UND Summer Movie Camps in 2010

For Adults

(Open to anyone age 18 and up)

6pm-9pm evenings Mon-Fri

June 1-11, 2010

Class limited to maximum of 12 participants!

(minimum of 6 must enroll to have class)

 

For Teens

(Open to anyone age 12-18)

Afternoons till 5 pm

June 14-24, 2010

Class limited to maximum of 20 participants!

(minimum of 10 must enroll to have class)

 

Go to http://conted.und.edu/secure/summercamp/ 

to register online for this and other summer programs,

or visit http://www.summer.und.edu for other information.

 

MORE DETAILS and links to registration forms at

 http://www.english.und.edu/2010MovieCamp.html

 

Partial Scholarships may be available!

Contact kathleen.king@und.nodak.edu for additional information

 

 

Co-sponsored by

UND Department of English

UND Department of Visual Arts

[This page last updated on April 14, 2010]

 


 

Schedules

June 1-11, 2010 (adults)

June 14-24, 2010 (teens)

 

Monday through Friday schedule:

Evenings for Adults / Afternoons for Teens

 

Week 1: Writing for the Screen 

Adult workshop Tue-Fri, June 1-4

6:00 – 8:00 pm nightly

Teen workshop Mon-Fri, June 14-18

3:00 – 5:00 pm daily

Week 2: Production and Editing 

Adult workshop Mon-Fri, June 7-11

 6:00 – 9:00 pm nightly

Teen workshop Mon-Thu, June 21-24

1:00 - 5:00 pm daily

 

 

Registration:

·       Only $195 for full 2-week workshop

·       SAVE $25!!  $170 earlybird discount price if registration postmarked by May 1st!

 

(Make check payable to UND)

Include: name, address, school & grade, parent or guardian signature, and emergency contact info

Mail registration with payment to:   SUMMER MOVIE CAMP,  UND English Dept. mailstop 7209,  Grand Forks ND 58202

 

MORE DETAILS and links to registration forms at

 http://www.english.und.edu/2010MovieCamp.html

 

 

 

CLICK HERE for printer-friendly Registration Form to fill out and mail with payment.

 

Registration for either one-week session includes instruction, textbook, DVD of class movies, and 2 tickets to a World Premiere screening of the class movies 2:00 pm Saturday June 26 at the historic Empire Arts Center in downtown Grand Forks! Additional copies of the DVD may be ordered at $10 each.

Registration includes two tickets to the premiere screening.

 

A workshop of the UND English Department in co-operation with the UND Department of Visual Arts

Merrifield Hall classroom and Hughes Fine Arts Center video editing lab

 

REQUIRED TEXT:

Christopher P. Jacobs, “Instant Film School” – No-budget Moviemaking with Digital Video (supplied to workshop participants)

 

INSTRUCTORS:

UND English Department senior lecturers Christopher P. Jacobs and Kathleen King

 

Kathy Coudle King has written a number of screenplays, and has both written and produced numerous stage plays.

Christopher Jacobs has completed six feature-length digital movies since 2002, and numerous short films since age 14.

 


TEN GOOD BOOKS TO HAVE ON YOUR SHELF:
Alexander Mackendrick, On Film-Making  ISBN # 0-571-21125-9
Dale Newton and John Gaspard, Digital Filmmaking 101 ISBN# 0-941-18833-7
Laurent Tirard, Moviemakers' Master Class  ISBN # 0-571-21102-X
David Howard and Edwared Mabley, The Tools of Screenwriting  ISBN # 0-312-11908-9

Denny Martin Flinn, How NOT to Write a Screenplay  ISBN # 1-58065-015-5
Syd Field, The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver  ISBN # 0-440-50491-0
John Gardner, The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers  ISBN # 0-679-73403-1
Rick Schmidt, Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices  ISBN # 0-14-029184-9
Bret Stern, How to Shoot a Feature Film for Under $10,000 and not go to jail  ISBN # 0-06-008467-7
Michael C. Donaldson, Clearance & Copyright  ISBN # 1-879595-72-X


 

OVERVIEW

“Film as literature” has long been recognized as a valid subject for serious study in an English Department, but has generally centered on analysis of existing works, whereas creative writing classes foster mastering the forms of short stories, poems, essays, and novels.

 

This is intended as a concise but comprehensive course on using recent digital technology for personal self-expression in the dominant literary form of the past century—moving pictures—starting with the written word (the screenplay).

 

While learning cinematic storytelling concepts, the class will work together to develop a script and follow it into a finished movie through the various stages of preproduction, production, and postproduction. Class members will take turns performing the various crew functions to gain a broad range of experience. Some time will also be devoted to discussing options for distribution and exhibition for the independent moviemaker.

 

SYLLABUS

The class may view one or more episodes of “Project Greenlight.” One or more feature films with DVD audio commentary tracks may also be assigned for home viewing.  Locally made and student movies may also be shown and discussed as examples of motion picture production realities and/or what can be done with limited means. Each student will write one script, from which the class project(s) will be chosen. If a substantial number of students have previous moviemaking experience, the class may divide into two or more smaller groups, each making its own short movie or (depending on scripts submitted) doing selected scenes for a longer movie. Dedicated participation is critical, as the main project for the class will be a group effort. There will be no exams.

 

Class meeting schedule 
(Adult writing workshop will be condensed into four days, and participants may wish to use the weekend to get a head start on preproduction arrangements)

Tentative syllabus (subject to change):

WRITING WEEK (four days for adult workshop)

·       Monday - basic elements of screenwriting for a low budget; screenplay format; brainstorming story ideas
–HOMEWORK: write screenplay

·       Tuesday – write screenplays
–HOMEWORK: revise screenplays

·       Wednesday – revise and polish screenplays
–HOMEWORK: watch Dangers From Within  on DVD twice, the second time with the director’s audio commentary

·       Thursday - the producer’s responsibilities for organizing the project so it can be completed; read screenplays and discuss preproduction needs
–HOMEWORK: continue preproduction work as needed and/or watch another movie on DVD with audio commentary track

·       Friday - effective and efficient methods of shooting scenes and working with actors, planning in advance for continuity editing; choose screenplay(s) for production
         
WEEKEND HOMEWORK – work on production(s) independently, if desired; re-watch one or two of your favorite movies with the audio commentary

PRODUCTION WEEK (four days for youth workshop)

·       Monday - basic principles of camera composition and lighting for a “film look”; angles, lens focal lengths, camera movements, tripods, etc.; begin production of the class script(s)

·       Tuesday – production of movie

·       Wednesday – last-minute production; evaluating raw footage and possible post-production “fixes” for faults; editing the footage for maximum impact

·       Thursday – completing “roughcut”; adding sound effects, ADR, and music scoring

·       Friday – finish editing (adults); day off while DVD is prepared (youth)

·       Saturday – 2:00 pm PREMIERE at EMPIRE THEATRE!

 

Depending upon student interest, previous experience, and equipment availability, the class may make either several short small-group productions or one longer full-class production. The final completed project(s) for both the adult and teen workshops will be screened at a world premiere at the historic Empire Theatre in downtown Grand Forks, starting at 2:00 pm Sunday, June 29th.

 

CONSIDERATIONS TO THINK ABOUT

·        Develop story ideas from recent news stories, personal experiences, favorite movie genres

·        Be sure to take into account how you might actually produce the concepts you have in mind

·        Make an outline of your basic plot development (setup, confrontation, payoff),

          then fill it in with descriptions of the action, and finally the dialogue

·        Contact friends and acquaintances about using locations and/or props

·        Set aside a realistic amount of time for shooting and editing

·        What sort of close-ups, inserts, and cutaways might add interest or dramatic impact to each scene?

·        What sort of transitions between scenes will make things easier for the audience to follow?

·        How might music and/or extra sound effects help intensify your scenes?

 

 

ADDITIONAL READINGS

Screenplay Basics

Moviemaking Hints

 

FREE SCREENPLAY FORMATTING

TEMPLATE for MICROSOFT WORD

(To download, right-click and select “save as”

-- then choose the folder on your hard drive where you want it)

Screenplay Template

 

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Notes for the UND “Intro to Film” class

Low-budget and no-budget independent movies made in this region