Summer Courses

Participants will learn the equipment and techniques used in single-camera field production and post-production through lectures and hands-on projects. A variety of written and produced projects will be edited in digital non-linear mode and then downloaded for review in class.

Participants will develop an understanding of the current "digital revolution" from the perspective of the filmmaker, explore film grammar as it applies to the digital format and practice making short digital films in a lab format. All forms of filmmaking will be discussed, including film as a tool for narrative storytelling. Topics covered will include how to achieve film-quality results with a DV camera; learning the limitations as well as the benefits of the DV format for lighting and camera movement; and practicing the necessary steps for shooting DV and blowing up to 35 mm.

This course will introduce more lighting instruments (including fluorescent and LED lamps), address aesthetic considerations, and practice more advanced lighting techniques for location, studio and exteriors. It will also examine supplementary equipment and the tools of the lighting technician's trade. Finally, it will explore job opportunities and the many resources available in the area.

Saturday Session - Fundamentals of Editing: Learn established techniques such as continuity, montage, L-cuts, sound editing and mixing to create flowing and effective edits. Analyze and critique these methods in excerpts from films, television programs and documentaries.Sunday Session - AVID interface: Master the AVID interface through hands-on instruction covering digitizing, media organization, editing into a timeline, adjusting picture and sound, and outputting your finished project.

This two-day workshop will give you the skills to record broadcast quality location audio whether you're making a documentary, low budget feature or corporate video. You'll learn the tools and handson techniques of the field recordist's trade: microphone choice and placement, set up and operation of an audio field mixer, adapting locations for best possible audio, analyzing scripts for audio, camera calibration, shot blocking and time code management.

SATURDAY SESSION: Guerilla Marketing - Learn how to promote your movie, event or even yourself in unconventional ways. The emphasis will not be on big-budget marketing campaigns but on low-budget promotions that rely on time, energy and imagination to generate buzz and to build relationships with your audience or customers. SUNDAY SESSION: Guerilla Distribution - Learn how to create a grassroots distribution campaign for niche and low budget features and documentaries. Participants will emerge with practical ideas and tools to create a solid and effective distribution strategy for their project.

The Social Marketing Institute is an intense, one-week learning experience sponsored by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the School of Communication that brings together academics and professionals from a variety of disciplines to study how to use communication and the creative arts to influence social change. Combining both theory and practice, the Institute covers the basics of social marketing, behavioral change and communication, and creative development. Participants will work in collaborative teams that include account managers, behavioral scientists and media artists, and learn how to serve as catalysts for individual and social change.