Pilarski_Advanced FIlm and New Media Production _ Spring (2)

CDM 3950 | Advanced Film and New Media
Production
Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 10:30-11:35 pm
Professor:​ Nicholas Pilarski
Email:​ npilarski@carthage.edu
Office Hours​: appointment via www.npilarski.youcanbook.me
The objective of this course is to advance your understanding of contemporary filmmaking
techniques and competency surrounding the discourse of modern cinema. You will explore the
form’s history, and how cinema production has been practiced over the past century. Workshops and
assignments will inform your understanding of the production process, and you will create critically
informed new media works that show your advancement in technique while cultivating a visual
grammar. Projects and assignments will bring theory into practice, resulting in informed works that
experiment with formal and aesthetic qualities paramount to motion pictures and new media.
As a production course, we will be mindful of historical contexts, from the emergence of the medium
to various iterations of contemporary media. Special attention will be paid to the production
processes, and how formal elements can impact various spectators.
Learning Outcomes
• Demonstrate proficiency in lighting design and application in the cinematic form.
• Demonstrate proficiency in traditional and modern cinematographic techniques, planning
and application.
• Demonstrate proficiency in audio recordation and design.
• Demonstrate proficiency and understanding in interactive media.
• Demonstrate proficiency and theoretical understanding of experimental and traditional
mise en scène.
• Demonstrate an understanding of project pipelines, including relationships between
makers, funders, subjects, distributors related to cinema.
As you explore and cultivate the learning outcomes listed above, you will be expected to participate
in class exercises, lectures, screenings, and discussions. Ultimately, you will produce a short final
project where you will be expected to be conscious of how production techniques can illuminate
critical discourse and/or express a particular subjective understanding of the world.
Disclaimer: This syllabus is tentative and may be subject to change.

Requirements and Grading
Final grades will be based on the following system, totaling 100 points.
A+ 97-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69
A 94-96 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 63-66
A- 90-93 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62
Attendance, Participation, and In-class Exercises. ​(25 points total)
You are required to be active and participate in all coursework and discussion. Absences and
participation reflect your overall commitment to advancing your own understanding of concepts in
the course, as well as the culture of the classroom. Active participation and informed understanding
of the assigned readings comprise a ​majority​ of this grade. Please come with talking points in
preparation to be called on directly.
Micro-projects ​(4 projects, 0-10 points awarded for each project, 40 points total)
You will focus your efforts on three small projects (and one pitch) that are designed to help you
articulate the language of cinema/new media/audio. Projects will focus on editing, computational
media, and camerawork.
Projects will be graded as follows:
10 points: ​Demonstrates originality in production, critical thinking, and deep engagement with the
formal qualities of cinema informed by films/lectures/readings.
5 points:​ Demonstrates effort to engage with the films/lectures/readings but does not reflect
advanced critical thought and/or craft.
0 points:​ Shows clear lack of effort or failure to complete assignment.
Projects must be uploaded by start-of-class on the due date. One point will be deducted from
projects received later than start-of-class on due date. One point will be deducted for each additional
day the work is late.
Final Project ​(35 points) choice of one of the following:
All students will be required to produce a short film or “treatment” with accompanying audiovisual
materials for a feature length project.
Detailed information for these two choices will be provided later in the semester.
A one-on-one check-in is required at mid-term where you will present your project idea with
accompanying research.
Academic Honesty: ​Carthage College requires academic honesty and maintains college-wide
honesty guidelines and penalties outlined in the ​Faculty Handbook ​and ​Students' Handbook. ​Students are
responsible for the honest representation of their work, correct citation of sources, and respect of
intellectual property. Violation of these terms will result in disciplinary action through a zero

tolerance policy. Regardless of context, if there is evidence of ​any ​academic misconduct, a zero grade
will be assigned. Final grades are also subject to failure.
Accommodation:​ Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class
are encouraged to contact Diane Schowalter in the Advising Center to provide documentation. If
during the first week of class you anticipate needing such accommodations, you will need to provide
supporting documents.
Inclement Weather: ​In the case of severe​ ​weather and hazardous travel conditions where I must
cancel class, an email will be sent outlining a course makeup strategy.
Late Assignments:​ ​ Late assignments will only be accepted through verifiable emergencies.
Make-Ups​:​ ​Exams cannot be made up unless there is a verifiable emergency. If you are going to be
absent for an exam due to College sanctioned activities or planned events beyond your control, you
are expected to schedule accordingly with me and take tests before the planned period of testing.
Contact: ​Please feel free to contact me with questions pertaining to coursework. I attempt to email
within normal business hours.
Class Rules:​ Please adhere to the following rules. A reduction in grade will occur if ignored.
• Be punctual.
• Keep a clean space.
• No food unless planned as part of class.
• No conversations outside of coursework.
• Do not interrupt others.
• Be respectful of other people’s opinions.
CDM Digital Etiquette Policy​: ​In order to facilitate the learning of all students in the
classroom, the CDM faculty expects common courtesy and minimization of distractions during
all sessions. Your professor will make his or her individual expectations clear regarding common
courtesy.
The following policy, however, will be applied by all CDM faculty:
• ​Cell phone use of any kind, including (especially) texting, is not allowed and will not be
tolerated. Thus, cell phones are NOT allowed on the desk or in your lap.
• ​The use of laptop computers is not allowed unless a student has a disability
(documented through Learning Specialist Diane Showalter’s office) and a laptop has
been determined to be an appropriate accommodation for doing class work.
• ​In classrooms/labs where students are working at computer stations or are utilizing
laptops for class presentations, students are expected to focus their attention on the
discussion or project at hand, and will not use the computers for personal/social
purposes during class time.
CDM faculty reserve the right to enforce this policy as they see fit, including (but not limited to)
taking violations into account when assigning grades.

Texts
Required
Brown, Blain. ​Cinematography: Theory & Practice​. 3rd ed., Routledge, 2016.
Tarkovsky, Andrey. ​Sculpting In Time​. Translated by Kitty Hunter-Blair, University of Texas Press,
2017.
Additional reading will be made available for download on eLearning
Equipment
Further Requirements
All students are required to have a USB 3 external hard drive running at 7200rpm.
I highly recommend the LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 2TB Portable Hard Drive.
Amazon link: ​http://amzn.to/2E0Wx12
Recommended Budget Purchases for Emerging Filmmakers
Scrivener (please note that there are open source options but this is industry standard and you get a
significant EDU discount)
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store/
Filmic Pro (an amazing phone app for shooting)
http://bit.ly/1OdzTlF
DJI Phone Camera Gimbal Osmo Mobile
http://amzn.to/2GOqUWm
Shure MV88 Digital Condenser Mic
http://amzn.to/2E09wvO

Schedule
FEBRUARY
Week 1 | Introduction & Writers Toolkit
W - 6th | Introduction
F - 8th | Writers Toolkit |Scrivener I | ​READ - What I Talk About When I Talk About Running -
Intro & Chapter 4
Week 2 | Sound I
M - 11th | What Makes Good Foley?
W - 13th | Audio Tips | Live Recording | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter I”
F - 15th | Mastering
Week 3 | Composing Music
M - 18th | Computational Music I
W - 20th | Computational Music II | ​READ - Brown, “Music as Mood”
F - 22nd | Field Audio and Environmental Sound
Week 4 | From Cinematography to Webfilm.
M - 25th |Critique| ​DUE - Sound Film
W - 27th | Korsakow I | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter II”
MARCH
F - 1st | Korsakow II | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter I”
M-F - 4th-8th | NO CLASS SPRING RECESS
Week 5 | Advanced Lighting
M - 11th | Advanced Lighting and Cinematography I - Studio
W - 13th | Advanced Lighting and Cinematography II - Studio | ​READ: Brown, “Visual Storytelling
and Lighting”
F - 15th | Advanced Lighting III - Practical and Found Light
Week 6 | Critique
M - 18th | Critique I | ​DUE - Web Film
W - 20th | Critique II | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter III”
F - 22nd | Special Guest - Sally Volkman I - Sundance Editing Lab
Week 7 | Actors & Color
M - 25th | Working with Actors
W - 27th |Color Correction I | ​READ - Brown, “Image Control & Grading”
F - 29th | Color Correction II

APRIL
Week 8 | Advanced Editing Techniques
M - 1st | Multicam Narrative Workflow
W - 3rd | Documentary Workflow | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter V”
F - 5th| Working with Volumetric Video
Week 9 | Pitches
M - 8th | Pitches | ​DUE - Pitch for Final
W - 10th |Pre-Production Exercise I | ​READ - Brown, “Exposure”
F - 12th | Pre-Production Exercise II - ​DUE - Shot List
Week 10 | Advanced Cinematography
M - 15th | Run-and-Gun Techniques | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter IV”
W - 17th | Movement, Blocking, and Cinematography - Thinking Through Wong Kar-wai
F - 19th | NO CLASS EASTER BREAK
Week 11 | Prepping for Final
M - 22nd | NO CLASS EASTER BREAK
W - 24th | Now That Your Scene “is in the Can”| ​READ - Brown, “Data Management”
F - 26th | Making “Moments” from B-Roll
Week 12 | Your First Rough Draft
M - 29th |Rough Cut Critique ​DUE - Rough Cut Micro Film
MAY
W - 1st | Guest - Sally Volkman Part II - Expanding Your Assembly| ​WATCH - “Icarus”
F - 3rd | Editing Workshop with Micro Film
Week 13 | Revisions
M - 6th | Open Studio - Update Workshop I
W - 8th | Open Studio - Update Workshop II | ​READ - Tarkovsky, “Chapter VI”
F - 10th |Film Festival Friday - Films from the Aspen Short Film Festival
S - 11th | Arts Walk
Week 14 | The Industry
M - 13th | The Industry & “Making it as an Artist.”
W - 15th | Film Festivals & Next Steps
F - 17th | Final Words
FINAL DUE​: Wednesday, May 22 - 10.30AM - 12.30PM |​ FINAL PROJECT
SCREENING