Mass Com 423: FILM THEORIES

Syllabus

Wesleyan University-Philippines                                                                                 Mass Com 423 – Film Theories
College of Arts and Sciences                                                                                                   CourseCredit: 3 Units
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A course designed to equip the Mass Communication students with a grasp of the technical and artistic aspects of film making.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, the students are expected to:

Cognitive

 be familiar with the various basic film production techniques.

Affective

realize the importance of creativity, teamwork and discipline.

Psychomotor

apply the knowledge and skills they have gained to produce a short film production project.

METHODOLOGY

Lectures and demonstrations
Viewing sessions
Practical exercises
Group projects

COURSE OUTLINE

  Topic                                                                                                       Timeline

COURSE ORIENTATION	1 week
OVERVIEW OF FILM HISTORY	1 week
FILM AS SCIENCE: TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF FILM MAKING	1 week
FILM AS ART: AESTHETIC ASPECTS OF FILM MAKING	1 week
PRACTICAL EXERCISES:
Production of 30-sec. film advertisement	2 weeks
Production of a film sequence adapted from a stage play	2 weeks
Scripting and pre-production preparations for final short film project	4 weeks
Shooting and post-production of final  short film project	6 weeks
	18 weeks

 Monday to Friday      12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM

REQUIREMENTS

Periodical projects
Critiques

GRADING SYSTEM

Term Project ----------------------------------- 40%

Academic Exercises:

Quiz/Pre-prod Activities--------- 40%
Class Participation---------------- 10%
Attendance--------------------------- 10%

REFERENCES

Zettl, Herbert. Sight sound motion (Applied media aesthetics). 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1999.

Proferes, Nicholas T. Film directing fundamentals: form script to screen. Boston: Focal Press, 2001.

Cleve, Bastian. Film production management. 2nd ed. Boston: Focal Press, 2000.

Cooper, Pat. Writing the short film. 2nd ed. Boston: Focal Press, 2000.

Douglass, John S. The art of technique: an aesthetic approach to film production and video production. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.

Tobias, Ronald. The insider’s guide to writing for screen and television. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest, 1997.

Online Reference Materials