Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Film Direction

Film Direction
6
16293
3
Second semester
OB
Main language of instruction: Catalan

Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,

Teaching staff


In the classroom or via email.

Introduction

In this course, through practical exercises, students will develop an understanding of and deepen their knowledge of the craft of film directing.

Pre-course requirements

Having successfully completed the courses Recording and Multimedia Editing Techniques and Cinematography.

Objectives

  • To understand the role of the film director within the audiovisual production process, identifying their functions, responsibilities, and artistic and technical decision-making.
  • To analyse cinematic language through the viewing and study of sequences from the works of renowned directors, identifying the expressive and narrative techniques employed.
  • To recognise the impact of directing decisions on narrative construction, mise-en-scène, pacing, and the audience's viewing experience.
  • To apply the fundamental principles of film directing through practical exercises in planning, shooting, directing actors, and coordinating technical crews.
  • To develop the ability to translate a creative vision into audiovisual language through the planning and execution of audiovisual projects.
  • To foster collaborative teamwork by assuming different roles and responsibilities within an audiovisual production team.
  • To develop communication, leadership, and coordination skills required for effective film directing in production environments.
  • To appreciate the creative process as a collaborative endeavour, integrating the contributions of the different disciplines involved in audiovisual production.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • CN01 - Recognise the different roles within artistic and technical production teams.
  • CN02 - Identify the various stakeholders in the contemporary audiovisual sector, their roles and the operational dynamics of a digital and globalised environment.
  • CN03 - Identify emerging trends and developments within the global audiovisual ecosystem, including new formats and production technologies.
  • CN05 - Identify the key factors involved in assessing the economic, technical and creative viability of an audiovisual product in the current market.
  • CN06 - Recognise the funding systems used by media groups and companies to support the production of audiovisual projects.
  • CP02 - Critically examine contemporary social developments and contextualise audiovisual works appropriately.
  • CP03 - Communicate information and original ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, in Spanish, Catalan and English.
  • CP04 - Apply professional ethical principles and standards of academic rigour in the audiovisual field, respecting the fundamental right to equality between women and men, promoting human rights, a culture of peace and democratic values, including the use of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotype-free language.
  • CP05 - Develop multi-platform scripts that take into account the specific characteristics of different audiovisual genres and formats.
  • CP06 - Apply innovative image and sound techniques in audiovisual productions, integrating emerging technologies.
  • CP07 - Create audiovisual content for commercial purposes, making full use of the expressive possibilities of multimedia environments and maximising creative potential through emerging digital technologies.
  • HB01 - Use a range of media research and documentation resources.
  • HB02 - Apply professional techniques in body language and voice presentation to create impactful audiovisual content.
  • HB03 - Critically analyse contemporary audiovisual genres and formats using professional aesthetic and narrative criteria.
  • HB04 - Use bibliographic resources, specialised terminology and linguistic structures in English effectively for professional communication in the audiovisual field.

Learning outcomes of the subject

Students will be able to:

  1. To stimulate artistic creativity by defining an individual style and developing lateral thinking.

  2. To master audiovisual language in order to create impactful content, integrating music into audiovisual narratives.

  3. To coordinate the teams and departments involved in the production or filming of a film.

  4. To attend to the nuances of the final stages of audiovisual editing and post-production in order to produce professional artistic works.

  5. To distinguish the techniques, elements and effects used to immerse viewers in an atmosphere through the audiovisual experience.

  6. To edit pre-recorded material with a sense of rhythm and narrative coherence, keeping up to date with the main techniques for creating impactful and visually striking audiovisual content.

  7. To acquire technical skills in the main technologies for recording and editing image and sound.

  8. To devise coherent and consistent stories while remaining flexible enough to adapt elements of the original text to the requirements of a viable final audiovisual project.

  9. To move beyond the perspective of the spectator and adopt the mindset of an audiovisual creator by studying, analysing and planning all stages of production.

  10. To innovate through the hybridisation of formats and genres in order to adapt audiovisual content to new sensibilities and social trends.

  11. To express personal concerns artistically through documentary filmmaking, exploring this audiovisual genre both in its informative and social-awareness dimensions.

Syllabus

THE DIRECTOR'S CRAFT

Filmmaking Roles

What Does a Director Do?

Starting Point

  • What are the first questions a director asks?

The Screenplay: The Origin

Narrative Structures

  • Genres and Movements: Iconography
  • The Modern Paradigm: Postmodernism
THE CONCEPTION OF THE FILM

A Collaborative Process

  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Pre-production and shoot preparation

Mise-en-scène

  • Production Design
  • Cinematography
  • Soundtrack and Sound Design
VISUAL COMPOSITION: DEPTH OF FIELD AND POINT OF VIEW

Principles of Visual Design

  • Light
  • Colour
  • Tone
  • Atmosphere

The Frame

Visual Organisation

  • The Power of the Frame: Composition (balance, rule of thirds, off-screen space, empty frame)

Lenses

  • Lens Perspective: Wide-angle lenses, spatial compression

Focus

FROM SCRIPT ANALYSIS TO SHOT PLANNING

Shot Types

Shot Scales According to Subject Size

  • Cutaway shots
  • Sequence shots (long takes)

According to Camera Perspective

  • Objective shots
  • Subjective shots

Camera Angles

Camera and Actor Movement

SHOT PLANNING AND COVERAGE

Technical Script

Scene Coverage

Shot-by-Shot Planning

Frontal Staging

Master Shot

Shot/Reverse Shot Editing

Eyelines and Eye Contact

Script Breakdown and Shooting Schedule

Point of View

Levels of Identification

Audience Engagement and Identification

The 180-Degree Rule

Crossing the Line (Axis Jump)

VISUALISATION

Visual References

Storyboard

Previsualisation Techniques: Animatics

Planning Systems

Letter Diagrams

Blocking Two Characters

Blocking Three Characters

Floor Plans

EDITING

Emotional Mapping

Progression, Continuity and Rhythm

Alternative Cuts, Structural Changes and Tone

Final Rewrite

DIRECTING ACTORS

Casting

Character Development

Rehearsals

Improvisation

Backstory

Active Ideas and Character Objectives

Expressive Values of the Shot

Bibliography and resources

Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2020). Film art: An introduction (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Brown, B. (2021). Cinematography: Theory and practice: Image making for cinematographers and directors (4th ed.). Routledge.
Kagan, J. (2003). La mirada del director. Plot Ediciones.
Katz, S. D. (2017). Plano a plano: De la idea a la pantalla (Ed. 25.º aniversario). Plot Ediciones.
Lumet, S. (1996). Así se hacen las películas. Ediciones Rialp.
Murch, W. (2019). En el momento del parpadeo. ECAM, DAMA y Caimán Cuadernos de Cine.
Paez, S., & Jew, A. (2013). Professional storyboarding: Rules of thumb. Focal Press.
Rabiger, M., & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2020). Directing: Film techniques and aesthetics (6th ed.). Routledge.

  • Adobe. (2024). Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Inc.
  • Apple Inc. (2024). Final Cut Pro. Apple Inc.
  • Blackmagic Design. (2024). DaVinci Resolve. Blackmagic Design.
  • ByteDance Ltd. (2024). CapCut. ByteDance.
  • Runway AI, Inc. (2024). Runway. Runway.
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