Syllabus Spring 2015Jesse Wolfe

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

Office hours: Mon-Thu 1:30-2:30p or by appointment

Email: jwolfe@scad.eduBuilding/Room: ADLER 312 Meeting Times: Monday / Wednesday

8:00 AM - 10:30 AM

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

FILM 401 - Directing Actors Section: 01 CRN: 30706

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 explores the theoretical and practical considerations of the director in relationship to the multiple facets ofdirecting actors. The course is an in-depth workshop involving casting, mounting and realization of a sequence from ascreenplay emphasizing characterization and shot design. Students are introduced to basic techniques in film, television andtheater acting; script and character analysis (text vs. subtext); the directors breakdown; casting actors; special skills inrehearsals; improvisation; pacing the actors performance; and navigating multiple film performances from the ensembleperspective. Prerequisite(s): FILM 132 or MPRA 204.

Course Goals: The following course goals articulate the general objectives and purpose of this course:1. Students will develop a director's understanding of the actors process and the ability to direct good performancesby giving directors experience both behind the camera as directors and in front of the camera as actors.

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

1. Students will demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of acting technique and the actors language.

2. Students will demonstrate communication skills that are based upon an understanding of the actors process.

3. Students will demonstrate the skill of script analysis in preparation for casting, rehearsing and shooting.

4. Students will demonstrate shot design skills that bring performance to the screen through the choreography ofthe actor with the camera.

Schedule of Classes:

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

mailto:jwolfe@scad.edu

Class 1:Mon,

March23, 2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: Professor Intro. Go over Syllabus.

-ASSIGNMENT: Read Post on Blog: Acting Methods

Class 2:Wed,

March25, 2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: Directors Vision

-ASSIGNMENT: Read article posted on blogsite

Class 3:Mon,

March30, 2015

ACTOR/DIRECTOR STUDENT SUMMIT and MEET & GREET

LOCATION- TBD

Acting students and Directing The Actor students will meet to discuss the Actor/DirectorRelationship and have a casual Meet & Greet where the two disciplines can mingle.

*NOTE: this event may be moved up or down calendar per Performing Arts facultyrequirements

Class 4:Wed,

April 1,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: UNDERSTANDING ACTORS- The Actors Life, Actor Types

-SCREEN: "Tootsie" and discuss

-ASSIGNMENT: Read Craft- Problems Actors Bring posted on course blogsite

Class 5:Mon,

April 6,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: UNDERSTANDING THE DIRECTOR- Problems Directors Bringto Table, Common Directing Mistakes and Traps

-ASSIGNMENT: Read The Actors Language posted on course blogsite

Class 6:Wed,

April 8,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: THE DIRECTORS TOOLBOX- The 5 Tools of Effective directingof Actors

Class 7:Mon,

April 13,2015

*QUIZ #1- on all reading and lectures from start of class to date

Class 8:Wed,

April 15,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: DIRECTOR PREPARATIONS- Script Analysis, Scene Analysis,Character Analysis

-ASSIGNMENT: Read The Throughline posted on the course blogsite

Class 9:Mon,

April 20,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: CASTING- The Right Person For The Role, Casting Directors,Headshots and Resumes

Class 10:Wed,

April 22,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: CASTING continued- Running Effective Auditions, CharacterBreakdowns

-SCREEN: "Casting By" and discuss

-ASSIGNMENT: Read the script posted on the blogsite. Create A Script analysis statement, analizethe chosen scene from the script, and create character bio's for the characters in the scne baseedonEgri's 3 stage Character Breakdown from "The Art Of Dramatic Writing"

Class 11:Mon,

April 27,2015

-TURN IN: Script/Scene/Character Analysis Papers

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: Discuus the script and the scene chosen. Create as a class breakdowns forthechaarcters and synopsis to send to casting department.

Class 12:Wed,

April 29,2015

-QUIZ #2 on all lectures, discussions and readings from last quiz trough presentdate.

NOTE: *FRIDAY MAY 1st 11:00a-2:00pm CASTING/AUDITION LAB: mandatoryparticipation.

*The date/time of this lab may be moved up or down calendar per Performing Artsfaculty requirements

Class 13:Mon,

May 4,2015

-SCREEN/DISCUSS Videos, headshots, resumes and notes from the Casting Lab. As a class Castthe lead roles.

Class 14:Wed,

May 6,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: REHEARSALS and RESOLVING PROBLEMS ON SET

-ASSIGNMENT: Read Blocking Physical Objects and Phusical Activity, and Resiatances fromarticle postred on blogsite

Class 15:Mon,

May 11,2015

-LECTURE/DISCUSSION: Screen Michael Caines Acting For The Camera

-ASSIGNMENT: Read Improv, Nudity and Sex, Fight and Action Scenes and RehearsingChildren posted on blogsite.

Class 16:Wed,

May 13,2015

LECTURE/DISCUSSION: EFFECTS OF PRODUCTION ELEMENTS ON PERFORMANCE

ASSIGNMENT: Read Directing The Natural Actor and Read Directing Comedy posted onblog site

Class 17:Mon,

May 18,2015

ECTURE/DISCUSSION: EFFECTS OF PRODUCTION ELEMENTS ON PERFORMANCE

ASSIGNMENT: Read Directing The Natural Actor and Read Directing Comedy posted onblog site

Class 18:Wed,

May 20,2015

-SCREEN: Camera Tests and Rehearsal Processes from "The Godfather" and discuss

Class 19:Mon,

May 25,2015

-LECTURE/DUSCUSSION: Final Q&A session with Professor to discuss any lingering questionsor concerns about Directing Performances.

-ASSIGNMENT: TAKE HOME FINAL EXAM- printout exam from blogsite, answer questionscompletely and have ready to turn in at top of final class.

Class 20:Wed,

May 27,2015

*TURN IN TAKE HOME EXAM

-In class Directing Exercise

Grading Opportunities:

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

Assignment Weight

Actor/Director Summit Participation 10.00 percent

Quiz Average- quiz scores will be avearged together to create one Average score for 20% ofoyur course grade

20.00 percent

Field Trip Assignment: Oscar De La Renta Character Study- see "Filed Trips" below frodescription of assignment

10.00 percent

Script/Scene/Character Anaysis Paper 10.00 percent

Casting Lab- see "Filed Trips" below fro description of assignment 30.00 percent

Final Take Home Exam- a cumulative Take Home Exam will be administered at the end ofthe term to ensure students have absorbed the materials, skills and techniques related to thiscourse subject.

20.00 percent

Total Weight 100 percent

Grading Standards Range

Letter grade: A = excellent 90 100 percent

Letter grade: B = good 80 89 percent

Letter grade: C = * 70 79 percent

Letter grade: D = * 60 69 percent

Letter grade: F = failing 0 59 percent

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

Course Information:

Field Trip(s):#1. Friday, May 1, 2015: DIRECTORS CASTING LAB: Directing Students will put their class studies on casting actors tothe test during a simulated audition using trained actors. Each directing student will sit in the director's chair and run an

auditon while others observe. After all have had their chance to direct, all the actors will be brought back in for a postmortem.

#2. By no later than May 3, 2015: SCAD Museum- "Oscar De La Renta" Exhibit -Each student will find a dress thatspeaks to them, take a photograph of it (if allowed,) and then create a character inspired by the dress, using Egri's 3Stages of character from "The Art Of Dramatic Writing." They must then "cast" theie characters and give rationale as to wjythey feel their cators choices are the "right" person for the role.

Extra Help Session(s):

Any student with a C or lower at mideterm will be required to attend one-on-one session with professor.

Extended Learning Opportunities:

Some of our course work will be donein conjunction with the Performing Arts acting classes. See calendar for dates and times.These are subject to change per profesor's discretion.

Other Course Information:course blogsite: wolfe-scad-film401.blogspot.com

Course Materials:

Required Text(s):

The Film Director's Intutition" by Judith Weston

*(book copies will be disributed to class by professor as needed.)

Recommended Text(s):

"Respect For Acting" by Uts Hagen

"On The Technique Of Acting" by Michael Chekhov

"Acting For The Camera" by Tony Barr

Required Material(s):

Access to computer and course blog site: http://wolfe-scad-film401.blogspot.com

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 producing

assignments 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 :Students are strongly encouraged to provide feedback on their university experience through SCADs institutional surveys.The SCAD Student Survey and the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory will both be administered in spring quarter.SCAD Student Survey will be emailed to every students email account starting in Week 1 and will remain open throughWeek 6. The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory will be administered on paper during Week 4 of spring quarter.SCADs office of institutional effectiveness is responsible for gathering and delivering survey results to decision-makers oncampus. For more information or questions, contact us at surveys@scad.edu.

Http://myscad.scad.edu/scaddocs/departments/academic_services/upload/Student-Course-Evaluation_sample.pdfmailto:evaluations@scad.edumailto:surveys@scad.edu