Film Production

4.00 Credits
The first of a two-semester course exploring the historical development of the media arts. This course will focus on the development of the film, broadcasting, and sound recording industries until 1950, including the organization, operation, and management of media organizations. The course will investigate the relationship between economics, industrial history, and social and political systems, and the styles and techniques of specific films and broadcast programs. Special attention is given to the diversity of styles of presentation in the media.

4.00 Credits
The second of a two-semester course exploring the historical development of the media arts. This course will focus on the continuing development of the film, broadcasting, and sound recording industries after 1950, as well as the development of video and digital technologies, including the organization, operation, and management of media organizations. The course will investigate the relationship between economics, industrial history, and social and political systems, and the styles and techniques of specific films and videos, broadcast programs, and new media.

4.00 Credits
This course combines lectures with hands-on workshops. It examines the relationships among photography, graphics, audio, film, video, and new media within the context of cross-media concepts, theories, and applications. The course traces the creative process from initial conception and writing through production and post-production. Students will proceed through a series of exercises that will lead to completion of a final project, which establishes a foundation for advanced production course work.

4.00 Credits
This course explores theoretical and critical approaches to the study of photography, film, video, audio, and digital culture. Theories and methods in this course will examine issues relating to production and authorship in the media arts, audience reception and effects, political ideology, ethics, aesthetics, cultural diversity, and schools of thought within the liberal arts. Extensive critical writing and reading in media criticism and theory. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
An introductory level course in the basics of non-synchronous 16mm filmmaking, including basic camera operation, principles of cinematography and lighting, black-and-white film stock information, introduction to non-sync sound recording and transfers, and picture and sound editing.

4.00 Credits
An intermediate level 16mm film production class designed to introduce students to the technical, conceptual, and procedural skills necessary to successfully complete a short double system sync-sound film. Students will be introduced to pre-production, production, and post-production procedures and techniques, and will receive detailed hands-on instruction in the operation of sync-sound motion picture production and post-production equipment.

4.00 Credits
Participants will study the short subject within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, and experimental concepts and scripts (animation is included in any of these forms). Scripts will range from 3-15 minutes in length and should be suitable for shooting within the budget and time constraints of an Emerson College production class. Students will be expected to complete comprehensive revisions of their work. Prerequisites: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
Combining lecture, workshop, and screenings, this course examines the fundamentals of writing for narrative feature-length film. The course will examine structure, character, scene writing and dialogue and will take students from ideation through to the development of a detailed outline. Prerequisites: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
This course will examine how to write for television in a variety of formats, including news magazine, reality TV, and children's television, but with a predominant emphasis on situational comedies, dramas, and movies of the week. Through a series of lectures, screenings, and readings, the elements of each genre will be analyzed. Each student will be challenged and encouraged to find his or her own unique "voice" and to find new and innovative ways to write stories within the confines of each established format. Each student will leave with a professional first draft of either a sitcom or drama, or the first 30 pages of a made-for-TV movie script. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
An introduction to single-camera video production. Through lectures and hands-on projects, students learn the equipment and techniques used in single-camera field production and post-production. Students write and produce a variety of projects, which are edited in digital non-linear mode and then downloaded for review in class.

4.00 Credits
An introduction to studio television practice. Through lectures and hands-on laboratories, students learn the principles of pre-production, production, and post-production for the studio as well as control room procedures. Students prepare their own productions, from concept to completion. Each project is shot multi-camera, live-on-tape, in the studio.

4.00 Credits
An introduction to audio physics, sound principles, and the theory and practice of audio recording and mixing. The emphasis is on concept development for sound production; signal routing and the mixer console; analog and digital audio recording and editing techniques. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
An intensive study in the theory and practice of field/location and studio audio recording for film, video, television and documentary formats. The course covers techniques in the use of field/studio recorders and mixers, wireless microphones, shotgun microphones, boom poles & shot blocking. Also covered are tape based, and hard disk digital recorders, and time-code synchronization management. Prerequisite: VM 250.

4.00 Credits
An introduction to the theory and practice of digital media production. This course will stress the conceptual, aesthetic, and technical concerns of digital media, emphasizing creativity and familiarity with the material. Areas include introductions to Web design and development, animation, interactivity, graphics and imaging, as well as project management, interface design, and user experience. Students will produce creative works based on instruction in the technical aspects of the material. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
This course will examine various topics in media arts. Students will be expected to study a variety of issues in seminar fashion. Topics vary from section to section. Course may be repeated for credit if topics vary. Prerequisite: VM 200 and Senior standing (Junior standing with permission of Chair).

4.00 Credits
Participants will study the short subject within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, and experimental concepts and scripts (animation is included in any of these forms). Scripts will range from 3-15 minutes in length and should be suitable for shooting within the budget and time constraints of an Emerson College production class. Students will be expected to complete comprehensive revisions of their work. Prerequisites: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
Combining lecture, workshop, and screenings, this course examines the fundamentals of writing for narrative feature-length film. The course will examine structure, character, scene writing and dialogue and will take students from ideation through to the development of a detailed outline. Prerequisites: VM 101 and VM 120.

4.00 Credits
Sound Design is an introductory course on the art of inventing sounds and composing the soundtrack for visual media such as film, video, computer animation and websites. The focus of the course is on audio postproduction and the roles of the supervising sound editor and the sound designer. Postproduction techniques include sound recording, sound editing, and sound mixing in stereo and surround sound. The theoretical focus of the course investigates the voice in film and all visual media, as speech, as song and everything that remains afterward. Prerequisite: VM 250.

4.00 Credits
Computer Animation I is the first course in the two-course computer animation sequence, introducing students to the fundamentals of three-dimensional modeling and animation and preparing them for the second course, VM 461 Computer Animation II. Students learn to model, texture objects, compose and light scenes, animate, and add dynamics. Finally they learn to render their animations into movies and to composite movies, audio, titles, and credits in post-production. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240 or VM 241 or VM 250 or VM 260.

4.00 Credits
A course that examines a director's preparation in detail, with a particular emphasis on forming creative approaches to the script, as well as image and sound design. Production and post-production strategies will also be addressed, and students' worked critiqued. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240.

4.00 Credits
Students develop skills in directing actors in dramatic performances for video and film. Building on a foundation of fundamental video and film skills, students will learn how to plan and direct narrative sequences. Students will be taken step by step through the directing process with a particular emphasis on research and visualization. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240 or VM 241.

4.00 Credits
This advanced-level course has an emphasis on how to work as a production team, involving a more thorough investigation of the filmmaking process, from conception to completion. Students will be provided with instruction and assistance in the pre-production, production, and post-production of team-produced short films. Prerequisite: VM 231.

4.00 Credits
This course is an intermediate-level 16mm film production workshop in the use of unorthodox, non-computer-driven methods and processes for developing and producing motion pictures. While the course gives an overview to historic methods of formal exploration of the basic materials of film as a projection medium including camera-less filmmaking, direct animation, loop projections, as well as alternative mechanical processes such as xerography, hand process, and alternative camera tools and techniques, the primary emphasis is on creative invention and exploration. Prerequisite: VM 231 or VM 240.

4.00 Credits
This course is an intermediate-level 16mm film and video production workshop: it is designed to further students' understanding of and abilities to work with medium- to long-format post-production processes through editing assignments in film and video along with critical examination of completed motion pictures. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240 or VM 241.

4.00 Credits
This course is an introduction to basic elements of the aesthetics, technology and craft of cinematography and videography. The students will gain a working knowledge of the first level of cameras in the department. They will also be introduced to basic lighting design and equipment, with an emphasis on crew relations and organization. Coursework will include reading assignments, preparation for examinations, and production exercises. The course will also include a comprehensive exploration of the work of significant cinematographers. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240.

4.00 Credits
Working from detailed outlines developed in VM 221 Writing the Feature Film, this course will take students through to the completion of a first draft, feature-length screenplay. In addition to writing their own scripts, students will read the material written by each member of the class, write a detailed critical analysis of each segment, and engage in discussion of aesthetics, craft and form. Prerequisite: VM 221 or WP 439. (This course may count toward the Media Arts major or the WLP major.)

4.00 Credits
The goal of this course is the development of an understanding of the current "digital revolution" from the perspective of the filmmaker, offering students the opportunity to explore film grammar as it applies to the digital format. All forms of digital filmmaking will be discussed, including its use as a tool for narrative storytelling. The course will cover such topics as how to achieve film-quality results with a DV camera; the limitations as well as the benefits of the DV format for lighting and camera movement; and the necessary steps for shooting DV and blowing up to 35mm. The class will be conducted in a lab format, with students making short digital films. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240 or VM 241 or VM 250 or VM 260.

4.00 Credits
An introduction to the budgeting and logistical organization of film and television drama productions, which will review the roles of Associate Producer, Production Unit Manager, First Assistant, Second Assistant Location Manager, and other members of the producer's and director's teams. Prerequisite: VM 230 or VM 240.

4.00 Credits
This course provides advanced studies in audio post-production. Emphasis is placed on expanding the student's conceptual framework and refining creative audio post-production skills in surround sound mixing and applications in film, video and new media.