Digital Video
Professor Towery

Description:
The goal of the course is to produce a 30 minute television show about the arts at Lehman (22 minutes will be content and 8 minutes of ads). We will produce everything from the commercials to the content of the show. It will be based on a cross between the Daily show with Jon Stewart and the PBS series EGG format. Including man in the street style interviews as well as segments. Each student will take on a role on the production of the show. Each of you will work in small groups to produce a 2-5 minute segment for the final show. I will act as the producer for the show so all ideas should be approved before they go into the production phase.
The topic is open and up to your group but should pertain to the arts at Lehman college. Subjects that are appropriate are such topics as: The New Media program in the art department,The MFA program, Interview with an artist about their work , Interview with a recent graduate, Interview a current student, Theatre, Poetry, Visual Art, Dance, Music, Architecture etc.. here on campus. I want the show to be funny and smart. Entertaining and interesting to students and non students alike. Hopefully this will get broadcast on BronxNet...

The course will consist of a number of exercises that are designed to prepare the student for the production of a short segment for the final show. You should come out of the course familiar with all the phases of producing a video project and become expert in at least one of them.

Evaluation Criteria:
All assignments including both written and practical
Midterm and final projects
Class participation in critiques and general class lectures
Attendance is mandatory. More than two absences is one letter grade down and more than four absences is two letter grades down etc...

Textbook:
Film Directing Shot by Shot

Materials and supplies needed for the course:
at least 5 and up to 10 Mini DV tapes
VHS tape for dubs
Zip discs and CDRW

Course Calendar: This calendar is tentative and my need to be changed for unforseen purposes

week 1 Learning to look at television critically. Types of shots e.g wide, establishment, panning, tracking, dollying,
Asssignment - write a 2 page critique of your favorite show. Analyze the show's pacing, style, lighting, editing, etc... Due Next week
week 2 Using the camera. Details of camera usage and availability
types of video cameras, Camera angles, 		Asssignment - 1 minute short NO EDITING ALLOWED Use natural light
week 3

Critique of 1 minute natural light films
Deconstructing a classic film "Citizen Kane" by Orson Welles

Who's Who on a film crew. the Director, ADs, the producer, the camera operator, the on-screen talent, grips and gaffers, best boy...

 Analyze an academy award winner for best film
week 4 September 19 and 26 are Lehman College Holidays
Scripts screenplays storyboards and Blocking, Shot lists, Pitching your idea		 Present your idea for the final segment to me next week.
week 5 Lighting - The X files, Blade Runner, 1 minute short using artificial light
week 6 Critique of 1 minute artificial light films
 NYPD Blue, MTV, vs
week 7 Editing - Importing the video into the computer Imovie Assignment Create a 30 second advertisment. It must be EXACTLY 30 seconds long.
week 8 Final Cut Pro
Sound - Background sound, sound effects, Foley artists		 A three minute segment on
week 9 MIDTERM CRITIQUE three minute segments  
week 10 Special effects - Star Trek series,
effects including blue/Green screen,
 
week 11 Making credits  
week 12 After Effects introduced Create credits for the semester
week 13 After Effects continued 2-4 minute segment due next week
week 14 Open session Show work in process to me  
week 15 Final Screening of the show All work should have been handed in already

Great Directors: Oscars.com

Ang Lee Crouching Tiger hidden Dragon, The Ice Storm, Eat Drink Man Woman, Emma
Hitchcock The Birds, North by Northwest, Vertigo,
Eisentstein
Leni Reifenstahl
Orson Welles Citizen Kane
Quentin Tarantino Pulp Fiction
Merchant Ivory Howard;s end, A room with a View
John Ford
David Lean Dr. Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia
Frederico Fellini 8 1/2
Chaplin The Great Dictator
Jean Luc Godard
George Cuckor
Peter Greenaway Counting By Numbers and The Cook the thief The Wife and the Lover
Coen Brothers Oh Brother where art thou, Fargo, Barton Fink
Akira Kurosawa Ran
Penny Marshall A League of their own
Rob Reiner Princess Bride
David Mamet
George Cuckor
Francis Ford Coppola Apocalypse Now
Terry Gilliam The Trilogy of Time Bandits, Brazil, and ...
The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys
Steven Spielberg ET...
George Lucas Star Wars...
Gus Van Zant Finding Forrester, My own Private Idaho...
Woody Allen Zelig, Midsummer nights sex comedy, Purple rose of cairo, Manhattan...
Jim Jarmusch Down By Law, Mystery train, Ghost Dog,
Jonathon Demme Something Wild, Stop Making Sense, Silence of the Lambs
John Huston
Ridley Scott Blade Runner, Aliens (The second one), Gladiator

bold means must see

Stanley Kubrick 2001, Dr. Strangelove or how I learned to love the bomb,
David Lynch Twin Peaks TV series, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet,
robert altman
The Matrix

We only have one camera so be very careful with it.

Establishing the target audience
We will often be meeting in the Advanced Imaging research lab so be sure to

No smoking eating or drinking is allowed in any of the labs

The idea
The screenplay
the Pitch - Target Audience? Style? Substance?
the storyboards
Production- the shoot Lighting, talent,
Editing and postproduction
Adding effects and titles
adding sound