Syllabus

School of Entertainment Arts, Department of Film and Television, Savannah

FILM 320 - Directing the Narrative Section: 02 CRN: 10786

SCAD Mission:The Savannah College of Art and Design exists to prepare talented students for professional careers, emphasizing learningthrough individual attention in a positively oriented university environment.

Course Description:This course combines hands-on exercises, screenings and demonstrations of the fundamental directing skills required forvisual storytelling. Students are introduced to plot development, scene continuity, dramatic motivation of talent, the mainnarrative models and the language of various narrative structures. Prerequisite(s): FILM 106, FILM 210, MPRA 314, SNDS 201.

Course Goals: The following course goals articulate the general objectives and purpose of this course:

1. Students will develop sophisticated skills for the art and craft of narrative filmmaking.

2. Students will gain deeper knowledge of the director’s craft of storytelling by visual means.

3. Students will learn a methodology and strategy for translating a script to the screen and construct a visual,emotional and character-driven story line.

4. Students will explore the process of directing a short narrative film, from conception to completion.

Student Learning Outcomes: The following course outcomes indicate competencies and measurable skills that studentsdevelop as a result of completing this course:

1. Students will articulate the manner of narrative treatment.

2. Students will establish and maintain a visual look all the way through the film to enhance the expressivepotential of the film through visual design.

3. Students will apply film language standards and genre visual conventions to shot design.

4. Students will determine, analyze, and visually articulate the director’s units.

5. Students will apply different approaches of blocking and staging to a scene.

6. Students will use a sophisticated visual strategy for rendering a scene based on character perspective.

Schedule of Classes:

Fall 2014Jesse Wolfe

Office building, room: Adler 309Phone: 912-525-6419

Office hours: Mon-Thu 1:30-2:30Email: jwolfe@scad.edu

Building/Room: ADLER 312 Meeting Times: Monday / Wednesday

8:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Key events including assignments, projects due dates/exam dates:

Class 1:Mon,

September15, 2014

Discussion: -Intro Class- Go over Syllabus and Class procedures

“What Do YOU Want To Learn In This Class?”

Discussion: “Festival Project” and “Personal Narrative” Project parameters/requirements

Discussion: How to Choose a Good Film Idea.

Assignment: Find your “Festival” Projects and prepare your pitches / Read Article 1posted on course blogsite

Class 2:Wed,

September17, 2014

Safety Announcement

Discussion: Essential Elements of the (Short) Film Narrative/ The Role OfDirector/Creating the Director’s Vision (Visualization, Filters)

Discussion: Pitching the Narrative

Assignment: Continue to find your “Festival” Projects and prepare your pitches.

Class 3:Mon,

September22, 2014

Discussion: In Camera Coverage vs Shot-by-Shot Style

-In class exercise: Covering the scene

Assignment: Continue to find your “Festival” Projects and prepare your pitches.

Class 4:Wed,

September24, 2014

Pitch Day: We will hear/critique “Festival” Project Ideas. Pitchers must turn in a draft ofthe script on pdf. This will be posted on course blogsite for all students to read by nextclass.

Class 5:Mon,

September29, 2014

Discussion/Review: Casting and Performance

Discussion: Define the Personal Narrative Project

Assignment: Read article posted on course blogsite.

Class 6:Wed,

October 1,2014

Discussion: Visual Storytelling- using the image/mise-en-scene to deliver narrative.

In Class Exercise: The silent scene: In teams of two, shoot a one minute scene twoways: no edit/single shot, and covered/edited scene. One character, one minute, nosound. Be prepared to justify your choices based on your “vision” for the scene.

Assignment: continue to work on silent scene exercise/ Read article posted on courseblogsite.

NOTE: *MANDATORY WORKSHOP- “Crafting the Festival-Friendly Short Film”

Thursday October 2nd 7:30pm Studio A (Food will be provided).

Class 7:Mon,

October 6,2014

Green-lit “Festival” Projects announced.

In Class: Coordinate/Assign Crew Heads for Green-lit Festival Projects

Assignment: “Festival” Project Directors begin meeting with crew to beginpreproduction. Make necessary changes to script as discussed in class.

Class 8:Wed,

October 8,2014

Discussion: Staging and Blocking

Exercise: Block a scene three different ways to achieve three different objectives.

Discussion: Blocking Actors the two-person and three-person scene.

Assignment: Scout for locations. Begin casting. Producers begin all paperwork forshoot. Begin casting, budgets and shot lists

Class 9:Mon,

October 13,2014

Coordinate Meeting Schedule for next class time

Discussion: Shooting Love & Sex Scenes

Discussion: Effective Shot Listing

Festival Project In class work day- we will use class time for production meetings andpreproduction coordination

Assignment: prep for Professor/Production Crew Meeting next class

Class 10:Wed,

October 15,2014

-FESTIVAL PROJECT CREWS meet One-on-One with professor.

-Must turn in cast list, crew list, schedule, budget topsheet, shooting script/shot list

Class 11:Mon,

October 20,2014

Discussion: Entrances and Exits

Turn In: any requested materials from Professor/Crew One-on-One Meetings.

Assignment: Shoot Green-lit Festival Projects

Class 12:Wed,

October 22,2014

Discussion: Dramatic Shift, Revelation and Discovery

Discussion: Just Before The Camera Rolls- Effective On-Set Directing Techniques

Assignment: Shoot Green-lit Festival Projects

Class 13:Mon,

October 27,2014

ONE ON ONE MEETINGS WITH PROFESSOR: Discuss progress of PersonalNarrative Project

FILM FESTIVAL WEEK: All students must attend at least one feature, one shortprogram and one lecture/panel). Fill out Festival Assignment #1 posted on blogsite.

Assignment: Shoot Green-lit Festival Projects

Class 14:Wed,

October 29,2014

ONE ON ONE MEETINGS WITH PROFESSOR: Discuss progress of PersonalNarrative Project

FILM FESTIVAL WEEK: All students must attend at least one feature, one shortprogram and one lecture/panel). Fill out Festival Assignment #2 posted on blogsite.

Assignment: Assemble Festival Projects

Class 15:Mon,

November3, 2014

Discussion: Film Festival strategies

Screen: First Assemblages of Festival Projects and critique

Assignment: Work on Festival Project edit issues discussed in class

Class 16:Wed,

November5, 2014

Turn In: Film Festival Assignments

Screen: Assemblages of Festival Projects and critique

Assignment: Work on Festival Project edit issues discussed in class

Class 17:Mon,

November10, 2014

Screen: Assemblages of Festival Projects and critique

Assignment: Work on Festival Project edit issues discussed in class

Class 18:Wed,

November12, 2014

Turn In: Final Individual Personal Narrative Projects

Screen: Assemblages of Festival Projects and critique

Assignment: Work on Festival Project edit issues discussed in class

Class 19:Mon,

November17, 2014

Screen Project Cuts

Assignment: Fill out/write the Final Exam/Paper and have ready to turn in at the top offinal class: Must be printed on paper, stapled with name on it to receive credit.

Class 20:Wed,

November19, 2014

Turn in Final paper/exam

Screen Project Cuts and Personal Narrative Projects

Grading Opportunities:

Your overall course grade will be computed according to the following breakdown:

Assignment Weight

Crew Head Position on "Festival" Project 20.000percent

Mandatory Workshop 10.000percent

One-On-One Meetings with Professor 10.000percent

Personal Narrative Project 30.000percent

Festival Project Completion 10.000percent

Film Festival Assignments 10.000percent

Final Exam Paper 10.000percent

Grading Standards Range

Letter grade: A = excellent 90 —100 %

Letter grade: B = good 80 — 89 %

Letter grade: C = * 70 — 79 %

Letter grade: D = * 60 — 69%

Letter grade: F = failing 0 — 59%

*Refer to the student handbooks and departmental standards for minimal acceptance for passing grade.

Course Information:

Field Trip(s):Savannah Film Festival

"Crafting The Festival Friendly Short film" Workshop

Extra Help Session(s):All students with a course score of C or lower must attend Extra Help sessions

Extended Learning Opportunities:

Course Materials:

Required Text(s):

No individual text books are required for this course. Reading assignments and other required materials will be posted byprofessor on the course blogsite: http://wolfe-scad-film320.blogspot.com

Recommended Text(s):The Film Director's Intutition by Judith Weston (c) 2003 Michael Weise Productions ISBN: 0-941188-78-7

Required Material(s):Access to camera

Access to edit equipment

Access to printer

Access to working stapler

University Policies:

Academic Integrity: Under all circumstances, students are expected to be honest in their dealings with faculty, administrative staff and otherstudents.

In class assignments, students must submit work that fairly and accurately reflects their level of accomplishment. Any workthat is not a product of the student's own efforts is considered dishonest. Students must not engage in academicdishonesty; doing so can have serious consequences.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following:1. Cheating, which includes, but is not limited to, (a) the giving or receiving of any unauthorized assistance in producingassignments or taking quizzes, tests or examinations; (b) dependence on the aid of sources including technology beyondthose authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems or carrying out other assignments;(c) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the university facultyor staff; or (d) the use of unauthorized assistance in the preparation of works of art.2. Plagiarism, which includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published orunpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. Plagiarism also includes the unacknowledgeduse of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.3. Submission of the same work in two or more classes without prior written approval of the professors of the classesinvolved.4. Submission of any work not actually produced by the student submitting the work without full and clear writtenacknowledgement of the actual author or creator of the work.

Attendance and Personal Conduct: Only students who are properly registered for a course may attend and participate in that class. Students are expected toattend and participate in all scheduled classes and examination periods. Absences in excess of four class periods perquarter, or 20 percent of the course, result in the student receiving a failing grade for the course. Tardiness, earlydeparture or other time away from class in excess of 15 minutes per class session is considered absence for the class session.

The student's appearance and conduct should be appropriate and should contribute to the academic and professionalatmosphere of SCAD. The university reserves the right at its sole discretion to withdraw the privilege of enrollment fromany student whose conduct is detrimental to the academic environment or to the well-being of other students, faculty orstaff members, or to the university facilities.

Enrollment policies: Students are responsible for assuring proper enrollment. See the SCAD catalog for information on add/drop, withdrawals,incompletes, and academic standing.

Midterm Conference(s): Each student enrolled in the course will have a midterm conference scheduled outside of class time with the professor.Students are expected to keep this appointment.

Academic Support and Tutoring: Academic support for students at all SCAD locations can be found in MySCAD, under the Student Workspace tab,Department Directory, Academic Resources.

Course Evaluations: SCAD offers students the opportunity to evaluate all scheduled courses during each quarter term. Student feedback isessential to continuously improve academic services at SCAD. Evaluations will be available the end of each quarter at thebeginning of Week 8 and must be completed online by the Monday following Week 10. A sample course evaluation foron-ground courses is available here.In order to access course evaluations, the student should take the following steps:

Log on to MySCAD1.Click on the Student Workspace Tab2.Locate the Course Evaluations link under My Courses channel3.This will bring up a page that says current surveys and lists all the courses that are currently available for evaluation.4.

For more information or questions, contact us at evaluations@scad.edu.

Student Surveys:The SCAD Student Survey and the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory will both be administered in Week 6 ofspring quarter . SCAD's office of institutional effectiveness is responsible for gathering and delivering survey results todecision-makers on campus. For more information or questions, contact us at surveys@scad.edu.

Please refer to the college catalog or the student handbook for all college policies and procedures.