Syllabus

Digital Cinematography

DPA 6830, Fall 2024

Course Description

This course focuses on the art and science of cinematography for effective and aesthetic narrative delivery using a variety of formats. Topics include history; critical thinking regarding cinematography; artistic and technical aspects of monochrome and color photography; still and moving composition using real and synthetic cameras; lighting concepts and practical considerations for live acquisition as well as rendered environments and virtual production; and professional standards, technology, and workflow for creating high-quality imagery. Co-requisite course: DPA 8070.

Delivery

• Instructor: Eric Patterson, Ph.D.
• Office: 509 ZFGEC, TBA
• Meetings: Tuesdays & Thursdays: 11:00 - 13:45
• Location: ZFGEC Theater, Art Studio, Capture Studio
• Required Texts: Cinematography: Theory and Practice by Blain Brown, 4th ed. and Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5 by Hussin Khan (both available on O’Reilly through Clemson)
• Grading: Assignments 70%, Tests 30%
• Assignments: A variety of critical analysis and production-related work with focus on both aesthetic and technical considerations. These will include analysis, writing, design, and applied production components.

Learning Outcomes

1. Practice photography, film grammar, visual composition, camera movement, and montage.
2. Critically analyze and explain the use of cinematography for narrative delivery.
3. Apply technical and aesthetic aspects of lenses, lighting, exposure, color, and visual style.
4. Analyze, explain, and create high-quality imagery with real and synthetic lights and cameras.
5. Effectively use digital-image technology, virtual production techniques, and other industry-related tools and workflow.
6. Design and create effective and aesthetic cinematography for various media formats.

Topics

History; photography; cinematography; analysis; celluloid film; digital sensors; exposure; lenses; perception; color; composition; movement; film grammar; storyboards; blocking; lighting; contrast; notable films and cinematographers; cinema and interactive formats; visual style and objectives; technical aspects; on-set protocol; production tools; digital workflow; design and practical execution of lighting and cinematic acquisition; computer-graphics-based layout, lighting, and rendering; virtual production.

Examples of Tentative Assignments

• Analyze cinematography of different films.
• Study, analyze, and write regarding cinematography.
• Still photography exercises for cinematography.
• Scene analysis and shot breakdown to analyze composition, movement, and montage.
• Scene lighting analysis using setups and diagrams.
• Match and re-interpret scenes.
• Rig and/or programm camera development and execution.
• Design, plan, and execute live-action, rendered, and virtual-production scenes.
• Produce, edit, grade, and deliver one or more final scenes for display and critique.

Policies

Your best attendance and proactive involvement are required to maximize this course experience. Active engagement in all course elements is the only way to make this a meaningful learning experience to improve your understanding, thinking, and future capabilities. Students are individually responsible for keeping current with course material and assignments. Grading is much less important than learning but is required and will be based on an objectives met (check), objectives exceeded (check plus), or objectives not met (check minus) system. This is logically mapped to a letter grade (no plus/minus) at the end of the semester (all checks -> B; at least some check plusses -> A; multiple check-minuses -> C or below). Non-submissions receive zero credit which significantly lowers the grade mapping, and it is in best interests to submit assignments in a timely manner. Tests or quizzes may be graded on more typical numeric scales. This syllabus and course materials may be subject to change with reasonable notice.

Boilerplate

We will follow all the spirit and regulations of Clemson University regarding academic integrity, accessibilitiy, inclusion, and any changing policies related to the current pandemic. Please see associated Clemson University web pages for the most current policies and guidance.

Tentative Schedule

Week 1

• Read Brown chapters 1, 8, and 9.
• Aug 22 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Course Introduction, Concepts, History, and Stills Work

Week 2

• Read Brown chapters 12, 13, and 14.
• Aug 27 (Tues): Screening: Out of the Past (1947) 1.37:1, Director: Jacques Tourneur, DP: Nicholas Musuraca, 97 minutes, 68 minutes remaining
• Aug 29 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Exposure and Lighting

Week 3

• Read Brown chapters 2 and 3.
• Sept 3 (Tues): Screening: Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 2.55:1, Director: David Lean, DP: Jack Hildyard, 161 minutes, 4 minutes remaining
• Sept 5 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Composition and Lenses

Week 4

• Read Brown chapters 5 and 17.
• Sept 10 (Tues): Screening: Vertigo (1958) 1.85:1, Director: Alfred Hitchcock, DP: Robert Burks, 128 minutes, 37 minutes remaining
• Sept 12 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Shot Conventions, Focus, and Optics Continued

Week 5

• Read Brown chapters 4, 15, and 16.
• Sept 17 (Tues): Screening: The French Connection (1971) 1.85:1, Director: William Friedkin, DP: Owen Roizman, 104 minutes, 61 minutes remaining
• Sept 19 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Continuity, Grip, and Movement

Week 6

• Read Brown chapters 6 and 7.
• Sept 24 (Tues): Screening: The Last Picture Show (1971) 1.85:1, Director: Peter Bogdanovich, DP: Robert Surtees, 118 minutes, 47 minutes remaining
• Sept 26 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Cameras and Digital Conventions

Week 7

• Read Brown chapters 10, 11, and 19.
• Oct 1 (Tues): Screening: Days of Heaven (1978): Days of Heaven (1978) 1.85:1, Director: Terrence Malick, DP: Néstor Almendros (with additional photography by Haskell Wexler), 94 minutes, 71 minutes remaining
• Oct 3 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Digital Imaging and Color

Week 8

• Read Brown chapters 18, 20, and 21.
• Oct 8 (Tues): Screening: Apocalypse Now (1979) 2.35:1, Director: Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Vittorio Storaro, 147 minutes, 18 minutes remaining
• Oct 10 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop – Set Operations and Technical Issues

Week 9

• Oct 15 (Tues): Holiday (Fall Break)
• Oct 17 (Thurs): Screening: The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 1.85:1, Director: Frank Darabont, DP: Roger Deakins, 142 minutes, 23 minutes remaining

Week 10

• Oct 22 (Tues): Screening: Road to Perdition (2002) 2.39:1, Director: Sam Mendes, DP: Conrad L. Hall, 117 minutes, 48 minutes remaining
• Oct 24 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop

Week 11

• Oct 29 (Tues): Screening: Birdman (2014) 1.85:1, Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu, DP: Emmanuel Lubezki, 119 minutes, 46 minutes remaining
• Oct 31 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop (On Set Out of the Past Recreation)

Week 12

• Nov 5 (Tues): Holiday (Election Day)
• Nov 7 (Thurs): Screening: Mudbound (2017) 2.00:1, Director: Dee Rees, DP: Rachel Morrison, 134 minutes, 31 minutes remaining

Week 13

• Nov 12 (Tues): Lecture and/or Workshop
• Nov 14 (Thurs): Screening: 1917 (2019), Director: Sam Mendes, DP: Roger Deakins, Runtime: 119 minutes, 46 minutes remaining

Week 14

• Nov 19 (Tues): Lecture and/or Workshop
• Nov 21 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop

Week 15

• Nov 26 (Tues): Lecture and/or Workshop (Color Correction and Grading)
• Nov 28 (Thurs): Holiday (Thanksgiving)

Week 16

• Dec 3 (Tues): Lecture and/or Workshop (Virtual Production in UE)
• Dec 5 (Thurs): Lecture and/or Workshop (Virtual Production in UE)