Course Program
Basic Grounds
The idea of the workshop consists on providing diverse cinematographic possibilities to the students, showing them documentaries and fiction films that represent a broad range of cinema's traditions- from the classic language to the experimental work - unmasking its procedures and options. The participants are stimulated to use all cinematographic elements in the construction of rough script, developing the idea they had previously described in the forms filled when applying for the Workshop or any other idea they have had during the classes. The participants have access to knowledge that enables them to express their ideas in the audiovisual format.
All theoretical argumentation through the workshop is supported by films excerpts, the exhibition of short films and movies extracts.
Theoretical Approach
Introduction to the language of Cinema: photography, cutting and framing - fiction techniques; discussion over experimental cinema, the Mute Cinema and other inventive cinemas. Cinema as the music of light, the mute movies that created the cinema language by experimenting, the creative cinema of George Meliès; the Surrealistic Cinema; the film is a dream, the orchestration of audio and video to create sensations, the absence of narrative; The inventive use of sound - Underground Movies, the Invention Cinema and low budget films.
Some of the themes discussed in class are: the definition of documentary, genre approaches, production, the use (or not) of voice over and testimonials. Interviewing techniques, as well as, drama and acting in documentaries. A character who conducts the narrative throughout the images. The argument over “mockumentary” and documentary.
Practical Débuts
Introducing the students to the use of digital camera. Editing within the camera. Exercises that include journalistic reporting and audio/video recording outside the classroom. Those exercises provide the students a chance to get used to the equipment and develop their personal view of cinema. Introduction to the resources of editing on the digital format.
The Making of the projects
The participants bring their own unique script. Four groups are put together so each one can develop its one collective script and establish their production needs. Therefore, managing the equipment, choosing locations, casting and enabling the local filming conditions, will the participants be really involved in the making and cutting of their own videos which will be cut in the same place where the workshop was held.
Staff
The project was designed by the movie-maker Christian Saghaard and each workshop is supported pedagogically by many professionals from the audiovisual field. The project making is in charge of Associação Cultural Kinoforum which also organizes the Sao Paulo International Short-Film Festival. Former students who work as monitors in filming and cutting, as well as, production assistance constitute the staff team.
More information regarding the staff team is available in the information page of each held workshop.
Oficinas Kinoforum - Atividade Paralela do Festival Internacional de Curtas-Metragens de São Paulo