THEA 22
A Filmmaker's Workshop Winter 2022

This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

This 4 week filmmaking workshop will culminate in screening of 6-8 short films which are written. acted, directed and edited by students. The class is taught by actress Jessica Hecht and her husband director/writer Adam Bernstein. The project was offered in 2019 and accommodated 30 WS students. We would love to offer it once again with a slightly deeper focus on writing and direction. The key to this project is collaboration in the creative process. Each week there will be 7-8 hours of in person class time and 10-12 hours of practical work outside of class. The week we shoot (week 3) will be the most demanding. Supplemental reading and film viewing is recommended. We will offer a set of resource materials. The weekly structure is as follows: WEEK ONE: *** Monday/ Tuesday class time 10-2:50 (lunch break included) Fundamentals of filmmaking–The Writer’s Approach Our first week allows students to look at several examples of shorts films and experiment with writing prompts and improv exercises to build familiarity with how to structure a story. The week culminates in the formation of groups (4-5 students each) whose interest in a specific area of production has been noted. Scripts will be generated from these groups and a draft must be delivered by Saturday January 8. All students participate as needed but will have more responsibility in one self chosen area. WEEK TWO: ****either Sunday/Monday, Full day Monday or Mon/Tuesday approx 7 hours class time. (lunch breaks given ) Will set day/time by Jan 2. Fundamentals of TV and Film Direction The skills of screen acting, design and cinematography are studied. Participants will be schooled in basic shots, the director’s role and the actor’s preparation. Casting is completed by Friday. WEEK THREE: ***Schedules set by each team – approx 15 hours required for shooting. “Shooting a Film”- Groups are schooled in the organization of a shoot and the essential jobs of the crew. Films are shot over three days–a Final Pro vs AVID editing workshop completes the week. WEEK FOUR:****Schedules set by each team-approx 15 hours required. “Completing the Filmmaking Process.” Films are edited and music added for the first 3 days of week. A public screening is organized to complete the workshop. Film discussion to follow. Jessica Hecht graduated with honors from The Tisch School of the Arts and has made over 100 appearances on tv series. She’s a Tony nominated actress performing on Broadway in plays by Arthur Miller, Shakespeare Tennessee Williams among others. She won an Obie for her performance in Admissions at Lincoln Center. She has spent 13 seasons at The Williamstown Theatre Festival. She runs The Campfire Project, a theatre based wellness project that creates plays in refugee camps and teaches acting at HB. Adam Bernstein is an Emmy Awarded TV and Film Director. Jessica can be reached via email at [email protected].
The Class: Format: lecture
Limit: 30
Grading: pass/fail only
Requirements/Evaluation: final project or presentation
Prerequisites: one semester of Theatre or Studio Art; you may contact us for consideration if you do not meet that standard
Enrollment Preferences: if the course is over enrolled, Theatre Majors and next Studio Art Majors will take priority
Materials/Lab Fee: none

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