BFA Jr. Directing Projects
SPRING 2020
Assignments (also listed under the relevant weeks as they occur):
Assignments—
1 — Blocking w/ Camera (due Feb. 6th)
2 — Reverse Marking a Scene; “Sorry to Bother You” Script (due Feb. 13th)
3 — Image Book
4 — Create a Casting Breakdown (due March 26)
5 — Fall Film Directing Self-Critique (due April 1st)
6 — Script Breakdown; Scripts for Breakdowns; Template for Breakdowns (due April 15th)
Week 14 (final week) - Scheduling
Week 13 — Producing: Budgeting
Reading: Budgeting; Actors Info Packet
Assignment: Budget Creation; Budget Template
Week 12 — Producing: Script Breakdowns
Assignment: Script Breakdown; Scripts for Breakdowns; Template for Breakdowns
Week 11
Reading: Script Breakdown Chapter
Week 10 — Directing & Producing
Reading: Casting “Moonlight”; Keynote on the Casting Process
Assignment: Fall Film Directing Self-Critique (due April 1st)
Week 9 — Casting, cont.
Assignment: Create a Casting Breakdown
Reading: Some Notes on Casting Some Non-Traditional Casting Practices: Ramin Bahrani on Casting “Chop Shop”; Eliza Hitman’s Post for Casting “It Felt Like Love”
Supplemental Material: Casting Material Sample from “Sara & Dennis”
Commentary / Lecture on Directing in BTS of “A Separation”
“A Separation” (2011)
Week 8 - Casting
Reading: Chapter 8: “Casting” from Thinking Like a Director (Bloom)
Assignment: Casting Work
Casting Session Video (2013)
Week 7 - Field Trip to Resolution Rentals
Week 6 - Camera, G&E
Additional Art Direction Material: Set Dec Mood Boards from “The Art of Self-Defense”
Reading: Nestor Almendros Interview (highlighted questions)
Additional Materials and Reading on Cinematography from a previous course
Week 5 - Art Direction
Reading for Next Week: Hard & Soft Light
Assignment 3: Image Book
Reading & Viewing for Assignment: Todd Haynes Collects Images to Guide the Feel of His Films; more on Todd Haynes’ Process
Viewing for This Week’s Art Director Guest Speaker:
“The Art of Self-Defense” (2019)
Princess Grace Award Information
The Princess Grace Award
https://pgfusa.org/film-guidelines/
The FMA Department can nominate ONE undergraduate thesis director for consideration.
Deadline: June 1, 2020 (11:59 pm PST)
Grant amounts generally range from $7,500 - $30,000.
Go to the website and read through ALL requirements for this grant. It is very involved so, if chosen, be sure you understand the time commitment you’ll make. If you would like to apply, do the following:
Internal deadline for self-nomination: 5pm, Friday, April 17
Email the following information to lerickso@temple.edu
Nomination materials: student will email one pdf that includes the following information
· Name, degree program, GPA, email address
· Brief (no longer than 100 words) description of the proposed thesis project
· 1-2 page Resume/filmography, include festival/other screenings of past work (this is very important for PG consideration)
· Reel (Vimeo or Youtube link): no longer than 10 minutes- may be one long piece, two shorter pieces or excerpts of two pieces but no more than two pieces, no trailers and total run time cannot exceed 10 minutes
Wed, April 22: Committee reviews applications and chooses one nominee to move forward
Friday, April 24: PG applicant notified
April 25- May 29*: Nominee works with mentor to prep PG materials
*it is recommended that the nominee upload application before PG deadline, June 1, 2020
Review committee: LeAnn Erickson, Afia Nathaniel, Eran Preis, Lauren Wolkstein
Week 4 — Script Supervision
Assignment: Reverse Marking a Scene; “Sorry to Bother You” Script
Reading: Example of Lining a Shooting Script
Viewing for Assignment:
A basic reference video on the process of lining a film script:
Week 3 — Sound (for directors)
Reading: 6 Ways Directors Screw Sound Editors; Deciphering the Film Slate Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Post Sound Example
Week 2 - Blocking w/ camera
Readings — “Staging” (Proferes)
Assignment— Blocking w/ Camera (due Feb. 6th)
Elephant (2003)
Week 1 - Intro, set protocol, BLRTS, actor blocking
Readings: Set Basics, Set Operations
Traditional "Chain of Command" on a Film Set
"The Social Network" Production BTS
When things go wrong on set…