Course Descriptions

FIRST TERM

TP 1 - LAB TERM 1
Goal: further study of the various uses of camera, with focus on direction.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have worked together in creating short projects, gain insight into pre-production, production and post, and again understand the importance of teamwork.

TP 105 - INTRO TO LIGHTING
Goal: to ensure the students are aware of how to paint with light.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will understand, at a beginner’s level, the importance of light and the proper manner in which to light various aspects of the set. They will work in a hands on setting rigging and focusing various lights.

TP 106 - AUDIO 1
Goal: to allow the students to understand the theory of sound and the importance to film and television.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will be aware of the theories of sound technology and gain a beginner’s understanding of how to apply that awareness to film and television.

TP 107 - EDITING 1
Goal: to give the students an awareness of editing theory.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will understand the history of editing, and many principles and theories of editing styles.

TP 111 - VIDEO PRODUCTION 1
Goal: to ensure students know the basic workings of various digital video cameras, have a beginners knowledge of a film or TV set, understand the concepts of direction.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have an awareness of the proper use of the camera, the concept of direction, and an understanding of teamwork.

TP 112 - SCRIPTS TO STORY BOARDS
Goal: to work with students in putting creative ideas to page then moving to storyboard.
Objective: to teach students the correct format of script writing and to bring the visual to their written work.

TP 113 - VISUAL LANGUAGE
Goal: to explore the history of the cinema from humble beginnings in 1895 through to present day. Focusing on North American cinema, with some European study, the student will learn about the masters of cinema, various genres, and techniques, as well as how the social environment directly impacts on film.
Objective: Upon completion of this course the students will possess an understanding of cinema history, the various genres, and the manner in which the industry works. They will grasp the various aspects of cinematic language and understand the early and modern advances in film history.

SECOND TERM

LP 2 - LAB TERM 2
Goal: to further the knowledge of theory applied in Video Production 2, with the execution of music video’s and corporate video’s created by the students.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have hands on experience in the creation of both corporate and music video’s, as well as further knowledge in the uses of the various digital cameras used to create such work.

TP 116 - AUDIO 2
Goal: to further the students understand of the principles of audio related to film and television.
Objective: Upon completion of this course the students will understand the operation of workings of the location mixer, boom poles and DAT machine through hands on experience.

TP 119 - VISUAL LANGUAGE 2
Goal: to allow students to gain knowledge of Canadian cinema history and understand how the industry works in this country.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have a great awareness of Canadian cinema, and understand the importance of Canada’s film community on our culture.

TP 122 - SCRIPTS
Goal: to further the student’s experience in the writing of a script in proper format, but also to begin the process of developing characters and dialogue.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, the student will understand how to write strong dialogue and create characters in their work. They will understand the structure of a story, how to build suspense and tension, and create a suitable screenplay for filming.

TP 125 - LIGHTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY 1
Goal: to allow the students to build awareness and understanding of the film camera and working with, and lighting a film set.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have hands on experience working with an ARRI film camera, and lighting a film set. They will build, shoot, and strike a film set with emphasis placed on the camera use and lighting.

TP 127 - EDITING 2
Goal: to advance the awareness of editing as an art form.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have a beginner’s knowledge of the AVID editing system and further their knowledge in editing as an art form and valuable tool in cinematic storytelling.

TP 211 - VIDEO PRODUCTION 2
Goal: to allow the students to gain insight into the making of music and corporate video’s.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will understands the various aspects of creating music video’s and corporate video’s, for both large and small corporations.

THIRD TERM

LP 3 - LAB TERM 3
Goal: To give students the hands on and field knowledge of putting together a documentary film. Takes students from the proper use of Locations to the many styles of interviews required.
Objective: The students will be able to understand and shoot a short documentary. They will film both on location and use selected interviews to produce this documentary.

TP 133 - WRITING FOR DRAMA
Goal: to allow the student insight into the creation of a dramatic piece by having them analyze scripted work and create their own.
Objective: Upon completion of this course the student will thoroughly understand the process of creating a dramatic piece, be able to dissect a script and weed through what works and what does not, and further appreciate current cinema.

TP 135 - LIGHTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY 2
Goal: to give the students advanced lighting and camera knowledge, both in and outdoors. To explore the various problems encountered with shooting outdoors, and to further camera and lighting knowledge.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have further knowledge of camera and lighting, and will have worked on out of door location shoots. They will understand the set up and strike, the execution of shots, and the vast amount of planning that goes into each shot.

TP 137 - EDITING FOR PRODUCTION
Goal: To allow the student to gain first hand knowledge of editing work by editing their documentary, which is shot in Video Production Class.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have edited their own work, gained hands on experience in doing so, and further understand the role of the editor in cinema and television.

TP 222 - WRITING DOCS
Goal: to allow the students the chance to write a short documentary, going through the entire research process, pre-production, the shoot and the post period.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will understand first hand the preparation needed to create a documentary film.

TP 311 - VIDEO PRODUCTION 3
Goal: to provide the students with insight into the creation of documentaries.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will have created their own short documentary film from the ground up. They will write the work, handle all preproduction, shoot the film, and deal with post-production.

TP 333 - WORKING WITH ACTORS
Goal: to give students a basic understanding of the art of acting, which will include character preparation, dialogue analysis, how and when to utilize improvisation, and script study. It is essential students learn about acting, not to be actors, but to better communicate with actors when making their films.
Objective: Upon completion of the course students will have an understanding of how the actor works, which will better prepare them to direct actors in their projects and professional works.

FOURTH TERM

LP 4 - LAB TERM 4
Goal: this class is project based and the students will create their own short films, or work with the Production Co-Ordinator on corporate work.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will have had first hand knowledge of the building of a shoot, from the pre-production stage through to a finished product.

TP 147 - EDITING FOR PRODUCTION 2
Goal: the students will at this point have shot their own footage, either a short film or documentary that they will continue to edit through the term using the AVID.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will thoroughly understand the concepts of editing, the tools required to do the job, and the manner in which a film is edited. Very much a hands on class with a degree of theory.

TP 265 - LIGHTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY
Goal: to further advance the student’s knowledge and awareness of the importance of lighting and camera awareness during a shoot.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will have gained extraordinary insight into lighting and camera and thoroughly understand both.

TP 411 - VIDEO PRODUCTION 4
Goal: to allow students the chance to create a short narrative film of their own creation and work on outside projects with their Production C0-Ordinator.
Objective: Upon completion of this course students will understand the process of film making from early pre-production, to casting, to location selection, to planning shots, to the shoot, to post production.

TP 468 - STUDIO PRACTICES
Goal: to make the student aware of the theories involved in film directing,ie. blocking, camera placement, working with the writer, working with the actors in character development.
Objective: to allow the student to be fully aware of the task involved in directing a film, both aesthetically and technically. To apply what they have learned in this class to their many projects and in particular, the fifth term project.

TP 236 - AUDIO 4
Goal: to further the student’s awareness and education of post-audio.
Objective: To teach the student the manner in which post audio is used in film through the system of Pro Tools. A hands on course with students posting either their own work, or that of a classmate.

FIFTH TERM

TP 262 - SOFT SKILLS
Goal: Further advancing knowledge of the distribution and marketing business, as well as how to sell themselves in the business.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students will understand the proper manner to get a job interview, what to bring to that interview, and how to keep a job once they have it.

TP 263 - PRODUCTION PROJECT
Goal: Working with their classmates and the Production Co-Ordinator the students will write, produce, direct and shoot their projects in this course over a 12 week period. Though the Co-Ordinator is there for any questions they are largely unsupervised at this stage.
Objective: Upon completion of this course the students will have either a festival ready short film, or a reel that focuses and showcases their work.