BASIC FILM PRODUCTION
1) POETRY FILM
Conceive, plan, and shoot a short, silent, B&W Super8 film. The film should be 3
minutes in length. Shoot outside in DAYLIGHT only. Work in groups of 3. You are
responsible for paying for the processing & shipping of your film.
Skills: Framing, Screen Direction, Pre-Production, Visual Elements
This is an IN-CAMERA EDIT assignment, meaning that the order in which you shoot
will be the order in which we will view your images. Compose each of your shots very
carefully, considering how long each one will remain on the screen. Consider the
relationship between the images you place next to one another. Meaning is created
by the composition and information that is contained within the images, as well as by
the juxtaposition of one image to another. USE A TRIPOD unless you require the
shaky look of handheld camera movement for a particular shot.
The assignment is called a POETRY FILM because you should be thinking in purely
visual terms without the use of written or spoken language within the film. NO
DIALOGUE is needed. Think in terms of communicating by association, by evocation.
Focus on the graphic qualities of the image. Try to explore visual metaphors. Do not
think of creating a story as you would in a Fiction or Documentary Film.
CHOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IDEAS:
PLACE: Make a short film exploring a particular PLACE. Your place should be an
EXTERIOR location where you are free enough to move around so that you have the
ability to compose strong images and explore your chosen environment. If people are
emblematic of your PLACE then you may include them in your shots, but keep in mind
that this is NOT an exploration of character. It is fine to exclude all people.
EMOTION: Make a short film exploring a single EMOTION. This is an opportunity to
get creative and think symbolically, not just literally. The choice of emotion is yours, as
well as how you choose to depict or evoke it. This option should also be shot in
EXTERIORS with available daylight. It is fine to stage things for the camera if you wish.
You can bring objects or actors to your EXTERIOR location.
REMEMBER
• Shooting on Super 8 means that every shot you take will be included in the
film. PLAN, THINK, and BLOCK before you shoot!
• Choose your locations so that you can control as much of the environment and
background as possible.
• Try to allow space in your plan for experimentation, but give yourself a roadmap!

SCRIPTWRITING AND FILMMAKING
(includes practicals and assignments)
While the course is practical-oriented, the theory portion would help the students develop a sound
understanding of the basics of story-telling and film-making. More than 50% of the time would be
devoted to hands-on film-making, so that the students learn how to transform their ideas into films.
The students would also do exercises that would strengthen their understanding of the concepts
being taught. They would work on assignments and script-writing practicals at home and then read
out their work in interactive sessions in which they receive feedback as well as suggestions.
THE PROCESS OF MAKING A FILM
Film-making: As a director, it is necessary to understand the process of making a film: preproduction,
production and post-production. A brief overview of how films are made would be given
to the students.
SCRIPTWRITING
Storytelling: The audience is looking for a good story told well. Fiction films are basically about
telling stories through visuals and sounds. Where do stories come from? Life as a source -
memory, imagination, experience - yours & others. The nature and role of intuition. Universalising
the personal experience. Importance of research. Adaptation from literary works. The difference
between actually being inspired and stealing ideas.
Practicals: Writing concepts for 2 films every week.
Audiovisual Writing: Films are an audiovisual medium so a script is basically a description of the
visuals and sounds that will be seen and heard in the film. What are the elements of visual story
telling? The discipline of writing a screenplay. The outer manifestation of inner feelings which
Satyajit Ray talks about.
The Format: The format for writing the Synopsis, Step-outline, Screenplay and Script for a film.
Practical’s: Scenes written in the international format
The Elements of Scriptwriting: Action, Character, Setting, Theme, Structure.
Practical’s: One-page character sketches of a fictional character & a real person the student
knows personally.
Characterization: How to create 3 dimensional characters. How to establish characters on
screen. The Protagonist and the Antagonist. Dramatic Need of the protagonist & its relation to the
plot. The way the character grows and changes during the film. Establishing characters on screen.
Show, do not tell.

Assignment: A character sketch of one of the major characters of a film & an analysis of how the
character has been established in the film
Practicals: A detailed character sketch of one person who can be the protagonist of a film
Structuring: Understanding the way screenplays of films are structured and learning how to use
these elements in your own work: The 3-act structure. Set-Up, Confrontation, Climax, Resolution.
Plot, Sub-plot, weaving them together. The structure of commercial Hindi films.
SCREEN GRAMMAR & ELEMENTS OF FILM-MAKING
An introduction to screen grammar: What is a shot? The editing transitions that can be used to
join two shots: Cut, Dissolve, Fade, Wipe, Bleach. The various elements of shot-taking: Image
Size, Camera Angles, Movements, Lenses, Lighting, Camera Speed, Stocks, Graphics, Colour.
The Rule of Thirds & the Golden Points. Depth of Field and Selective Focus.
Assignment: Identifying the various elements of visual composition in 6 to 10 consecutive shots of
a scene and analyzing the effect of each of these elements
PRACTICALS: CINEMATOGRAPHY
The students will learn the basics of how to shoot with a video camera.
PRACTICALS: SCREEN GRAMMAR: The students will do practicals with a camera to
understand:
Image Size
Camera Angles
Camera Movements
Rule of Thirds & the Golden Points
Lenses
Depth of Field
Selective Focus
The Principles of Editing: They say that a film is made on two tables - the writing table and the
editing table.
Shot Breakdown: The students would learn the format for writing the shot breakdown. We would
analyze the shot breakdown of scenes from various films.
Continuity and the Imaginary Line: The 180 Degree Axis. How to maintain continuity of space
and time. Match Cut and Jump Cut.
Ways of Shooting: Blocking. Master-close and triple-take method. Cut in and cut away.
Preparing for a shoot: Script Breakdown. Planning Shooting Order.

FINAL PROJECT: MAKING A SHORT FILM
Please Note: The students would work in groups for making the short films. The technicians and
equipment required for the practicals and projects
would be provided to the students. The students can arrange for more production requirements at
their own cost.
i) PRE-PRODUCTION OF THE SHORT FILM:
1. The basic idea
2. The synopsis
3. What is the premise of the film? What is the theme? What are the socio-political and ethical
ideas being conveyed?
4. Character sketches of the main characters, keeping their physiology, sociology and psychology
in mind. The back story, i.e., what has happened in the life of the character before the film begins?
How does the character change and grow through the film.
5. Research for the film.
6. The Step-Outline of the film, in which every scene is described in a paragraph.
7. Screenplay with dialogue for the short film
8.Production Breakdown
9.Shot Breakdown of the film
10. Location-hunting and getting permissions
11. Floor-planning and story boarding
12. Casting
13. Organizing the props, costumes and other production requirements.
ii) PRODUCTION OF THE SHORT FILM:
14. Shooting
iii) POST-PRODUCTION OF THE SHORT FILM:
15.Digitisation
16.Logging
17.Editing
18. Working on the sound
19. Adding Credit Titles
20. Subtitling the film.
21. Getting the film on tape and copies on VCD and DVD.
22. Designing a cover for the DVD
iv) SCREENING:
23. Screening the film
24. Submitting it to film festivals.
25. Putting the film on You-tube and social networking sites.