Pre and Post-Production for Emerging Directors Workshop Bundle

WHAT WILL THIS COURSE COVER?

WEEK 1

WORKING WITH THE SCRIPTWRITER

Whether you write your own story or work with a screenplay writer, the script is only the blueprint waiting to come alive in images. It is the director who interprets the script, breaks down a scene into its essence and finds the subtext behind each line.

This is also the initial phase of closing the gap between dream and reality. During this workshop, we will learn about

1. analyzing a scene
2. starting to build the visual world according to subtext
3. how (and why) to create a pitch deck for cast and crew.

WEEK 2

WORKING WITH THE CINEMATOGRAPHER

To find your unique voice in filmmaking, it is not always enough to find an appropriate camera angle from which everyone and everything is visible. Getting familiar with the vocabulary of cinematic techniques helps you to use the camera not only to tell the story but to create subtext as well.

During this week, you will learn how to create

1. a shooting script
2. a storyboard (no drawing talent is needed)
3. and a shot list.

WEEK 3

WORKING WITH THE ACTORS

You might already have brilliant character profiles; however, it is going to be your actors who will turn them into flesh-and-blood people; characters, the audience will sympathize with or fear for.

Alternatively, you might follow David Mamet's no-nonsense approach and believe that "There is no character, there are just black marks on a white page - it is a line of dialogue." Whatever your conception might be, your actors will be your translators when it comes to telling the story.

So, this time we will talk about

1. casting
2. developing characters with your actors
3. developing chemistry among them through improvisation
4. and the rehearsal in the presence of the cinematographer.

PRODUCTION AND POST-PRODUCTION FOR DIRECTORS

WEEK 4

WORKING WITH EVERYONE ON SET

David Mamet says in On Directing Film: "All you have to do on set is stay awake, follow your plans, help the actors be simple, and keep your sense of humour. [...] It is the plan that makes the movie." Still, your cast and crew will rely on you when it comes to making a decision even during an otherwise eventless shooting.

To keep calm and carry on with the shooting as you planned, we will discuss

1. the shooting schedule
2. your presence on set focusing on
   1. cinematography
   2. acting
   3. sound
   4. and your AD (the gentle person with the whip to keep the schedule)
3. keeping your sense of humour (staying kind under pressure)
4. keeping the balance between sticking to the plan vs embracing spontaneity.

WEEK 5

WORKING WITH THE EDITOR

Editing is the magic of cinematic language. You can (and you should!) tell the story through a juxtaposition of images without over-explanation. To do that, however, your work with your editor starts before shooting.

In order to tell your story in perfectly chosen cuts, we will talk about

1. involving the editor in creating the shot list
2. watching the footage and what to look for
3. and making decisions to capture the best frame that tells the story.

WEEK 6

WORKING WITH THE SOUND DESIGNER AND COMPOSER

If your images are not flawless, but the sound is pitch-perfect, you have a professional-looking film. Voices and noises are something you cannot simply shut out, so the superb sound design can make or break the understanding of your film.

In our last session, we will explore

1. how to add layers to the understanding of your story through sound design
2. dubbing
3. voice-over and its effect on the film
4. the importance of the music and the lack of it
5. and how to work with a composer.