Introduction to Art and Technique of Filmmaking

Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Students acquire understanding of practical and aesthetic challenges undertaken by artists and professionals in making of motion pictures and television. Examination of film as both art and industry: storytelling, sound and visual design, casting and performance, editing, finance, advertising, and distribution. Exploration of American and world cinema from filmmaker's perspective. Honing of analytical skills and development of critical vocabulary for study of filmmaking as technical, artistic, and cultural phenomenon. P/NP or letter grading.

Review Summary

Clarity
8.3 / 10
Organization
8.3 / 10
Time
0-5 hrs/week
Overall
8.3 / 10

Reviews

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2020 Online
    Grade: A+

    Super chill and interesting class. I took it asynchronously, and all the lectures videos were prerecorded by another professor. Lectures would typically involve the professor explaining a technique using clips from movies/TV as examples. There are weekly discussion forum posts required, along with 2-3 short (and relatively easy) multiple-choice quizzes. There were also 2 slightly longer creative exercises, but no midterms or final. Films included "In the Mood for Love," "Die Hard," "The Hurt Locker," "Sorry to Bother You," and more, as well as a couple TV episodes and short films/animation.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    This was an easy A class. It was nice that everything was online and we could watch lectures on our own time. The only thing was that the quizzes were pretty specific and they weren't very long, so it was easy to make mistakes and score low.

Course

Instructor
Jonathan Kuntz
Previously taught
22S 22W 21S 21W 20F

Grading Information

  • No group projects

  • Attendance required

  • No midterms

  • No final

  • 50% recommend the textbook

Previous Grades

Grade distributions not available.