Course Descriptions

This course familiarizes students with the process involved in the design, planning and construction of motion picture sets.

The first major supervised project includes development and prep. Through lectures, workshops and project work, students will learn and apply expanded creative and artistic concepts of a narrative story structure and style while planning their production work.

The first major project includes development, pre-production, production and post-production. Mentorship and supervision focus on professionalism and technical competency.

Students will learn about First Nations leadership philosophies, protocols and practices from which communal and team spirit is derived from. They will learn to adapt those traditional practices and develop First Nations crew protocols, team-building strategies and problem-solving and conflict resolution techniques that satisfy contemporary industry standards as well as community based industry structures. Students will cultivate networking strategies.

Students will be introduced to the history and development of Indigenous creative and artistic expression. An overview of the development of Indigenous media, particularly television and film and its potential as an integral part of creative Indigenous traditions, will be explored through lectures, workshops and hands-on project work.

Students will learn storytelling techniques and devices that apply to both traditional Indigenous storytelling and the current process of developing dramatic scripts/screenplays formatted for film and television. The role of the writer in dramatic production, and specifically in Indigenous production, will be described and simulated.

Students will learn basic skills and theory of factual storytelling structures and devices. The importance of research, the role of the producer, writer and editor in production process, and specifically in Indigenous fact-based production, will be described and applied.

Students will learn the processes involved in planning, budgeting and managing a production, with specific reference to the Indigenous production sector.

Students will obtain basic knowledge client relations and hands-on, practical experience of the creative and practical elements of production and post-production through a series of lectures, workshops and project work. Applying the skills and knowledge gained throughout the program, students will work in teams in a variety of roles to complete 30 to 60 second public service announcement.

Students will learn basic knowledge and acquire hands-on, practical experience of the creative and practical elements of production and post-production through a series of lectures, workshops and project work. Applying the skills and knowledge gained throughout the program, students will work in teams in a variety of roles to complete a short fact based production.

Students will learn technical elements of production while working hands-on to develop a corporate video. Students will learn camera, light composition, basic sound recording, graphic design and editing through a combination of lectures, workshops and hands-on experience.

Students will be introduced to the foundation processes, paperwork, and procedures involved in filmmaking at all levels. From developing a story through to production models, it lays the groundwork upon which all filmmaking is built, including core elements of the sequence of events on set: block, light, rehearse, and shoot, while describing, in detail, the various and specific functions of the production team and giving students multiple opportunities to apply their learning on set.

Students will learn the importance of creating a seamlessly crafted film by developing skills in the technical arts of filmmaking using the paradigm of Classical Narrative Cinema (the cinematic fundamentals of the on-screen spatial relationships). Theoretical and practical aspects of cinematography, sound and film production are explored and applied in this team-taught interdisciplinary course.

Students will explore the function and practices of line producers and production managers in the entertainment industry, including core production workflows relating to human resources, production resources, unions and guilds, and accounting, as well as the preparation of industry standard production budget and evaluating the production requirements of professional projects.

Students will build upon and reinforce the foundation of editing skills and knowledge by identifying and explaining various picture and sound editing aesthetics, evaluating visual and audio elements of a project, as well as demonstrating various editing styles.

Students will explore the implementation of visual design and production design on film/tv projects, including student film projects. Students will learn advanced creative application skills of cultural, traditional and practical elements of production planning.

This course is designed to build upon the foundation of sound editing and sound recording knowledge acquired in the first year of the program. The purpose of this course is to teach the foundation of the principles of sound aesthetics, creating sound, and applying them to the sound edit of a film or video.

The student will learn Indigenous storytelling techniques. The students will gain experience in the role of the writer in an actual dramatic production, and specifically in Indigenous production. Students will learn to develop the beats, acts, sequences and write a short screenplay.

The course provides a cultural and artistic framework for world Indigenous filmmaking. Through lectures, screenings, discussion, project work, and guest speakers the students will learn how to identify varying styles, approaches and delivery of story from indigenous groups from around the world.

The students will learn advanced technical skills and practical experience of production through a mixture of lectures, workshops and hands-on projects. More complex and sophisticated production and post-production skills and tools will be introduced and developed, including advanced camera work, lighting design, sound design, and advanced post-production processes and techniques.

The student will learn to understand story themes, story points, character development, foreshadowing, intent, plot points, climax, resolution, recurring motifs, scene transitions, tension points, scene analysis and communicating with actors.

Students will learn advanced creative application skills of cultural, traditional and practical elements of production planning. Students will complete the planning stage for two productions that will be produced in the spring term.

Students will produce two short filmed productions where they will work in at least two production skills areas and demonstrate working knowledge of key crafts contributing to entry level professional dramatic film, television and media production.