yearbook 2004/05 - The European Film College

Principal and teachers:
Jens Rykær: Principal
Danish. Trained as a teacher, then
in 1972 graduated in film history
and psychology from the University
of Copenhagen. Subsequently
worked on a variety of film magazines
and in other film-related
jobs, becoming manager of the
Herlev cinema in 1979. 1998-
1999: President of the Danish
Cinema Association (DBF) and
of the Innovative committee of
the Film Industry (FSI), an organisation
charged with increasing
public interest in cinema through
festivals, seminars, political lobbying
etc. Since 1991, Jens has been
a member of the Board (and since
2001 President of the Board) of
MEDIA Salle (an EU programme
for mainstream cinemas). He is
also on the Board of Europa Cinemas
(concerned with European art
cinemas). Since 1998 he has been
editor of Film Guide, a monthly
publication presenting upcoming
cinematic events throughout
Denmark.
Courses: Running a cinema
This course deals with all the
theoretical and practical aspects
in relation to running a cinema
commercially. What are the responsibility
areas of the cinema
manager? Where do the films
come from? What kind of deals
can you strike with distributors?
What are the managers tools for
promoting and programming the
cinema? Advertising - where, how,
why? What kind of profile do you
wish to enhance and what are your
niches? Economy. Demographic
analysis - who and where is your
audience? We shall bring in a
wider perspective of the national,
European and American
exhibition/distribution situation
analysing it from a cultural, artistic
and financial point of view.
Hopefully, we shall have time to
visit a couple of other very differ-
ent cinemas. Also you will learn
how to prepare films for projection
and do the actual projection
yourself in Big Bear.
Susanne Kiær Katz:
Lady Principal
Danish. Qualified in 1974 as a
teacher of Danish, English and
French and until 2000 taught
languages and cookery at Søborg
skole in a suburb of Copenhagen.
Since 1990 she has been an examination
marker in written Danish
for the Ministry of Education.
Since coming to the EFC Susanne
has combined teaching at a local
school in Ebeltoft with teaching
Danish for foreigners at the EFC
and administering the Big Bear
cinema. She was the founder, and
is now a Board member, of the
Ebeltoft Children’s Film Club,
and regularly writes about forthcoming
films at the Big Bear and
other events at the EFC for the local
Ebeltoft newspaper.
Courses: Danish for foreigners
Mark Le Fanu:
Film history
British. 1971: graduated in Literature
from Cambridge University.
1972-80: taught in the English faculty
at Cambridge. Subsequently
a freelance film critic and journalist
writing for numerous publications,
UK correspondent for Variety’s
International Film Guide and
the French film magazine Positif,
author of The Cinema of Andrei
Tarkovsky, BFI, 1987. Lecturer in
Film Studies at Regent’s
College London and the National
WHO’s WHO
Film and Television School (UK),
1991-1992: Senior Reporter,
Screen Finance.
Courses:
Film History Offered during all
course periods, the course covers
the history of film as an art form
from its origins to the present day.
Structure and aesthetics of the
short film: The short film is a genre
of its own, different from the fulllength
feature. What are the main
qualities that go into making an
interesting short? What can, and
what cannot, be dispensed with?
We stil look at the place in short
film aethetics of such topics as
symbolism, use of objects, character
development, surprise endings
and so on. We will explore the
terrain by looking at pre-existing
examples of the genre, and later
in the course we will experiment
with scripting some examples of
our own.
East is East
East is East... and West is West (as
the old saying goes) and never the
two shall meet. How true is this
feeling. Not in the film world,
anyway, there Tarantino “swears
by” Wong kar Wai, and Godard
tells us we have not lived until
we have seen at least one film by
Mizoguchi. What can the West
learn from the East? Who are the
indispensable greats of Asian cinema?
Let’s explore the topic, taking
in those films by Wong kar Wai
and Mizoguchi and also others by
Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian
Zhuanzhuan - along with Japanese
masterpieces by Kurosawa, Ozu,
Imamura and Oshima - the great
names. Obviously “Asia” is a huge
topic and we will need to follow
a few chosen parameters carefully.
But there is much to explore and
find out about, and, hopefully, enjoyment
to be gained on the way.
Petru Maier:
Cinematography
Danish. 1983: Graduated from
the Institute of Theatre and Film
Art, Bucharest, with a BA in Cinematography.
1986-1990: studied
languages at the University of Bucharest
while working in the film
industry. 1983-1990: worked as a
1st Assistant, 2nd Unit Director of
Photography and Director of
Photography at the Motion Pictures
Studios, Bucharest, Romania.
Credits include features,
documentaries and commercials.
Debut as Director of Photography
in 1989. 1990: Director of Photography
for a short feature
produced in co-operation with the
Danish Film Workshop. Member
of Dansk Filmfotograf Forbund.
He is also a Board Member of the
Union of Danish Filmworkers.
Courses:
Basics of Video camera
Designed to provide basic knowledge
in the operation of Sony
DXC-D30P digital video camera
and sage usage of it, as well as basics
of shooting:
- how a video camera works;
TV systems, video formats
- camera controls; layout
and functions;
- lenses and camera movements;
- safety routines;
- small assignments
Silver or Iron Oxide
A practical comparative study of
imaging systems This is a practical
continuation of Photography
and Framing and Picture and
Language although there are no
prerequisites for taking the course,
it is open for everybody. The
course deals with the control of
image. From the artistic concept
and complex symbolism, the images
have to pass from the head of