When resources are super tight on a dramatic film, there are right and wrong ways to cut costs. Do it right and you keep the focus on telling the story as effectively and cheaply as possible. Do it wrong and you compromise goodwill with cast and crew, spend money you don’t have, and end up with a movie which simply doesn’t look and sound as good as it could on screen. This intensive crash course takes intermediate and advanced students step by step through the process of producing a short dramatic film, emphasizing the short cuts and tricks at each stage of production which lead to extreme low budget success (tip: light it right and you avoid expensive color correction). Serving as writer/director, the lead instructor will provide hands-on guidance throughout, aided by a visiting director of photography, sound recordist, and other specialists who drop by along the way. Students will serve in at least two crew positions, ranging from camera/lighting/grip to editor and sound designer. Assignments will be made based on student interest and skill, but at instructor discretion. The class will culminate with a sound mix at a local post-production house and a final screening for families and friends. Every student will be credited for their roles and receive the completed film on DVD. The goal is for participants to feel confident in budgeting, scheduling, and producing their own extreme low budget short dramatic film at a later time.

Pre-requisite: Some previous production experience. Knowledge of Final Cut Pro highly recommended.

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

Your digital video camera is a powerful tool of artistic expression! This camera-in-hand course explores the fundamentals of digital video camera operation and encourages the beginning mediamaker to look/see with fresh eyes. For those interested in short dramas, documentaries, or the experimental genre, this class investigates the creative possibilities of composition, light, motion, color, and sound in creating the vision of a film, as well as the necessary technical knowledge for recording effective visuals and sounds. Learn to visualize using digital storyboards and experiment with different shooting styles and ways of storytelling. Class also clarifies what various camera features do, outlines pre-production processes (including location scouting), and introduces basic digital editing software. Videotape is each student's responsibility.

Pre-requisites: None

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

This introductory course will explore the art and business of screenwriting, acquainting students with various markets and the techniques necessary to produce professional quality dramas for film and television. The class begins with writing and reading assignments, lectures, and film viewing (outside of class) for in-class discussion. Emphasis will be on the importance of premise, character development, story construction, dialogue, conflict and resolution, and proper screenplay formatting. The class then turns into a round table workshop in which all students share work or works-in-progress (an outline, treatment or 5-10 pages from a screenplay). Class discussion and critique by the instructor and classmates will be in-depth. Returning screenwriters also welcome.

Pre-requisites: None

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

A hands-on introductory class in which students develop basic video editing skills using Final Cut Pro software. Insert and assemble editing techniques, audio tracks, continuity development, rhythm and pacing, matched action cutting, montage techniques, pre-planning/organization, and other topics will be covered. Multiple editing exercises will center on cutting to dialogue and music, and developing creative ways of relating images to sound. Hands-on demonstrations and critiques are central to the learning experience and will occur throughout the term. Editing time outside of class is required and can be reserved to fit a variety of schedules.

Pre-requisites: ART OF FILMMAKING highly recommended.

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

This course is for the inquisitive filmgoer who aims to become a more discerning viewer of the cinema, and the serious film student who is seeking to find their own voice as a fictional storyteller. Starting with silent movies and classical cinema, this class will roam across continents and historical periods investigating different approaches to and elements of the narrative form. What differentiates a Renoir film from an Ozu, a Godard from a Sembene, a Cassavetes from a Kieslowski? The course will discuss the creative strategies these and other narrative filmmakers deploy to tell their stories—from light, composition, and working with actors, to cultural traditions and personal perspectives. Emphasis will be on how narrative filmmakers have borrowed and adapted the artistic traditions prevalent in their world to film, whether shadow theatre, literature, oral traditions, music, theatre, painting, or the cinema and television they grew up with, and on how each generation has reinvented dramatic cinema for itself, renewing, subverting, or breaking away from older traditions. Working at their own level of technical proficiency (beginning to advanced), each student will create a short fictional film, invoking and paying homage to a filmmaker, a cinematic style, or tradition they want to explore. Outside time is required for research, shooting, and editing. Basic equipment provided through equipment/lab fee.

Pre-requisites: Previous production experience recommended but not required.

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

Get under the hood of the software's capacity to improve workflow, deliver a more professional product, and increase your proficiency. Topics include working with prosumer HD tapeless workflows; advanced user preference settings; customizing Final Cut Pro's keyboard and screen layouts; introduction to filters, motion effects, and keyframing techniques; Final Cut Pro's color correction tools; media management; prepping your edit for online editing or for collaboration with sound mixers/composers; film finishing; and introduction to the digital intermediate workflow. Participants may work from their own footage or use online stock footage.

Pre-requisites: DIGITAL VIDEO EDITING or general proficiency in Final Cut Pro.

NON-CREDIT OR 2 PSU CREDITS

This foundation course, a comprehensive introduction to film production and basic film analysis, uses the Super-8mm format to examine the aesthetic properties of light, movement, and time as they relate to the art of filmmaking. Students will also achieve a working knowledge of the non-sync film production process by producing an original short film either individually or in a group, and they will be encouraged to develop their own artistic vision of the subjects they wish to pursue. Basic camera operation and shooting technique will be examined, as will basic principles of editing using Final Cut Pro software. In-class screenings, discussion, and critiques will support each stage of production activity. Students should expect to spend outside time on their film production. Film, processing, and minor supplies are each student's responsibility.

Pre-requisites: None

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

Would you build a house without a blueprint, or buy one that was constructed without a master plan? Okay, so don't try to write your screenplay without one. Every genre—comedy, action, thriller, drama, even the indie short film—draws on the same general structural elements and key moments to propel the story forward. Discover what they are, find out how they provide a blueprint for all stages of the screenwriting process, and learn to use them to help your script take shape and elevate the quality of your work. Whether you've got a great idea that needs to be fleshed out, or a script that's sagging with second act woes, understanding and implementing structure is the key to taking your story idea to the next level. Quit worrying about dialogue and stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Come prepared to give your unruly ideas and creative impulses the blueprint they need to come to life. All levels of experience are welcome.

Pre-requisites: None.

NON-CREDIT OR 2 PSU CREDITS

This course satisfies the final requirements for completing all three levels of the School's optional CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION programs. It is part of a two-course sequence (PORTFOLIO SEQUENCE: ADVANCED PRODUCTION and PORTFOLIO SEQUENCE: ADVANCED EDITING) in which intermediate and advanced students produce a major personal project of their own selection, drawing upon their previous studies and self-identified interests. The project may be in any genre or combination of styles, but is limited to a finished running time of 10-12 minutes. Individual participants may assume complete creative control on their project by assuming most production roles, or work in a small ensemble, as long as the project is designed to showcase the ability of each member to excel in two or more primary creative roles (e.g., director, producer, cinematographer, editor, writer). Emphasis throughout will be on student-generated critique and feedback, with faculty acting as facilitators. Students will start by editing the footage shot the previous term in PORTFOLIO SEQUENCE: ADVANCED PRODUCTION, and advance through sound design, special effects, titling, final remix, and color correction of the edited film. The course continues the beginning of the Fall Term as students return for final approval and mastering of the projects. The class concludes with the authoring of each student's work samples onto DVD, and with the creation of a portfolio on DVD which also includes an individual Artist Statement, Biography, and Filmography. At a free, public screening in October, students will debut their completed works to the public.

Pre-requisites: Art of Filmmaking, Digital Video Editing, Sound Recording & Post, Shooting Digital Video, one elective, and Portfolio Sequence: Advanced Production (Level One) plus additional stated requirements for Level Two or Level Three. Final Cut Pro editing stations provided by equipment/lab fee. Out-of-facility expenses are a student responsibility. Note: class meets every other week on occasion.

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

Media Arts Academy for Teachers Registration Form

K-12 educators from throughout Oregon are invited to participate in this week-long professional development institute, founded in 2000, which is devoted to supporting the integration of digital media arts into the K-12 curriculum. Co-offered by the Film Center and Portland State University, this year’s Academy focuses on discrete, highly replicable, short projects, exercises, and activities which enable students to demonstrate academic content proficiency in science, social studies, language arts, and other core subjects, while helping students to develop skills in critical thinking, leadership, and media literacy. Emphasis will be on small-scale media projects designed to be easily replicable in every classroom, across all age groups and skill levels, and without reliance on elaborate video equipment. From simple exercises such as the "video scavenger hunt"—designed to engage even the most inexperienced students—to more advanced strategies for leading groups through the writing and production of short narrative and documentary works, teachers will finish the week with a wealth of new classroom techniques that utilize students' innate passion for media to inspire academic excellence. Additionally, veteran K-12 teachers will share their own success stories of integrating media in their classroom, and guest speakers from the Northwest Film Center's technical staff will advise on the purchasing, maintenance, and managing of your in-school video equipment, and methods for distributing student work via DVDs and the Web. Participants may elect to use the Film Center's digital editing lab for additional practice during the evenings. The goals by the end of the week are for educators to 1) develop a framework for understanding how digital media production can support learning goals in a variety of academic subject areas, and 2) have the confidence to initiate media activities in their own classrooms.

Open to educators from all grade levels and endorsement areas. All equipment provided. Enrollment limit: 16. Available for four undergraduate or graduate credits in cooperation with the Portland State University Department of English. Pre-requisites: None.

Two or more from the same school $275 each

NON-CREDIT OR 4 PSU CREDITS

Interested in learning about digital video production but don’t have the time to take a semester-long course? Want an introduction to the entire process so you can then do it yourself, or follow by taking special topic offerings? Learn the basics of DV planning, shooting, and editing, from storyboarding, scripting, and camera technique to post production using Final Cut Pro editing software in the Film Center’s digital editing lab. Everything you need is provided: scripts you can practice with, camera and editing equipment for use in class, and other classmates who will crew with you to project completion. The pace will be fast as the basics are laid out in sequence, and projects progress from week to week. Outside time is not required, as projects can be completed during class meeting time, though participants are welcome to rent equipment from the Equipment Room at a special rate between class meetings if they desire. Review and critique will take place along the way. Gain the confidence to proceed on your own project once the course ends.

Pre-requisites: None

Fee does not include out-of-class camera use.

NON-CREDIT OR 2 PSU CREDITS