Course Number: ARTD 267
Course Name: Intro to Video Art
Professor: Mr. Bart Woodstrup

Assignment 2 - Visual Style (Nursery Rhymes)

*Note that this is a group project, though you will be graded individually based on your storyboards and in-class participation.

Storyboard due Feb. 15
In-camera edit due Feb. 17th

Objective:
The class will learn the basics of pre-production and production technique in order to construct and film a short story. Through this exercise you should have a better understanding of how continuity is achieved through lighting, shooting and editing. After discussing the basics of visual continuity the class will be divided into teams. Each person will have a specific responsibility for creating a story with/without dialog. All editing will be done in camera. Several historically significant cinematic styles will be introduced. You will be required to imitate elements of these styles in your work. Consider the ways that photographs and paintings tell stories without the element of time. Use time as a tool and with intention.


Assignment:

  1. The class will be divided into two production teams.

  2. Choose a nursery rhyme and cinematic style to shoot the video in. We will be covering visual styles in class, but you will want to do your own research to better understand how to shoot for that style.

  3. Create a storyboard and shot script for your video. Each student in the group should be responsible for drawing at least 5 shots/boards. You will present these to the class.

  4. Create props, employ actors, use lights/color, use titles and use still photography to make your video. Work within your limitations to make the best video that you are able to. Experiment with setting and camera angles. Remember you will be graded on lighting and composition. You will be required to use audio.

  5. Use at least 20-25 shots total; all editing is done within the camera.

  6. You should incorporate these shots (minimums listed)

      8 Static shots on a tripod
      2 Handheld POV shots
      2 Panning shots
      3 Extreme close-ups using macro
      4 Close ups
      2 wide/establishing shots

  7. Appropriation of other audio or video will not be allowed for this project.
  8. Shoot your video linearly so that your edit/sequence is done completely "in camera".

  9. Consider assembling your group into a production crew consisting of:

      Director: storyboards, script, concept, and rehearsal
      Videographer: lighting, executing camera with proper focus, white balance
      Gaffer: distribution of power, lighting set ups
      Talent: learning the script, dressing appropriately
      Art Direction: props, set

  1. Incorporate at least one of each of these 5 camera angles: low, high, bird's eye, canted and eye level.

  2. It should be between two and four minutes in length. We will capture and watch your video in class.

Nursery Rhymes:

Round the Mulberry Bush, Crooked Man, A Tisket A Tasket, Cocks Crow, and Star Light Star Bright

Film Styles:

  1. German Expressionism (Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis) Abstract/artistic scene and setting - very much like a painting - urban and industrial - painted shadows.

  2. Classic Hollywood (DW Griffith, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles) Continuity Editing, 180-degree rule, match cuts (cut on action), coverage (wide, medium, and close up shots), and rule breaking kept to a minimum.

  3. Film Noir (John Alton, The Maltese Falcon) dramatic/directional lighting, black/white crime drama, similar to/derived from Classic Hollywood.

  4. Italian Neo-Realism (Open City, Rossellini; Bicycle Thief) real people, real setting - like a documentary

  5. French New Wave (Breathless - Godard) Discontinuity, Jump Cuts, Shot Reversal - casual looking cinematography (like neo-realism) - narrative film but discontinuous story

Documentation:

Although this is a group project each student will be required to type a paragraph (300 words) in order to document their role in the production. This will be due at the beginning of class. Consider including what you feel worked and what didn't work towards expressing your nursery rhyme. What are some things you would differently if you did it again? What technique or style did you find most interesting, and what would you consider exploring further in your own work?




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