Clarke Mackey (mackeyc@post.queensu.ca), Queen's University, Kingston, Canada; http://www.film.queensu.ca
Dept. of Film Studies
Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
http://www.film.queensu.ca
Classes: Mondays, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 2:30-5:30 p.m. 160 Stuart Street, Room 109
Instructor: Clarke Mackey, 545-6000 x7020 or (home)547-6623, mackeyc@post.queensu.ca
Office Hours: Most Monday and Wednesday mornings. Call first.
This course is both a practical workshop in 16mm filmmaking and a critical examination of the filmmaking "process". We will examine, in depth, the industrial model of movie-making, perfected in Hollywood but now used worldwide, and compare it with various alternate practices. The first term will consist of exercises in cinematography, sound and editing techniques, as well as scripting and preparation of short 16mm sound films to be produced, in groups, during the second term.
The Monday classes will usually be lecture/discussions or screenings. The Wednesday sessions will mostly be practical, hands-on workshops in a particular aspect of production. We will spend time viewing and analyzing clips from a wide variety of films. In this course, I want you to learn how to work collectively, use limited resources efficiently and organize yourself to make maximum creative use of your time and energy.
Readings: There will be assigned readings from the following text.
Students will all be expected to purchase:
Cinematography, Kris Malkiewicz, Second Edition, Prentice
Hall Press, 1989.
Assignments
A more complete description of each assignment will be handed out and discussed in class on the appropriate dates.
1) Documentary Exercise (7.5%) - in pairs. Using a Bolex camera and two rolls of film, shoot a sequence that evokes the mood of a particular place. Each student will film one roll but the sequence should have a consistent "look". At the same time, take a Nagra tape-recorder along and record "wild" sounds that will later become the basis of the sound track you will be constructing to go with the picture. But, for the moment, you will not edit this material. Due: Oct 2
2) Image and Sound Exercise (7.5%) - in pairs. Take the documentary images you shot and edit a short sequence. Cut down the original five minutes of footage to around a minute to a minute and a half. Mix a sound track to go with this sequence that involves at least two tracks. You can bring in some interesting elements besides the wild sound that you recorded but, please, no canned music or written narration. Due: Oct. 23
2)Proposal (10%) - each student Write a concise proposal (no more than 5 pages) for a film you might like to produce in the second term. Make sure you are very clear about how the film will look, how it will sound, how it will relate to other films you've seen, how you would go about making it and who might be interested in seeing it. Due: Nov. 6
Production Groups (4 people) must be formed by Nov. 8. I will meet with each group individually during the following week to discuss the major film project.
4) Drama Exercise (7.5%) - production groups Each production group will film a short, sync-sound dialogue scene between at least two characters at an interior location. At this stage you should deliver to me the "synced rushes" of your material. Due: Nov. 13
5) Drama Editing Exercise (7.5%) - production groups Taking the with a sync dialogue track. Due: Nov. 29
6) Shooting Script (10%) - production groups This should be a fairly polished shooting script for those making dramatic projects or a detailed shooting plan for the documentary projects. Budgets and schedules will be drawn up based on these. Due: Jan. 15
8) Major Film Project (40%) - production groups The final projects will be approximately five minutes long, 16mm colour or black and white, with a fully mixed sound track. They can be dramatic, documentary, experimental, animated and they can be about anything you want. I don't want to see, however, either straight "genre" films (like "film noir") or simple parodies (although genuine comic films will be welcomed). Under no circumstances should any group attempt a music video. Due: April 3
Breakdown for Marking: Your primary role 20%, The overall quality of the film 10%, Your participation/collaboration 10%
9) Class Participation (10%) - each student Class participation means coming to all workshops and screenings and contributing to classroom discussion. Marks will be deducted for excessive unexplained absences.
Please Note: In order for this course to work effectively assignments must be handed in on time -- we are going to be doing a lot of screening and discussing of each other's work. If you haven't already noticed from Film 250, films always take longer to make than you think. Keeping these things in mind, I have tried to give you as much leeway as I reasonably can for each project. I will, therefore, deduct marks for any work handed in after the deadline. If the final projects are not completed by the due date they will get zero.
There is a lab fee of $200 for Film 350. This will cover most of the costs for the assignments up to, but not including, the final project.
Caution: in order to complete the final project each student may have to spend $500 or more in addition to the lab fee.
Schedule
Sept. 11 Introduction to the Course
Sept. 13 How to Show a Movie: Projection
Sept. 18 Cinematography Read: Cinematography, pgs 1-49
Sept.20 Cinematography Workshop
Sept. 25 Sound Recording Required reading: Cinematography, pgs 132-140
Sept. 27 Sound Recording Workshop
Oct. 2 Editing (Part One) Documentary shooting assignments due Monday morning, October 2
Oct. 5 Editing (Part Two)
Oct. 9 Thanksgiving
Oct. 12 Screen Rushes and Editing (Three)
Oct. 16 Sound Editing
Oct. 18 Sound Mixing
Oct. 23 Class Screening of Documentary Assignments Documentary editing and sound assignments due on Monday Oct. 23 at 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 25 Proposal Writing
Oct. 30 Sync Sound Shooting Required Reading: Cinematography, pgs 79-126
Nov. 1 Sync Sound and Lighting Workshop
Nov. 6 Group Planning Time Proposals due Monday Nov. 6 Everyone in the class should read all proposals and make notes for Wednesday's discussion.
Nov. 8 Discussion of Proposals Final groups should be formed by this week.
Nov. 13 Group Meeting Time Sync shooting exercise due Monday November 13, before noon.
Nov. 15 Sync Sound Editing Workshop
Nov. 20 Screen Rushes
Nov. 22 Screenwriting Workshop
Nov. 37 Group Consultations
Nov. 29 Final Screening and Discussion Sync sound editing assignment due Wednesday, November 29 at 2:30 p.m.
Now that you know how the tools work, you can get down to the real business of making a movie. In the winter term we will concentrate on the filmmaking process itself from pre-production to distribution. Scripts are due Monday, January 15; that's one week into classes. You should be shooting by Jan.27 and be finished no later than February 26 (the end of reading week). That still gives you about five weeks to picture and sound edit your film - not very long! (Most of you will be living on very little sleep during this period.) You must complete a fine cut and rough mix by April 3, the last day of class. We will screen and discuss the fine cuts in class that day.
Have a good break
Second Term Winter 1996
Jan. 8 Screening: Heart of Darkness
Jan. 10 Production Organizing , Budgeting and Scheduling Workshop
Jan. 15 Production group meeting time Second draft of the script due Monday, January 15 in class
Jan. 17 Script Discussions
Jan. 22 Screening: Acting for the Camera with Michael Caine
Jan. 24 Performing for the Camera Workshop
Jan. 29 Screening excerpts from Grapes of Wrath and Godfather Part II, also Foto (about Ingmar Bergman and Sven Nykvist)
Jan. 31 Advanced Lighting Workshop
Feb. 5 Production group meeting time
Feb. 7 Post Production Workshop
Feb. 12 Screening: Selected Animated films
Feb. 14 Animation Stand and Titles Workshop
Reading Week - Feb. 18 -23
Feb. 26 Screening: Films using optical printing
Feb. 28 Optical Printing Required reading: Cinematography, pgs 170-180
Mar. 4 Production Group meeting time
Mar. 6 Rough Cut Screenings and discussion
Mar. 11 Production Group Meeting time
Mar. 13 Where the Money Comes From
Mar. 18 Production Group meeting time
Mar. 20 Distribution and Exhibition
Mar. 25 Production group meeting time
Mar. 27 Getting a Job
April 1 Group Consultations
April 3 Final Screenings. Fine cuts of all projects due on Wednesday April 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Jan. 27 to Feb. 26 will be a very hectic production period. Principal shooting for all productions should be completed by end of reading week and picture editing should be well under way.
The five weeks between Mar. 4 and April 3 will be when all groups should be putting the finishing touches on their projects. This is a very short period for editing.
Public Screening: There will be a public screening of Film 350 projects at the Princess court Cinema on April 29th.
Important Practical Information
Equipment: All the production equipment must be booked out from the equipment room at Film House between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., Monday to Friday. Most of the equipment is worth a great deal of money. Please handle it with care and caution. You are responsible for any loss or damage to the equipment while it is in your possession. Because of this, it is not a good idea to give the equipment to someone else without signing it back in first. If the second group loses or breaks something you may be held responsible.
Problems with Equipment: If you find that a piece of equipment doesn't seem to be working right, either on location or later when you get the footage back and notice a problem (like camera scratching), you must notify Derek or me immediately. Many people use this equipment and unreported problems could result in expensive reshoots for one or more other groups.
Film Stock: Film for all the first term assignments will be supplied. For the final project you will have to order the film from Kodak in Toronto. Their toll-free number is 800-465-6325. Ordering procedures will be covered in class.
Sound Stock: Quarter-inch tape and 16mm Mag Stock for all projects can be purchased in the equipment room between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. weekdays.
Labs: Film must be sent to Toronto for processing. Instructions on how to deal with the lab will be covered in detail during class.
Shipping: The cheapest and quickest way to send your footage to and from Toronto is to use the Film Department's account with Purolator Couriers Ltd. You will need to pay Jill in advance.
Editing Supplies: Buy your own set of china markers and sharpies from Grand and Toy downtown and guard them with your life.
Leader, cues, beeps, scrap film and white tape can all be purchased from me or Derek.
Supplementary Book List
Carringer, Robert L. The Making of Citizen Kane. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.
Crittenden, Roger. Film Editing. London: Thames and Hudson, 1981.
Hehner, Barbara, ed. Making It. Toronto: The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, 1987.
Malkiewicz, Kris. Film Lighting. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1986.
Posner, Michael. Canadian Dreams: The Making and Marketing of Independent Films. Toronto: Douglas and McIntyre, 1993.
Sayles, John. Thinking In Pictures, Boston; Houghton Mifflin, 1987.
Schaefer, Dennis and Larry Salvato. Masters of Light. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
Schmidt, Rick. Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices. New York: Penguin Books, 1988.