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Film & TV · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Cinema Directing

While “Director’s Craft” focuses on actors, this advanced course focuses on the aesthetics and visual language of the cinema. Students will explore the director as an “Auteur,” learning to orchestrate the Mise-en-scène—lighting, set design, composition, and movement—to create a distinct visual signature. The course covers advanced blocking for the camera and the stylistic demands of different cinematic genres.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Define a personal directorial style (Auteur Theory) through visual choices
  2. Master Mise-en-scène: The arrangement of scenery and stage properties
  3. Execute complex camera blocking (Long takes, crane shots, tracking)
  4. Analyze and replicate genre-specific visual tropes (Noir, Sci-Fi, Western)
  5. Collaborate with Production Designers and DPs to build a cohesive color palette
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Director as Visual Architect (Auteur Theory)
  2. 02Mise-en-scène: Telling the Story without Words
  3. 03The Grammar of the Lens: Focal Lengths & Emotion
  4. 04Advanced Blocking: Staging in Depth
  5. 05Composition: Aspect Ratios & Framing
  6. 06Camera Movement as Narrative Voice
  7. 07Visualizing the Script: Storyboards & Shot Lists
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Directing Genre: Horror & Suspense
  10. 10Directing Genre: Action & Kinetic Energy
  11. 11The Long Take (Oner): Choreography & Timing
  12. 12Color Theory & Palette Control
  13. 13VFX Directing: Visualizing the Non-Existent
  14. 14Soundscapes: Directing the Auditory Experience
  15. 15Post-Production Direction: The Final Rewrite
  16. 16Final Project: The Stylized Short Film

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Stylized Short Film

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Film Directing: Shot by Shot by Steven Katz
  2. The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV, and Digital Media by Bruce Block
  3. Sculpting in Time by Andrei Tarkovsky
  4. Master Shots (Vol 1, 2 & 3) by Christopher Kenworthy
  5. Moviemakers' Master Class by Laurent Tirard
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