COURSE OUTLINE BPSA THEATRE, FILM & TELEVISION 2009

PASA 6271 CAMERA 2 A

Level Course No. Course Name Credits
6 PASA6271 Camera 2A 15
Course Coordinator
Dan Wagner (dwagner2@unitec.ac.nz)
Teaching Staff
Dan Wagner (dwagner2@unitec.ac.nz)
Alan Locke (alocke@unitec.ac.nz)
Guests
Production Staff
Nikki Baigent (Screen Production Manager) – nbaigent@unitec.ac.nz
Gayle Jackson (Props & Costume Assistant) – gjackson@unitec.ac.nz
Sai Yin Leung (Maintenance Engineer) - sleung@unitec.ac.nz
Theo Gibson (Screen Technician) - tgibson@unitec.ac.nz
Programme Co-ordinator
Victor Grbic (Film & Television) – vgrbic@unitec.ac.nz

Course Outline

GOAL
The goal of this semester is to cultivate your craft skills and your techniques, and
begin applying them to shooting situations in which many specialties work together
toward a common outcome. This involves exploring ways to integrate your own
personal abilities into a group effort.
CONTENT
You will look outside of your own department and start engaging in the collaboration
of specialties that is a film crew. You will further develop your conversancy with the
tools of visual storytelling and learn to integrate those tools, through creative
problem-solving, with some of the more complex practicalities that arise when
striving to be an efficient yet creative unit – both in the studio and on location.
Much of the coursework is designed around the two main exercise projects this
semester:
PROFICIENCY DRILL is a team-building exercise in the studio, all about clear, quick
communication and fast, efficient execution;
LOCATION EXERCISE is your first major shoot outside the studio, and calls on a
multitude of skills and sensibilities as you shoot scenes with actors in actual
locations around the city.
We’ll also start the Lighting and Exposure engine, which will drive you for the
duration of your tenure - and your career! Additionally, we will address issues
around shooting your Y2 DOCUMENTARY and serving as crew on the ADVERTS PROJECT.
Through the semester, we will engage in Focus exercises and Lighting exercises,
sharpening your skills in those areas. And we’ll end the semester of classes by
beginning to bring it all together by touching on what it means to be a DP.

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Course Aims and Learning Outcomes

Every course has Aims, and every class and assessment has Learning Outcomes.
They are what you will achieve by successfully completing each class and
assessment. Here are the aims and learning outcomes for this paper:

Course aim:
To enable students to increase understanding of specialised theories, concepts and
techniques for camera while evolving a personal methodology that will give
expression to individual creative development and practice.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the course you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate conversancy with fundamental camera and lighting theory

2. Utilise skill in the handling and operation of specialist camera/lighting equipment

and technology.
- Develop operational knowledge of camera and lighting equipment
- Explore basic camera/lighting techniques for a range of environments (location,
studio, types of programmes, etc.)
- Camera Operate, Camera Assist, Lighting Assist and Grip to a basic professional
standard.

Course Assessments and Due Dates

Weighting Nature of assessment L/O’s Due Date
30% Assignment 1 (Written Test: Lighting & Exposure; Optics & Focus) 1 26 May
30% Assignment 2 (1st AC – Location Exercise) 2 5 June
40% Assignment 3 (In-Class Tests: Technical & Operational Skills) 1, 2 26 June

Notes on the Assessment events:

1. Timed online test done through Blackboard.

2. This practical assessment involves all aspects of the job.
3. These tests of technical and operational skills will be comprised of:
a. Build / Operate / Focus – 20%
b. Lighting / Grip – 20%

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Class Schedule

LESSO
DATE / Tutor TOPICS COVERED
N#

Tues-26Feb AM
AL / DW
2 / A1 Plan for year / Wants & Needs / The Law / Warm-up for year

Tues-4Mar AM
DW
2 / A2 Making of a Shot - The Order of Things: The step-by-step creative process of shot-making

PROFICIENCY DRILL
Tues-11Mar AM Lens Choices: using the Zoom as a Variable-Fixed-Focal-Length Lens
2 / A3
AL Framing/Staging/Operating I
PROFICIENCY DRILL
Tues-18Mar AM Focus I: the 1st AC; optics review;
2 / A4
DW Responsibilities of the 2nd AC
PROFICIENCY DRILL
Wed-26Mar PM Lighting I: direction, quality, units
2 / A5
AL Location I: photographic considerations
Tues-1Apr AM
DW
2 / A6 Documentary Shooting: checklists for technicals, quality, protocols; Projects discussion

Y2 DOCO SHOOTS
TERM BREAK
Mon-5May PM Camera Movement I: survey of methods and practicals
2 / B1
DW Daylight Control
Wed-7May PM Framing/Staging/Operating II: Balance and Tension between FG, MG, BG
2 / B2
AL Focus II: intermediate focus-pulling drills
Location Ex Intro
Mon-12May PM
AL
2 / B3 Lighting II: Exposure

Wed-14May PM
DW
2 / B4 Lighting III: lighting a FACE, lighting a SPACE

Location II: protocols for camera

Mon-19May PM
DW
2 / B5 Cheating
Focus III: advanced drills
Location Ex RECCES
Wed-21May PM
AL
2 / B6 Location Lighting

ASSESSMENT #1
Loc.Ex specific issues
Mon-26May PM
DW
2 / B7 1st AC'ing review
Location Exercise Reference Shoot #1
LOCATION EX SHOOT - N/___
View Rushes & discuss shoot
Wed-28May PM
AL
2 / B8 Grammar of the Shot: simple, complex, developing
Loc.Ex Reference Shoots #2 & 3
LOCATION EX SHOOT - D/___ & N/___
Wed-4Jun PM View Rushes & discuss shoots
2 / B9
DW Loc.Ex Reference Shoot #4
LOCATION EX SHOOT - D/___
Fri-6Jun AM
DW
2 / B10 Being a DP: 1st Script Impressions to Grading

ADVERTS (crew for Y3's)

ASSESSMENTS (#3)

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Required & Recommended Items

REQUIRED TEXT
Cinematography: Theory and Practise – Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors and Videographers,
Blain Brown, Focal Press, 2002
ISBN: 978-0-240-80500-9

REQUIRED ITEMS
Staedler Lumocolor Non-Permanent Universal Pens
You want the Fine (316WP4) or the Superfine (311WP4).
You want the pack of 4.
Torch
http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=57
[some sort of small torch – doesn’t have to be this brand]
Space Blanket
http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=31
USB flash drive
at least 1GB

RECOMMENDED READING
Ballinger, Alex, New Cinematographers, Collins Design, 2004
Elkins, David D., The Camera Assistant’s Manual, 2nd Edition, Focal Press, Boston, 1996
Giannetti, Louis, Understanding Movies, 10th Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2004
Hines, William E., Operating cinematography for film and video: a professional and practical guide, Ed Venture
Films Books, 1997
Malkiewicz, Kris, Cinematography: a guide for film makers and film teachers, 2nd Edition, Simon & Schuster, 1992
Ward, Peter, Picture composition for film and television, Focal Press, Boston, 1996

Also: see Blackboard for more RECOMMENDED READING

RECOMMENDED ITEMS
[not necessary to purchase from these vendors - these web pages are for reference]
Fiberglass Tape Measure
http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=34
Tool Pouch
http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=303
Ditty Bag
http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1011
Work Gloves
http://www.hollywoodprops.co.nz/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=975
Compass
http://www.aucklandmapcentre.co.nz/default,1614,compasses.sm

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