yearbook 2004/05 - The European Film College

Guess who’s
coming to dinner
The first week of class we will actually
work on developing 6 scripts
that will be shot in the following
weeks by Popp and Esben’s classes.
The scripts must be done after the
first week, so writers will literally
get their feet wet immediately, and
will get to see the results on film.
The concept is to write dialogue
pieces that involve 3 characters
(preferably based on famous historical
figures, but not mandatory),
that can then be shot in one
location by the other classes. This
is a unique opportunity as a writer
to see your work on film.
Comedy writing workshop, the
sequel
Yeah, ok, you are the funniest human
beging on this whole friggin’
planet. Or wait, even better,
perhaps you think you’re just not
funny. You think you’re just plain
DULL, a walking snorefest. Well,
the simple fact of the matter is ALL
humanoids are funny. We thrive
on humour. Our entire lives
are based on humour. i.e. we want
to be happy. WE WANT TO
LAUGH. Sure, it’s nice to have a
good political discussion once in a
while to try to save the
world, and sure it’s nice to whisper
profound sweet nothings to your
significant other, but the bottom
line is, the most satisfying part of
being a person is laughing. IT’S
DOWNRIGHT HEALTHY. So,
this course is quite simply about
laughing.
Hitchcock vs. Spielberg
At present, there are several armed
conflicts raging here on Earth.
Nuclear proliferation appears to
be spiraling out of control. Global
warming is being ignored. The
modern age of mankind is only a
few generations old, and with its
advances have come the big negatives
of progress. The world was a
much safer place 100 years ago. So
the question is, for the next few
generations, can we save this planet
from ourselves? As film-makers,
we have the foremost opportunity
to reach a world-wide audience.
Whether you choose to entertain
the masses or attempt to change
their views is up to you. In this
class we’ll look at the two genres
that most clearly represent the opposite
ends of this spectrum. As
filmmakers, this class will challenge
you to face the awesome
responsibility of creating a film
in the future that can entertain
and if you choose, possibly make
a difference. Writing will not be
required, but students will be encouraged
to pitch ideas for development.
In addition, at least one
class will be set aside for career development
and advice on how to
make it in the film industry.
Guest
lecturers:
Mads Egmont:
Christensen
Production
Management
Danish. BA and Masters Degree
in Science of Film Education from
the University of Southern California.
Returned to Denmark to
work with Bellevue Studio as a
scriptwriter, director, producer
and eventually Creative Manager.
Subsequently became managing
director of Gutenberghus Film
and TV Productions, moving in
1988 to Metronome Productions
where he was Managing Director
and producer for eight years. In
1996 he became Principal of the
Danish Advertising School, but
has since returned to independent
producing, founding his own
production company, Mecano
film, in 1997. An award-winning
director of feature films as well as
numerous TV programmes and
commercials, Mads has published
articles on film education, taught
at the University of Copenhagen,
and has held several honorary of-
WHO’s WHO
0
fices, among them membership of
the Board of SOURCES, Media I,
the Nordic First Film Foundation
and the European Film College.
He was Course Director at the
EFC’s International Department
from 1997 to 2001 and has subsequently
acted as a consultant to
the Department and designer of
individual courses.
Courses:
Production
This course covers most of the
major points and central elements
in the film production process and
gives the student an introduction
to the most important tasks in
relation to the planning and management
of any film. In the sessions
we shall pin-point a number
of crucial problems that need to
be solved before shooting your
film - regardless of whether this
happens to be a 100 minute feature
or a first-time student documentary.
We shall be working by
means of mixing theoretical principles
and hands-on practicalities
in our investigation of how to:
- work with the story (outline,
treatment & script)
- cast actors or amateurs and extras
- hire the necessary crew (the responsibilities
of each department)
- research and choose between locations
or studio
- do the production-planning &
the budgeting (excercises in
script break-down)
- handle the green-lighting of your
film
- organise the shoot (call-sheets,
hour-to-hour schedules + other
types of paper-work)
- control editing and sound in
postproduction
- prepare the marketing and distribution
and finally
- secure the right exhibition
(either in the cinema, on video
or DVD, on the internet, on TV,
at film schools or at private venues)
Course motto: Plan carefully for
the expected and you will be better
equipped to deal with the unexpected
!
Sigrid Bennike:
Set design
Danish. 1990-92: International
Baccalaureate (main subjects - art
and literature). 1995-2000: Educated
at the Department of Stage
and Costume Design at the national
School of Performing Arts
in Copenhagen. Guest student at
the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden,
Germany 1998-1999. Currently
working as a freelance stage
and costume designer and doing
a degree in Theatre Studies at the
University in Copenhagen.
Course:
Set design:
The course will offer a basic introduction
to set-design. We will
work on how to find visual inspiration
for a set and how to generate
and communicate visual ideas
even if you do not know much
about drawing.
I will introduce you to model
building and we will look at interesting
sets and set-designers
from filmhistory. During the
course each student will be working
with an individual project as
well as participating in joined
exercises. It will also be possible
to venture into the world of costumes.
Keywords: observation,
visual research, colour, materials,
buildings, interiours, fabrics, film
noir, expressionism, musical, realistic
designs/the world of imagination/in-betweens.
The course is
theoretical (no shooting) - but lots
of hands-on-experience.
Robyn Lee:
Acting and directing
American. Robyn is a long-term