R6027 – Role of the Producer
Required Course all first year students in the film division. An exploration of the various roles that are fulfilled by Producers in the film and television businesses. Includes historical perspective and contrasts the various types of producers from “line” producers to “creative” producers, “studio-based producers to independents, domestically based producers to producers based in other countries. The course uses guest lecturers in order to best represent the entire spectrum and to stress the variety of perspectives. The first two hours of each session are lectures, and the final hour is a workshop in which students divide into smaller groups and work on projects that are presented in the last three weeks of class.
Syllabus (PDF): Role of the Producer – Deutchman – Fall 2011
R6028 – Producing the Short Film
Required Course all first year students in the film division. This course is a preparation class for the production of the 8-12 projects over the summer. An exploration of the key aspects of line producing for the short film genre. Topics include script breakdowns, budget creation, production agreements, DP reel selection, crew hiring, location and tech scouting, SAG paperwork, Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting permits, release forms, shooting ratio, set protocols, shot lists and scheduling for films. Students will create a script breakdown and budget for the project they will produce by utilizing professional industry standard computer software.
Syllabus (PDF): Producing the Short – Ryan – Spring, 2008
R6032 – Producing Across Media: Idea to Story
This course is about the first choices a producer makes—the selection and development of material for production. The emphasis of the course is the role that the producer plays in the creation of the story; the way in which the producer works with the underlying material; and the decisions the producer makes to bring a script to completion. The course will consider the choices made in a variety of dramatic media, including film, theater and television. There will be a special emphasis on thinking about ideas for television and other platforms, where the producer’s role is especially tied to the ongoing creative process.
Syllabus (PDF): Producing Across Media: Idea to Story - Morphos – Spring, 2010
R6004 – The Business of Motion Pictures
An overview of the business side of theatrical motion pictures, from the Hollywood major studios to small independents and self-distribution. Covers all the ancillary markets (cable, home video) and their relationship both to the theatrical success of the film and to its bottom line.
Syllabus (PDF): The Business of Motion Pictures - Deutchman – Spring 2011
R6034 – Pre-Production of a Motion Picture
Using Emir Kusturica’s first American feature, Arizona Dream, as a case study, students work from selected contents of production notebooks plus the shooting script. They prepare breakdowns, production strip boards, and call sheets from short screenplays to develop pre- production skills.
Syllabus (PDF): Pre-Production – Brick – Fall 2011
R6003 - Feature Film Development
An exploration of the various options for developing feature films. Topics include copyright law, option deals, packaging, dealing with agencies, and the selling process. Students work on developing a feature script through writing coverage, script notes and pitching exercises.
Syllabus (PDF): Feature Film Development – Carey, Robinson – Fall 2011
R6007 – Feature Film Financing
Examines the process of getting films financed, both through the major studio system and through independent fnancing. Topics include equity financing, pre-sales, international co-productions and how different deal structures affect the films that are made. Students work on business-like plans that attempt to create the case to get feature film financed.
Syllabus (PDF): Feature Film Financing – Schulberg, Skalski – Spring, 2009
R6035 – Case Studies in Producing
Prerequisite: Film R6004 and the permission of the Division. Creative independent producers explore the process of producing a theatrical feature film from the acquisition of a property through the distribution deal: selling an idea, working with screenwriters, and assembling the financing, casting, and production of the picture. Key people involved in these aspects of the process appear as guest lecturers.
Syllabus (PDF): Case Studies in Producing – Koffler – Fall 2011
Documentary Film Producing
An exploration of types of documentary narratives as they relate to the practical side of producing: researching, writing proposals and treatments, budgeting, funding and distribution as well as working with editors, camerapersons, writers, and composers. Students will examine a wide variety of documentary styles and subject matter as they consider the business of getting a documentary made and seen.
Syllabus (PDF): Documentary Film Producing – Grubin – Fall 2011
Producing for New Media: Building Storyworlds – The Art, Craft and Business of Storytelling in 21C
A look at how storytelling is evolving in the 21st Century. These are disruptive times and with disruption comes opportunities. Topics covered in the course will look at how to best adapt and thrive within an industry in transition. The course will look at the following:
-New methods of story creation, design and development
-The balance of story vs. game
-How to mine the attention economy
-Contextual Storytelling and the role of data within the stories you tell
-The impact of participatory culture
-New roles and realities in the funding, production and distribution of media
-Understanding the opportunities of multi-platform world
Syllabus (PDF): Producing for New Media – Weiler – Fall 2011
R8992 – Producing Thesis Advisement
Supervised preparation for Producing Thesis and fulfillment of internship requirement for producing concentrates. Course is divided into two parts:
Thesis preparation: one on one meetings with Professor to make sure students have fulfilled necessary requirements before embarking on a thesis; and to make sure proposed thesis fits within the required guidelines of the concentration. Regular meetings are held with all thesis candidates, and observed by prospective candidates to allow students to hear about problems and solutions. After submission of theses, each student is required to do an oral presentation of their thesis to the group before they can graduate.
Internship: Students will be exposed to real-life industry situations by working inside a production company. Students will be matched up according to interests and skills with development or physical production companies, and expected to work for a full semester on a regular part-time basis. Work will be monitored by means of weekly reports that must be submitted to the Professor, and a final report at the end of the semester that sums up the value of the internship. Information will be shared among students at the regular class meetings as described above.