film
SUMMER OFFERINGS
Sharp Shootin’ in High Definition
Instructor: Kenneth Thomas
4 Sessions / Wednesdays, June 5–June 26
Time: 6:30–9:30 pm
Location: DMS2
Number: FM-1004
Tuition: $170
Register | Materials
Okay, you have a great idea for your first film. Or maybe you want to make a documentary that will change the world. Unless you know how to shoot, that film is going to remain just an idea. During this 4-week intensive of Sharp Shootin’ in High Definition, we will explore all of the basics of HD videography: composition, lighting, handheld vs. lock-down shots, and much more! At the end of this course, you will have the videography know-how to start turning your ideas into reality. The class will begin with a viewing of some classic scenes from various films, to study how and why they were shot in their various ways. We will then try to emulate some of those ideas, in order to express ideas through visuals. Different scenes will be set up for shooting, and each student will have the opportunity to try their hand at setting up shots, lighting, and composition, using professional HD cameras. Students will also learn the many technical elements of HD video, such as format, frame rate, and resolution choices.
No prior knowledge of videography is necessary. HD video cameras will be supplied for use in the classroom. Students are encouraged to bring their own HD cameras, if they own one – just to compare the differences between the gear they own and the gear we will use.
Kenneth Thomas is the independent eye and artist behind The Scourge Productions. He has spent the last 15 years capturing and displaying a unique vision via his multi-disciplinary skills in shooting, directing, editing, and photography, utilizing 16mm film and HD video. His primary interest is in documentary work, focusing on music and visual artists. His most recent film is the feature documentary Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century, which examines the current state of underground music. This film has screened in over 20 film and music festivals on every continent (except Antarctica), and is currently being independently distributed through various record labels. Thomas’s previous works have included directing music videos, producing EPK’s, and filming for The Residents, X, The Chameleons UK, Queens of the Stone Age, ISIS, Neurosis, Yanni, Bruce LaBruce, William Shatner, and many other artists. He recently completed his MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute, where he created “The Pathology of Civilization” - a short multi-media trilogy addressing the futility of progress arising from the dissonance of humanity and nature. Portions of the trilogy have screened at SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and as part of the “Big Screen Project” in Manhattan. He currently resides in San Francisco, continuing to produce music documentaries and multi-media work. www.thescourge.com
Intro to Digital Video Editing
Instructor: Chris Corrente
6 Sessions / Tuesdays, June 25–July 30
Time: 6:30–9:30 pm
Location: DMS2
Number: FM-1005
Tuition: $250
Register | Materials
This course will introduce students to the foundational principles of video editing at both a technical and conceptual level. Through lecture, discussion, and practice, students will explore the ways in which editing styles differ among cinema, commercial, musical, documentary, and fine-art production contexts. Students will be asked to engage with the theory, techniques, and aesthetics of digital film/video editing, generating four miniature projects before applying the principles learned in each toward the creation of a final project. Each session will begin with a short lecture about the principles and theory of video editing, followed by hands-on instruction and practice time. Note: The course will focus on editing in Adobe Premiere; however, if a student prefers a different non-linear editing program (Final Cut, AVID, etc.), many of the principles are the same. The student would be responsible for compensating for interface differences.
Materials: Each student should have a flash drive or external hard drive with at least 8 GB available storage.
Chris Corrente is an interdisciplinary artist working across the mediums of video, performance, staged photography, and music. His work runs the gamut of human emotions and experiences, ranging from abjection to absurdism. Ruthless in its critique of culture at the micro and macro levels, and drawing equal influence from academia and pop culture, Corrente's work encourages the audience to view both through the same irreverent lens. He is an MFA candidate in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute.
DVD Authoring 101
Instructor: Kenneth Thomas
2 Sessions / Saturdays, August 3 & 10
Time: 10 am–3 pm
Location: DMS2
Number: FM-1006
Tuition: $140
Register | Materials
Have you shot and edited a cinematic masterpiece, but want to present it in a way that is fitting to the quality of your work? Have you wondered how those DVDs you get from Netflix are actually produced? In this 2-day intensive, we will explore the world of DVD authoring—ingesting footage into the computer, processing it into MPEG-2 files for DVD creation, creating images and video for menus, creating menu soundtracks, placing chapter markers, and adding alternate soundtracks similar to Director’s Commentaries. To do this, we will utilize DVD Studio Pro and Compressor, two Macintosh programs that many professionals use to create DVDs. Note: Students must come to class with a piece of video that they want made into a DVD, 20 minutes in length maximum. This can be a short film, home movies, or anything that you would like to see immortalized on a shiny disc. At the end of the class, you will walk away with a DVD with an interactive menu that can be played in any DVD player.
Kenneth Thomas is the independent eye and artist behind The Scourge Productions. He has spent the last 15 years capturing and displaying a unique vision via his multi-disciplinary skills in shooting, directing, editing, and photography, utilizing 16mm film and HD video. His primary interest is in documentary work, focusing on music and visual artists. His most recent film is the feature documentary Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century, which examines the current state of underground music. This film has screened in over 20 film and music festivals on every continent (except Antarctica), and is currently being independently distributed through various record labels. Thomas’s previous works have included directing music videos, producing EPK’s, and filming for The Residents, X, The Chameleons UK, Queens of the Stone Age, ISIS, Neurosis, Yanni, Bruce LaBruce, William Shatner, and many other artists. He recently completed his MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute, where he created “The Pathology of Civilization” - a short multi-media trilogy addressing the futility of progress arising from the dissonance of humanity and nature. Portions of the trilogy have screened at SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and as part of the “Big Screen Project” in Manhattan. He currently resides in San Francisco, continuing to produce music documentaries and multi-media works. www.thescourge.com
