Producing Workshop

Catalog description

This course will immerse students in the language and practice of producing film and video projects. COMM 443 Producing Workshop (3) Through a combination of lecture, readings, screenings, and practical exercises, students will learn the fundamental producing skills needed to begin to understand creative producing in an increasingly complex global marketplace. Producing students will learn how to bring stories all the way from development through post-production and beyond. Students will be afforded an opportunity to develop their creative voices, all the while developing their communication and problem-solving skills. The course will follow a standard production timeline starting with pre-production topics such as the basics of pitching, script development, and financing. The second portion of the class will focus on production issues particularly as they apply to independent film production. This will include line producing and production management, including scheduling/budgeting, script breakdowns, assembling talent and crew, location scouting, and running a set. Finally post-production and distribution topics will be addressed including discussions of trends from major trade publications that impact the industry.Throughout the semester students will complete practical exercises that will help build their skills at translating a script into a realized project with a minimum budget and maximum production value. COMM 443 is a support course for the senior level capstone production courses. Student producers in COMM 448 (Adv. Production for Groups) are strongly encouraged to take this course concurrently. It can also be taken as an elective technique course in conjunction with any of the one-semester mode specific advanced production courses ( COMM 437 , COMM 438 , or COMM 439 ). The prerequisites are in place to ensure students have the necessary production background taught in the intermediate-level courses.