UCTN's "The High Definition Creative Community Initiative"

Digital TV Seminar and Workshop Opportunity

JULY 2006 COURSE DETAILS

The following courses will cover these areas:

PRODUCING

Script evaluation, research, budgeting programs, pre-production planning, and scheduling, insurance, completion bonds, safety issues, unions, casting, personnel and crewing, forms and paperwork, legal, music and post production.

Working with script material supplied by the Writers and UCTN, the producers will act as production and location managers, assistant directors and production coordinators. They will plan and organize the productions, and ensure that all the departments work smoothly together.

DIRECTING

Analyzing and breaking down scripts provided by the writers and UCTN.  Communicating with production departments, camera, set design, wardrobe, sound and the editorial department. Understanding casting, rehearsal, working with actors, performance, scheduling, camera angles and scene blocking.  Single and multiple camera shoots, storyboarding and shot lists, weather and coverage strategies.

The Directors will select and alternate between the roles of director and assistant director. Determine a style and context right for the production and work with the writers to polish their scripts with the actors. In post-production they will work with the Editors to get the best result from their project.

WRITING FOR FILM & TELEVISION

Review of writing for Film and Television, Books on screen writing, computer programs and script formats, Writing and re-writing, Narrative and Storytelling, Research and inspiration, Analyzing Scenes, Characters and Dialogue, Working alone and as part of a Group, Ways of working and getting a first draft, Submissions and Agents.

The writers will work separately or in groups, to produce two or more short pilot pieces that will act as promotional material for either UCTN or one of the projected programs.  These should be written and designed to incorporate the other departments, and with as much variety as possible. Utilizing the location that has been selected for the seminars and workshops, it will be the writers brief to develop the one to three minute dramatic productions.

ACTING FOR THE SMALL SCREEN

Acting for camera.  Developing a character and finding an identity.  Understanding continuity, “staying in the moment” and repetition of performance.  Script analysis, marks and technique.  Knowing what the camera does and how an actor can bring scripted characters to life.  Understanding the essence of a “truthful performance” and the special qualities that are required and expected for television or cinema.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Component parts of Production Design, Script Breakdown and Set Design, Drawings, Picture Reference and Swipe Books, Materials and Painting, Designing for the Camera and the Budget, Construction Technique and Tools, Propping and Period Detail, Studios versus Locations, Budget and Scale, Storytelling through Art Direction, Faking for the Lens, Interiors versus Exteriors, CGI and the Art Department, Working with the Budget, Production, Director, Wardrobe and Camera Departments, Day versus Night.

Production Designers will develop an overall look and atmosphere for the selected workshop scripts.  Working with the Seminar Workshop location as a base they will design two or more productions that have contrasting styles.  They will interact with the Directors, Camera and Wardrobe Departments to produce a cohesive look and atmosphere for what the productions call for. 

DIGITAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

Digital video camera techniques, lenses and filters, lighting for the story and script. Composition, dynamic framing, focus, depth and perspective, dollies and documentary techniques.   Preparation for shooting, tests, shot lists, planning, blocking, day versus night, weather and the “film” look.

For the workshops the camera department will work closely with the producer, director, production designers, lighting & grip, and sound departments. Their role will be to capture the scenes and actors performances in accordance with the director’s wishes. Camera movement and operation, lighting and atmosphere should all enhance the overall story.

WARDROBE DESIGNERS

Script Breakdown for the Wardrobe Department, Style and Costume Design for key characters, Present Day versus Period Production and the problems involved, Wardrobe on a small or tight budget, Working with the Actors, Care and Maintenance of the Wardrobe Collection, Fabrics and Materials, Tailoring, Fabrication and Construction, Aging Costumes, Wardrobe Purchase Sheets, Size cards, Fittings and Wardrobe Returns, Fabric and Shoe Noise and working with the Sound Recordist.

The Wardrobe Designer will work closely with the Director, Production Designer, the Actors and the Sound Recordists. They will carry the overall concept of the Production Design through to the actors and characters to complete the chosen look.

LIGHTING & RIGGING

Lighting and grip equipment.  Cranes & dollies. The properties of light, creating a “look”  for a scene, Coping with mixed lighting conditions, control, dimming, cutting and setting lights, The need to manipulate light, set lighting, day and night lighting, generator requirements versus location power. Interiors and exteriors, lighting for dramas and documentaries, key, fill and backlight.

The Lighting and Rigging crews will work closely with the digital cameraperson and production designer. They will put into place the director’s concept as translated by the digital cameraperson and the production designer that can be achieved within the schedule and the budget. Their job, together with the cinematographer, is to find aesthetic and practical solutions for the lighting design for each scene.

SOUND RECORDING

Theory of Sound Recording.  Basic kits and consumables for dramatic and documentary situations, boom operation and shadows, digital sound recording requirements, cameras, mixers and microphones.  Multiple camera set-ups, disguising microphones, radio mics, weather problems and solutions, creating optimum recording conditions on location.  Techniques for dialogue and wild tracks, ambience and effects.

The Sound Recordists will work closely with the actors, director and camera department. They will record any dialogue scenes and effects material needed.  Understanding the perspective of sound and how it relates to what the camera is photographing is a key component in making a scene work.

EDITING ON FINAL CUT PRO FOR TELEVISION
(For candidates with FCP experience only)

Working with Final Cut Pro, dialogue, effects and music, sound design, the assembly, the first cut, the final edit, knowing the script, timing and pacing.  The editor will work with the producer and the director. His role will be to maintain the original concept with an objective eye that is separate from the written script and the direction of the production.  Together with the director he fashions the finished film.