Course MD 301 Winter 2013/14
The Moving Image
Hossam Elouan, J. Schmid, Ghada Fikri, Nora Kahil, Y. Yassin
"Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen." - Robert Bresson
MD 301: The Moving Image
Course outline
THE MOVING IMAGE is an examination of the artistic elements of the moving picture. The detailed analysis of basic cinema techniques and how they might be creatively manipulated for expressive effect will be combined with the screening of films or film excerpts appropriate to class discussion. This analysis will be reinforced and put into practice through the workshop component of the course, where students will learn how to shoot and edit a short film.
Course Outcome
This course is intended to provide students with:
a working vocabulary of terms and concepts used in the aesthetic criticism and production of films;
basic practical knowledge of film production; and
the opportunity to improve their ability to think cogently and effectively about film.
Ultimately, these outcomes are designed so that the student will learn to understand and articulate their emotional, intellectual, and spiritual responses to these art forms in a meaningful way, and to apply these concepts to the creative production of their own work.
References and Textbooks
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction, 9th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2010. Daniel Arijon. Grammar of the Film Language. Silman-James Press, 1991. David Mamet. On Directing Film. Penguin, 1992.
Course Syllabus
WEEK ONE: 22 26 September The production process
WEEK TWO: 29 03 October Film form Suggested screening: Man With a Movie Camera (1929: USSR) 65 minutes
WEEK THREE: 06 10 Octobber Cinematography Suggested screening: Koyaanisqatsi (1983: USA) 87 minutes
WEEK Eid el Adha: 13 17 October
WEEK FOUR: 20 24 October Mise en cadre Suggested screening: Do The Right Thing (1989: USA) 120 minutes
WEEK FIVE: 27 31 October Mise en sc่ne Suggested screening: Our Hospitality (1925: USA) 75 minutes
WEEK SIX: 03 07 November Lighting Suggested screening: The Night of the Hunter (1955: USA) 93 minutes
WEEK SEVEN: 10 14 November Sound Suggested screening: A Man Escaped (1956: France) 98 minutes
WEEK EIGHT: 17 21 November Editing Suggested screening; The Road Warrior (1981: Australia) 95 minutes
WEEK NINE: 24 28 November Editing Suggested screening: Breathless (1959: France) 90 minutes
WEEK TEN: 01 05 December Scene and sequence Suggested screening: North by Northwest (1959: USA) 136 minutes
WEEK TWELVE:
Narrative Suggested screening: Citizen Kane (1941: USA) 119 minutes
WEEK THIRTEEN:
Genre, style, and worldview Suggested screening: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944: USA) 116 minutes
WEEK FOURTEEN:
Documentary, avant garde, and animated films Suggested screenings: Gap-Toothed Women (1987: USA) 31 minutes Ballet m้canique (1924: France) 19 minutes The River (1938: USA) 31 minutes A Movie (1958: USA) 12 minutes
WEEK FIFTEEN:
Final thoughts