Filmmaking

Course Description

Prerequisite: None

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of digital video production. The class will explore the process of expressing ideas in an audio-visual medium from the concept stage through post-production. Each student will acquire hands-on experience in directing, shooting, sound design, and editing on Final Cut Pro; examples of narrative, documentary, and experimental work will be screened and discussed in class. There will be three short exercises: 1) Audio Self-Portrait; 2) Continuity exercise, in which a story is conceptualized and executed in-camera with no additional editing; and 3) Final Project: working in pairs, students will create a visual essay that explores a process, place, person, or theme. This course is truly INTENSIVE and requires a significant amount of work (including nights and weekends) outside of class. There are daily deadlines for submission of creative work.

NOTE: AIPA positions for this course are only open to current MFA graduate students.

Instructor Bio

Laura Green is a documentary director and editor who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. She is fascinated by the opportunities documentary provides to learn about the diverse and often-invisible pockets of human experience that surround us. She has directed five short documentaries, which have played at numerous festivals, including Palm Springs Shortfest, Aspen Shortsfest, Sarasota Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, Outfest, and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. She most recently edited a feature-length documentary titled True Son.