introduction to the art and aesthetics of film

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  • 7/31/2019 Introduction to the Art and Aesthetics of Film

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    Introduction to the Art and Aesthetics of Film & Television

    Editing

    A film is made twice, once on the writing table and the other on theediting table. Editing as an art has come a long way from tape

    splicing to non-linear editing where-in you can retrieve and edit

    instantly any frame in a video clip without modifying the source files.

    Non-linear editing systems are not only user-friendly interfaces but

    are cost effective as well.

    Film and Video Formats

    The course explains the different workflows of film and video formatsin detail. Celluloid film is an optically acquired image, while video is

    an electronically generated image. Interestingly, video technology is

    now at a point of great convergence with celluloid, with the

    emergence of HDTV, DI processes, 2K, 4K & 6K formats. Nowadays,

    a deep technical understanding of both these formats is an absolute

    must for an Editor

    Visual Literacy

    Cinema is primarily a visual medium. It is not possible to work in a

    visual medium without being visually literate. A deep knowledge of art

    history, elements of visual design, principles of visual composition,

    colour theory, the art of visual storytelling and current stylistic trends

    is necessary for an Editor. At Digital Academy-The Film School, we

    strive to give detailed inputs about all aspects of visual literacy.

    Continuity

    The knowledge of continuity is as necessary for an Editor as the

    knowledge of grammar is necessary for a Writer. Continuity

    constitutes the very heart of film knowledge. It is the knowledge that

    allows Film Makers to weave visually distinct shots into a seamless

    continuum of time and space. Using well-known codes and

    conventions of pictorial language, a credible world of reality is

    created by the principles of positional, directional and relational

    continuity. Even those who want to break free from such codes and

    conventions must possess the knowledge of what they are breaking

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    free from. Continuity knowledge is not only a matter of spatial &

    temporal organization but also constitutes a deep stylistic

    understanding of the film medium.

    Narrative Structure

    A story is any sequence of events with a beginning middle & end

    not necessarily in that order. What makes a story work is more often

    than not its structure. Understanding structure means understanding

    the parts of the whole and understanding how the parts relate to

    each other. Like any well-designed construction, it is important to

    work carefully on the ratio, proportion & placement of the various

    parts of a story to finally make a good narrative. We consider

    structural thinking to be germane to the making of a good editorialmind and give deep insights into the mechanics of both linear & non-

    linear narrative structures.

    Editing Different Genres

    The aesthetic requirements of the various genres & types of

    audiovisual media are quite different from each other. The aesthetics

    of long fiction narrative is different from short fiction narrative, which

    in turn is different from documentaries or advertisements or corporatefilms or daily soaps. There are various genres and cross-genre

    conventions and then there are ways to break those conventions.

    The main thing is to develop a mind that is flexible and agile enough

    to adapt to the various aesthetic requirements of the job at hand. We

    insist on the ability of Editors to understand the subtle shifts of styles

    in various formats of Film Making and excel in all formats.

    Introduction to Sound Track Design & Mixing

    Sound track design & mixing in present times is as much an Editor's

    job as it is of a specialized Sound Recordist. Most modern editing

    systems are nowadays equipped with sophisticated sound

    processors to enable Editors to generate professional sound tracks

    and mixes. An Editor must therefore understand both technically and

    aesthetically the requirements of sound track design and mixing. All

    four components of audio track design - dialogue, sync effects, non-

    sync effects, and music must be understood independently and then

    together as part of the overall image making process of Cinema.

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    PROJECTS.

    P1. Continuity Exercises:

    a). The aim of our carefully graded continuity exercises is to givestudents a clear idea of how discreet shots can be joined together to

    create a feeling of real time and real space. Exercises are divided to

    deal specifically with positional, relational and directional continuity,

    both for intra cutting and inter cutting situations. Emphasis is also

    given to time expansion and time contraction while maintaining, the

    illusion of continuity. Certain specific 'tricks' employed by editors for

    match cutting and cheat cutting as well as jumping the axis or

    imaginary line, are also taught.

    P2. Dialogue Exercises:

    There is great creative scope in the editing and re-editing of dialogue

    sequences. Students are given exercises to hone their skills in areas

    of Maintaining dialogue rhythm, Maintaining visual balance,Using

    silences & pauses,Editing sound clearly,Correct use of silent reaction

    shots.

    P3. Action Sequences:

    Students are given exercises with the purpose of developing their

    understanding of dramatic tension in an action sequence. The

    exercises involve inputs in inter-cutting, cheat cutting, climax building,

    visual rhythm and tempo.

    P4. Montage:

    The students are given exercises to help them understand the entire

    gamut of creative choices available in Montage Cutting. The

    exercises are specifically designed to teach them MetricMontage,Rhythmic Montage,Tonal Montage,Over - Tonal

    Montage,Intellectual Montage. Exercises are also given with regard

    to conventional American Montage style and French Montage style.

    The Digital Academy student benefit:

    - No previous knowledge required, however being computer savvy

    would be an added advantage.- Short-term intensive hands on course that covers all aspects of

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    editing in detail

    - Strong theoretical base with focus on high cinematic standards and

    aesthetic standards

    - Basic and Advanced editing formats for feature films, serials, music

    videos, ad films, documentaries and corporate films- New-age styles of editing and in house professional Non-linear

    editing set ups (FCP, Avid etc.)

    - Editing practice will be given on rushes of released feature films

    - Unlimited practical time with prior booking

    - Editing curriculum devised to adapt to any media

    - Students can take their edits as their demo reel

    In short, an editing student from Digital Academy is equipped to edit

    in Film, Television as well as print media.