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.

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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