of lectures, readings, exercises, and screenings to help students build a technical and aesthetic foundation in digital postproduction.

3 (credits)

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: 07:211:292

Learning Goals of Course: 

• Understand key principles of post-production.
• Prepare for and organize project-specific post-production workflows, from the initial stages of logging and ingesting footage to final touch-ups, color grading, and delivery for theater screening, broadcast, and web.
• Combine practical, artistic, and technical abilities and make informed choices when applying specific aesthetics and exercising full creative control over the image post-production process.
• Have a good command and understanding of the software and hardware tools and the associated professional technical terms for image post-production.

The Art of Documentary Filmmaking Online

Course Number: 07:211:240
Course Format: Lecture
Mode of Instruction: Online Asynchronous

Note: This course will not fulfill a film requirement elective.

What are the key tools and techniques you need to know to create engaging and ethical documentary films? In this intensive introduction to the practice of documentary filmmaking, we will explore the cinematic language, aesthetic conventions, and ethical considerations of documentary while learning to use contemporary filmmaking tools to create our own work. To develop our skills as documentary film artists, we will examine and compare key approaches from a number of documentary film frameworks, including: propaganda; social advocacy and investigative film; Direct Cinema; cinéma vérité; found footage filmmaking; essay and diary film; the personal documentary; ethnographic film; and the experiments of avant-garde non-fiction. We will explore the documentary film production process, from proposal to fine cut, and will learn to use the frameworks surveyed to craft documentary sounds and images, culminating in our own short films.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course: Dziga Vertov claimed that film creates a fresh perspective of the world, one known only to the filmmaker but revealed to the audience through the film. Students in this course will learn to craft perspectives of the world using documentary sounds and images. Students will complete technical exercises and will learn to apply tools and techniques gleaned from other documentary film artists to the development of their own projects. This course will provide a foundation in documentary filmmaking and ethics, an understanding of the evolution of documentary film form, and exposure to the documentary production process, including: proposal and treatment writing; recording sounds and images; and editing a rough and fine cut. Students will also learn to assess classmate work and offer constructive feedback.

Course Objectives: Students will demonstrate their understanding of documentary techniques through short film exercises and a final documentary film project. Students will evidence their understanding of the documentary production and proposal process by developing a proposal, artist statement, treatment, filmography, and one-sheet for their final project. Students will also learn to engage in constructive feedback of peer work through written evaluations of peer proposals, artist statements, treatments, and rough cuts. Through exposure to key documentary films and debates, students will learn to identify and evaluate various formal and ethical approaches to making documentary works. Students will participate in regular discussions, offering written responses to illustrate their understanding of key technical, stylistic, social, and ethical ideas.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, the student should be able to:

• Execute and master technical and stylistic strategies key to producing a documentary film.
• Learn tools and strategies for producing and proposing a documentary film.
• Critically evaluate peer works and offer constructive feedback.
• Grasp distinctions between various technical and stylistic approaches to documentary film art.
• Identify and discuss the social and ethical implications of making documentary work.

Required and Recommended Course Materials:

• Course Materials: Students will be required to purchase two course texts and must have access to a computer and high-speed internet. Students will also need access to a camera, sound recorder, and editing software.
• Required Texts
  • Introduction to Documentary, 3rd ed., by Bill Nichols (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2017).
  • Directing the Documentary, 6th ed., by Michael Rabiger (Burlington, MA: Tayler & Francis, 2015).
  • Students will be required to read a number of additional articles exploring the practice of documentary film art. All reading assignments, including required text chapters, are listed in the course schedule. Readings not included in the required course texts listed above will be made available as pdf’s on CANVAS.

• Required Films
  • Each week, students will be required to view and respond to a number of short and feature-length films. All film viewing assignments are listed in the course schedule. Assigned films will be made available on CANVAS whenever possible. However, there may be instances when an assigned film must be rented from a streaming service such as Amazon or Kanopy. Additional film clips will be integrated into weekly lectures.

• Required Tech
  • Students must have access to a video camera, sound recording device, and video and audio editing software to complete the required film exercises and short documentary film for this course. A subscription to LinkedIn Learning is also required to complete a number of the technical tutorials. To access your LinkedIn Learning subscription as a Rutgers student, please visit: https://it.rutgers.edu/linkedin-learning/knowledgebase/logging-into-linkedin-learning/

Policies for Exams, Assignments, Attendance, and Grading:

This is an intensive introduction to the art and practice of documentary filmmaking. Students will be required to complete a 3-5 minute documentary film in addition to the regular weekly assignments listed in the course schedule (due each week on Tuesday and Friday). Course assignments will include: lectures; readings; film viewings; discussion board posts; technical tutorials; and four short filmmaking exercises.

Students will be responsible for the following assignments:

• Discussion board posts (12) - Students will post regular 250-word responses to the CANVAS discussion board. Responses in part I of the course will apply ideas from lecture materials and readings to the assigned films. Responses in parts 2 and 3 of the course will offer constructive feedback on classmates’ work, including the proposal, artist statement, treatment, and rough cut. Responses will be threaded, and students will be expected to read and respond to the overall discussion. A total of 12 responses will be due throughout the semester. Deadlines are listed in the course schedule.
• Film exercises (4) - Students will complete four short film exercises (1-2 minutes each) exploring technical and stylistic approaches to documentary sound and image. These will include: shooting an image-only scene; recording an audio-only interview; editing found footage; and writing and recording voice-over.
• Final project proposal - Students will draft a 500-word (approximately one-page) proposal for a final 3-5 minute documentary film.
• Final project artist statement - Students will write a 500-word (approximately one-page) artist statement discussing their stylistic, technical, and ethical approach to the final project.
• Final project treatment - Students will write a 750-1000 word (approximately two-page) treatment for the final project.
• Final project filmography - Students will create an annotated filmography of 4-5 films, describing how each film influences their stylistic, technical, or ethical approach to the final project.
• Final project one-sheet - Students will create a one-sheet for the final project to include: a tagline; a short film description; 1 or 2 stills from the film; and an artist bio that includes an ethical statement or code.
• Final film - Students will complete a final 3-5 minute documentary film. Students will be expected to finish a rough cut of the final project and to integrate feedback into the fine cut.

Course Grading
Grading is based on the assignments:

• Discussion board posts-24%
• Film exercises-20%
• Proposal-5%
• Artist statement-5%
• Treatment 10%
• Filmography-5%
• One-sheet-5%
• Final film-25%.

Instructor: Jennifer Heuson, jen.heuson@rutgers.edu

Creating Movie VFX: History and Techniques Online

Course Number: 07:211:250
Course Format: Lecture
Mode of Instruction: Online Asynchronous

Note: This course will not fulfill a film requirement elective.

Special visual effects are increasingly found in films of all types, and understanding their full potential unlocks a world of creative options for filmmakers. Visual effects can not only add excitement and produce amazing new realities, but are often seamlessly integrated with traditional visuals to enhance completely real-looking scenes. This course examines the 100-plus-year history of the role of movie special effects in creating visual stories, paying particular attention to their role in visual problem-solving, while also providing a hands-on introduction to two of the primary visual effect software programs for contemporary films — BlackMagicDesign Resolve/Fusion and Adobe After Effects.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course
Course Objectives: In this course, students will develop an understanding of visual effects in filmmaking and learn how to proficiently use industry standard software to create visual effects composites. Students will trace the historical development of visual effects techniques from early 1900’s to the present day through select readings and viewing of film clips. They will develop an understanding of filmmaking and visual effects terminology and use it to analyze, describe and differentiate the technical concepts required for a wide range of special effects and workflow scenarios. Students will learn to evaluate various special effects crafts to determine why specific methodologies or combinations may be appropriate for a particular task, and how these choices can impact the overall production budget and completion schedule. Students will also develop proficiency in industry-standard BlackMagicDesign Resolve/Fusion and Adobe After Effects software programs, and learn how these can be used to both create designed effects compositions and to remedy problems that may appear in production footage.

Learning Outcomes
After participating in this course, students will be able to:

• Discuss the historical development of visual effect techniques in filmmaking from its origins to present day and how these techniques are linked to technologies available during the historical period when they were created.
• Use appropriate terminology when analyzing, describing and differentiating the various technical components of visual effects.
• Analyze technical concepts of special effects, how each is performed, and why specific one(s) may be appropriate for a particular scene, along with their impact on the production budget and completion schedule.
• Proficiently use BlackMagicDesign Resolve/Fusion and Adobe After Effects software to manipulate video footage and create special effects composites.
• Analyze and propose appropriate postproduction fixes for technical issues in production footage using BlackMagicDesign Resolve/Fusion or Adobe After Effects visual effects workflows.

Required and Recommended Course Materials

• The Filmmaker’s Guide to Visual Effects (2nd Edition) by Eran Dinur (Focal Press)
• Resolve/Fusion from BlackMagicDesign – Free. Resolve/Fusion offers a free version with most of the capabilities of their full studio version. The course will provide practical source footage and assignments that will interface properly with the free version, so there is no requirement to purchase the full studio version.
• Adobe AfterEffects – (License) -- Rutgers currently has a licensing arrangement in place with Adobe that allows students to use the Adobe Creative Cloud software programs at no cost. To obtain the software you will need to visit https://it.rutgers.edu/adobe/ (Links to an external site.) and follow the instructions for accessing the Creative Cloud and downloading the software you'll need.

Policies for Assignments, Exams, Attendance, and Grading:

Homework Assignment Projects

• Project # 1 -- Creating basic photographic image combination effects in the style of the early 20th century using glass or a mirror
• Project # 2 – Scale and Perspective: Creating multiple versions of a physical cut-out forced perspective photo-realistic collage
• Project # 3 – Changing mood and emotion by creating a color correction sequence in DaVinci Resolve
• Project # 4 -- Compositing and outputting with both After Effects and Resolve/ Fusion
• Project # 5 – Choose, create and adjust green screen composites in both After Effects and Resolve/ Fusion
• Project # 6 -- Compositing with variable keyframes (garbage) masks
• Project # 7 -- Isolating and modifying a specific color in a scene
• Project # 8 -- Adding text and matching 3-D movement & perspective by tracking a moving background
• Project # 9 – Identifying and replacing problem areas of a shot
• Project # 10 – Cloning/ replacing areas in motion footage

Essay 1: Historical Perspectives

• Select a basic visual effect sequence from a modern film (no more than 10 years old). In choosing your visual effects sequence, make sure that It is something that could have been orchestrated using technologies available in the past as well as ones currently available. Research and analyze all the elements that would have gone into creating the effects sequence as seen. Include a reference link to the effect sequence.
• Re-think the same effect to analyze how it would have been created during two periods in the past – during the 1970’s (40-50 years ago) and during the 1920’s (90-100 years ago.) Be sure that the techniques you are suggesting for each period were available at that time!
• Finally, describe how the finished effects would be different from each other, and how the resulting differences would affect the storytelling.

Final Project: Creating and Compositing a Complex Visual Effect

• This final project is used to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and capabilities in BlackMagicDesign Resolve/Fusion and/or Adobe After Effects!
• Students may use their own or course-provided 4k, UHD or HD raw footage and compositing elements to create and composite a complex visual effect. (Complex means an effect that includes numerous elements and requires a combination of multiple technologies to accomplish.)
• Project proposals should be submitted to the instructor in advance of undertaking the project. In addition to creating and posting the final composition, students must write a complete analysis of their process, including details to provide insight into not just the problems being solved and techniques used, but also what did or did not work for them -- essentially creating a diary of the creative journey.

Quizzes

• Quiz # 1: This quiz will cover content from units 1-4
• Quiz # 2: This quiz will cover content from units 5-8
• Final Quiz (# 3): This quiz will be comprehensive, but will primarily cover content from units 9-13

Attendance
Students are expected to log in on a regular basis several times a week. Forum participation is required for all students on a weekly basis, assignments have specific due dates and quizzes are only available during limited time frames. Late submissions may be penalized.

Course Grading: Final Grade Calculation, Assignment Type, Points/Percentage

• Class Forums (Discussion Boards)
  • One (1) question per each unit for Units #1 - #12 12 % (1% per unit)
• Quizzes
  • Three (3) Quizzes 24 % (8% per quiz)
• Essay 1: Historical Perspectives 12 %
• Homework Assignments
  • Ten (10) practical homework exercises, primarily emphasizing specific features of Resolve/ Fusion and After Effects 40 % (4% per assignment)
• Final Project:
  • Proposal 2%
  • Creating and Compositing a Complex Visual Effect 10 %
• TOTAL 100 %

Instructor: Dave Sperling, dhs78@mgsa.rutgers.edu

Intermediate Film Production I

Course Number: 07:211:291

This course provides students with the opportunity to continue to gain theoretical and practical experience in the craft of conceptualizing and directing a film. Students will put film theory, language, grammar, and dramatic structure for the screen into action. This course builds on the fundamentals of film language and basic visual grammar, concentrating on collaboration, staging, shooting, and editing. Through lectures, readings, and screenings, students will engage in discussions regarding various formal approaches to cinema. By the end of the semester, students will have produced and directed four assignments guided by formal restrictions.

4 credit(s)

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: 07:211:191

Learning Goals of Course:

• Gain theoretical and practical experience in conceptualizing and directing a short film.
• Develop their understanding of film theory, language, grammar, and dramatic structure for the screen.
• Develop the skills to work collaboratively with others while communicating their ideas to the group; collaborate with other students to organize a film production shoot.
• Learn how a director works with actors from the standpoint of interpreting text/ and how this influences staging and camera movement; learn about the actor’s craft and how to communicate with an actor.
• Apply their cinematography skills so that they can develop a better understanding of actor blocking and scene coverage.
• Continue to learn various film editing techniques to complete their films.
• Continue to develop visual storytelling skills and the ability to respond effectively to editorial feedback from the instructor and peers through revisions.

Intermediate Film Production II

Course Number: 07:211:292

In this course, students expand on theoretical and practical experience in the craft of conceptualizing and directing films. Students produce, direct, and edit three exercises and a final project of their choosing. Thematic restrictions will guide each exercise. Students learn to work in groups and share the responsibilities in the filmmaking process. Through lectures, readings, and screenings, students will engage in discussions regarding various formal approaches to cinema.

4 credits

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:291
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Expand on theoretical and practical experience in conceptualizing and directing a short film.
• Continue to develop their understanding of the interpretation of text/subtext and how this influences staging/blocking of actor and camera movement.
• Continue to develop their visual storytelling skills and cinematography skills further so that they can better understand actor blocking and scene coverage.
• Continue to develop their understanding of film theory, language, grammar, and dramatic structure for the screen.
• Continue to develop the skills to work collaboratively with others while communicating their ideas to the group from conception to completion of a short film.
• Continue to develop visual storytelling skills and the ability to respond effectively to editorial feedback from the instructor and peers through revisions.

Directing the Actors in Film

Course Number: 07:211:293

This is a workshop course designed to develop techniques for directing engaging and believable on-screen performances. Exercises and assignments will emphasize the relationship between the director and actor. Through script analysis, rehearsals, and scene performances, students will learn the fundamentals of the acting process and gain the necessary skills to communicate their objectives and intentions with actors effectively.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:291
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand correct professional vocabulary to effectively direct the actor, toward the performance and film they envision.
• Develop the ability and self-confidence to articulate and translate from the page to the screen their intentions and goals.
• Build upon their ability to analyze a scripted scene.
• Gain an understanding of how to unearth and discover scene beats and character objectives, and learn how to direct the actors with playable direction.
• Through analytical preparation and knowledge of the rehearsal and film production process, they will strengthen the communication skills necessary to craft truthful and engaging performances for the screen.

Intro to Film Producing

Course Number: 07:211:294

In this course students will be working exclusively on projects developed at the Documentary Film Lab. As they craft advanced non-fiction film projects, students will learn pre-production, research methods, pre-conceptualization, methodologies of production, film portraiture, interviewing methods, non-fiction story structure, editing and post-production. Students will develop and refine their documentary filmmaking skills with support and direction from a faculty instructor.

3 credit(s)

Learning Goals of Course:

• Understand the various stages of producing a film, from development to distribution.
• Understand the essential elements necessary to execute the physical production of a film.
• Build a pitch proposal for a feature or short film.
• Navigate the film industry in a healthy, sustainable way.

Short-Form Series Filmmaking

Course Number: 07:211:306

Gives students hands-on experience as a producer, writer, director, and editor of their own short form serialized narratives. Students will learn how to conceptualize and structure a Short-Form Series. They will write two screenplays or documentary treatments: the pilot and episode #1. The students will gain theoretical and practical experience in producing, directing, and editing as they work to complete these episodes through preproduction, production, and postproduction.

3 credit(s)

Learning Goals of Course:

• Gain theoretical and practical experience in conceptualizing, writing and directing, and editing three complete episodes of their own Short-Form Series.
• Learn how to organize and produce a low-budget film production shoot for a Short-Form Series with limited resources.
• Continue to refine their skills in how a director works with actors from the standpoint of interpreting text and subtext and how these influence staging/blocking and camera movement.
• Gain experience in multimedia expression by creating a Short-Form Series that can be viewed online.

AI & New Technologies

Course Number: 07:211:307

This online synchronous course focuses on giving students real-world learning experiences with cutting-edge technologies in machine learning, generative AI, and other spaces, in combination with storytelling fundamentals, to help students navigate the next great tech revolution in cinema.

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:291

3 credit(s)

Community Engaged Filmmaking

Course Number: 07:211:308

What does a filmmaking practice rooted in ethical and caring community engagement look like? What tools and techniques are needed to create compelling films with community partners? What is the metric of a successful community film collaboration? In this rigorous introduction to community engaged filmmaking, students will learn to identify and collaborate with community partners to create captivating and impactful films. Through readings, film screenings, classroom discussions, production workshops, and community endeavors, students will explore crucial stylistic and social characteristics of community film and will learn strategies for sharing authorship and engaging community members. Students will be exposed to a wide range of ethical considerations and fiction and non-fiction approaches. 

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:110 or 07:211:291 or 07:211:301

3 credit(s)

Blurred Boundaries

Course Number: 07:211:325

This course will examine filmmaking techniques that blur boundaries between fact and fiction. Students will explore the evolution of fact/fiction blurring through film movements such as direct cinema, cinéma vérité, realism and surrealism, ethno-fiction, slow cinema, auto-documentary, and found footage, among others. Students will create three assignments and a final film that utilizes similar techniques. This course will provide students with a foundational understanding of film form and grammar, while challenging the assumption that film techniques can be reduced to film truths. Students will learn approaches to filmmaking that seek to craft uncertain and enigmatic film experiences.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify blurred boundary films and discuss the evolution of fact/fiction filmmaking and supporting theoretical concepts.
• Execute and master technical strategies key to producing blurred boundary films.
• Grasp the distinction between various technical fact/fiction approaches and effects.
• Learn tools and strategies for producing and proposing blurred boundary films. 
• Gain theoretical and practical experience in completing a blurred boundary short film.

Animation 3-D

Course Number: 07:211:330

This course introduces the basic terminology, concepts, and principles of 3-D animation. It is designed to remove the complexities of modern digital 3-D development tools by examining each segment individually and reinforcing it with in class workshops and weekly assignments. This course takes into consideration the historical evolution of 3-D animation, the current technologies, and applications of animation within documentary and fiction film.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the history of digital art and animation and be able to identify significant influences and technologies relating to the current state of 3D animation.
• Understand a more developed sense of the basics of motion perception.
• Develop application-specific 3D techniques related to a variety of media applications.
• Develop a further understanding of animation principles and know the appropriate usage.
• Develop a further understanding of line and form and how they may achieve specific goals.
• Develop an understanding of color and its usage in 3D animation.
• Continue to develop an understanding of sound used in animation in relation to form.
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of modern digital tools.
• Create an understanding of emerging technologies relating to digital 3D, including VR, AR, and game development.
• Gain theoretical and practical experience in completing a 3D short film.
• Combine the entirety of the class goals to generate a stand-alone 3D film.

Experimental Filmmaking

Course Number: 07:211:337

Production course based on an overview of key works and ideas that have informed “avant-garde” and “experimental” film, from their beginnings in the early years of cinema through the present day. While emphasis is placed on nonnarrative works, which generally stress nonlinear and/or abstract expression via form, color, and movement, the course also considers narrative and documentary films that utilize experimental form to challenge, question, and problematize traditional kinds of cinematic storytelling. Through in-class workshops and assignments, students will learn the fundamentals of experimental film production, including shooting on/working with 16mm, hand-processing, darkroom techniques, etc. Students will produce three short-film exercises and a final film.

3 credit(s)

Learning Goals of Course:

• Identify and discuss the history, methodology, and practice of avant-garde filmmaking.
• Develop their various skills in analog filmmaking production.
• Grasp the distinctions between conventional and experimental approaches to filmmaking and be able to articulate how those forms shape practice.
• Learn the fundamentals of experimental film production, including working with analog cameras, projectors, darkroom hand-processing, looping, concrete filmmaking, and found-footage filmmaking.
• Gain theoretical and practical experience in completing an experimental short film.

Documentary Lab Production

Course Number: 07:211:375

In this course students will be working exclusively on projects developed at the Documentary Film Lab. As they craft advanced, non-fiction film projects, students will learn (depending on the production schedule of projects at the Lab) pre-production, research methods, pre-conceptualization, methodologies of production, film portraiture, interviewing methods, non-fiction story structure, editing, and post-production. Students will develop and refine their documentary filmmaking skills with support and direction from a faculty instructor.

3 credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop and refine their documentary filmmaking skills.
• Develop an understanding of the psychological and ethical issues in documentary interviewing and filming, using their class projects as case studies.
• Develop their critical thinking skills regarding visual language, including composition, perspective, and story structure, as they work to represent the documentary’s subject, themes, and characters.
• Advance their technical proficiency in documentary cinematography, editing, lighting, and sound recording.
• Develop various tools and strategies that may enhance a documentary film’s clarity, emotional power, and audience engagement.

Advanced Directing I

Course Number: 07:211:391

This advanced course is designed to enable students to produce from conception to completion a 5- to 7-minute short fiction film. In class, students will workshop every project through all the stages of production. Crew members for shoots can be drawn from within the course; each student is required to crew a minimum of three projects in addition to their directing project. An understanding of historical and aesthetic issues that have shaped the development of the narrative film will comprise a significant part of the course. The class will consist of continuous feedback sessions throughout the development of each student’s script, rough cut, and final cut.

4 credit(s)

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: 07:211:292

Learning Goals of Course:

• Advance their skills for developing, workshopping, and writing an original narrative short film screenplay.
• Skills needed for visualizing, blocking, storyboarding, and shot listing.
• An understanding of many aspects and stages of independent professional narrative filmmaking.
• An understanding of the professional vocabulary and skills necessary to direct actors.
• Continue to learn various narrative film editing techniques to complete their films.
• Continue to develop/enhance their visual storytelling skills and critical viewing skills.
• Familiarity with some key contemporary filmmakers and trends in world cinema.
• A capacity to transfer historical, critical, and theoretical knowledge to their own filmmaking practice.
• Continue to develop visual storytelling skills and the ability to respond effectively to editorial feedback from the instructor and peers through revisions.
• Proficiency in using advanced equipment packages.

Advanced Directing II

Course Number: 07:211:392

In this advanced course, students enrolled in the course complete a documentary film. In class, students workshop every project through all the stages of production and discuss the general stylistic approach of each film. Exploration of historical and aesthetic issues that have shaped the development of documentary film comprises a significant part of the course. Students participate in various dynamic feedback exercises, which will encourage intellectual and artistic investment in each other’s projects. A collaborative spirit of participation and discussion is essential as students engage with each student’s work and collectively develop critical viewing skills.

4 credits

Course Prerequisites; 07:211:391
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

At the end of this course, students will have developed the following:

• An overall understanding of many aspects and stages of independent documentary filmmaking
• Skills for developing, workshopping, and writing an original documentary short film treatment.
• Continue to learn various documentary film editing techniques to complete their films.
• Continue to develop/enhanced critical viewing skills.
• Familiarity with some key nonfiction filmmakers and trends in world cinema.
• A capacity to transfer historical, critical, and theoretical knowledge to their documentary filmmaking practice.

Thesis Film I

Course Number: 07:211:491

This two-semester culminating filmmaking workshop provides the framework and opportunity for senior B.F.A. film students to write, produce, direct, and edit an 8- to 12-minute short thesis film. In this class, students will workshop every aspect of this project with student feedback. In the final semester, students will present their latest cut to faculty members for a thesis review panel. By the end of the semester, students will have produced, directed, and edited a short film that can be submitted to film festivals.

4 credit(s)

Learning Goals of Course:

• Gain practical experience at a more advanced level in the craft of conceptualizing an expert short film or documentary film. And learn the revision process as it applies to screenwriting or documentary treatment.
• Advanced their skills for developing, work-shopping, and writing an original short film screenplay and/or documentary treatment.
• Learn the requirements of a director during pre-production and how to communicate their vision to key creative collaborators.
• A detailed understanding of all aspects (including professional vocabulary) of pre-production for an expert independent film (including the casting audition process, a final pre-production package, broken down shooting script, locations list, crew list, shot list, and schedule.)
• A thorough understanding of visualization, blocking, storyboarding, and shot listing.
• Enhance their critical viewing skills.
• Continue to develop visual storytelling skills and the ability to respond effectively to editorial feedback from the instructor and peers through revisions.
• A capacity to transfer historical, critical, and theoretical knowledge to their own filmmaking practice.

Thesis Film II

Course Number: 07:211:492

This two-semester, culminating filmmaking workshop provides the framework and opportunity for senior BFA film students to write, produce, direct, and edit a short thesis film. In this class, students will workshop every aspect of this project with student feedback. In the final semester, students will present their latest cut to faculty members for a thesis review panel. By the end of the semester, students will have produced, directed, and edited a short film that can be submitted to film festivals.

4 credits

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:392
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

At the end of this course, students will have developed the following:

• An overall advanced understanding of the production and post-production of an expert independent film.
• Advanced skills to direct professional and non-professional actors.
• Enhance their advanced editing and post-production skills.
• Continue to develop their capacity to transfer historical, critical, and theoretical knowledge to their filmmaking practice.
• Theoretical and practical experience in completing an advanced short film.

Independent Study in Film

Course Number: 07:211:495

In this independent study, students working on an individual project will develop and refine their filmmaking skills with one-on-one support and direction from professional faculty. Students are offered supervision and instruction in all areas of filmmaking from technical to narrative structure as they craft their advanced film projects.

BA credits

Course Prerequisites: 07:211:191
Course Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course:

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Advance their technical proficiency in the film industry, including cinematography, lighting, sound recording, and editing, in ways that empower them to utilize the medium to communicate and express ideas to others.
• Actively contribute to an independent film project that will require them to think critically about how they make films.
• Through the filmmaking process and the discussion of the work in process with faculty, students will refine their ability to recognize, discuss, and use varied strategies to engage and communicate with their intended audience.

D. Filmmaking Internship

Course Number: 07:211:498

In a professional setting, learn on-the-job filmmaking skills, develop effective work habits, and build career awareness of the film industry. Involves documentation of learning objectives and completing a summary paper. Includes both a written evaluation by the workplace supervisor and a faculty adviser evaluation.

BA credits

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None

Learning Goals of Course: Upon the successful completion of this course, students will have advanced their skills and understanding of the film industry in a professional setting.