FILM-131: Cinematography 2

To write with light, to write with motion, the learning of design (disegno), lighting and composition: these are the traditional aims of a class devoted to cinematography. Yet, under the impact of digital technology, this "language," this way of seeing, is being challenged. What are we indeed to make of the differences between film and digital capture? Are we facing a new kind of aesthetics, one no longer concerned with the beautiful? Will the new technology help us gather a new awareness of the social world or is it dooming us to stylistic figures without consequence? Course Objectives: although lectures will fill much of the class, the heart of the course will consist of a series of visual explorations involving the filmmaker, the camera, and the world. Through specific exercises, each student will engage cinematographic issues related to the pictorial transformation of reality. Course Requirements: each student will be responsible for 4 projects (about 5 min. each) for presentation in class on an assigned schedule. These are to be understood as raw sketches that challenge our stereotyped assumptions about filmmaking rather than polished pieces. The overall idea is to push your creativity rather than concern yourself with the equipment.