Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction to Production
We dive into the Course Overview and discuss the basics of Production, including What it takes to work in the film industry

  • The various careers within the film industry

  • The organizational structure of a production

  • The stages of production

  • The various department teams

  • Common mistakes and misconceptions

Week 2: Introduction to Set
This lecture will dive into the specifics of how a production set works and what to expect:

  • Run through a typical day on set

  • Standard order of shooting a scene

  • Common phrases or set lingo

  • Tools of the trade

  • Walkie’s and set communication

  • Set Health & Safety

  • Production Paperwork

  • Working with People

Week 3: Production Design and Related Departments (with guest lecturer Ryan Roberts [IA476])
This lecture provides detailed information on the production design departments as well as discussing unions:

  • Roles within these departments

  • Equipment overviews

  • Tools of the trade

  • What does it take to work within these departments?

Week 4: Camera, Lighting and Grip / Collaboration with Production Design (with guest lecturer Sarah Sharp and Robert Patrick Stern)
This lecture provides detailed information on the camera, lighting and DIT departments along with how these departments work together with the production design for what you see on film:

  • Roles within these departments

  • Equipment overviews

  • Typical communication between Camera, Lighting and DIT

  • Tools of the trade

  • What does it take to work within these departments?

  • Adjacent departments (construction, props, paint, set decoration)

  • What does it take to work within these departments?

Week 5: Hands-On Production Day 1
This is a full-day on set where students get real, hands-on experience within different departments and equipment. The program will provide a sample film set of a scene with department heads present and full equipment truck to fully simulate a real production set so that students can experience all of the information they’ve learned from the lectures in a safe, patient environment. Guest lecturers will be on hand to guide students through the various tools and processes of each department as they film a real scene with real actors.

Week 6: Smaller Departments and Sound and Continuity Department (with guest lecturer Alyssa Alexander and Nick Cassa)
This lecture provides detailed information on the sound and continuity departments:

  • Roles within these departments

  • Experience/education requirements

  • Equipment overviews

  • Typical communication between the sound/continuity and camera departments

  • Tools of the trade

  • Boom operation

  • Playback operation

  • What does it take to work within these departments?

Week 7: Production Office and Getting Hired (with guest lecturers Kristi Gescheidler)
This lecture provides detailed information on working within the production office, location management as well as detailing the various guilds, unions and trade organizations and how to get hired on a film set.

  • Roles within these departments (Office and Locations)

  • Experience/education requirements

  • Typical communication between Management and Set

  • Tools of the trade

  • Location Scouting and Management in Pre-Production

  • Location Scouting and Management during Production

  • Accounting Overview

  • Production Paperwork

  • What does it take to work within these departments?

  • Guilds, Unions and Trade Organizations

  • Putting Yourself Out There

  • Building a resume