Cinematography Capstone
Shoot a complete short film as director of photography, from brief to festival: scoping, look book, breakdown and shot design, micro-budget and funding from collectives, fiscal sponsors and grants, permits, releases and music clearance, crew, safety, scheduling and SAG-AFTRA low-budget agreements, tests, two production weeks with coverage triage, post and grade supervision, DCP and festival strategy, and an evidence-based reflection.
CINE-499 Year 4 3 credits 12 lessons · 5 h 53 min
Offered by HSM University · Cinematography
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Plan a capstone short film within the brief, assess its scope and agree roles, credits, ownership and a working calendar
- Develop a visual concept and a look book that sets visual grammar, palette and format with the director
- Break down a script into beats and produce overheads, shot lists with priorities, lighting plots and a camera and pipeline document
- Build and track a micro-budget with contingency and identify equipment, funding, in-kind support and insurance in Canada or the US
- Identify the permits, releases, music licenses and other clearances a short film needs and keep a clearance log
- Organize a small crew, prepare a safety plan, schedule and call sheets, and explain low-budget union options in Canada or the US
- Plan and run camera, lens, exposure, makeup, wardrobe, flicker and look tests and write a test report that informs decisions
- Run a set as DP with the director and first AD, check coverage and continuity, hold exposure and protect data with verified copies
- Solve production problems methodically, triage coverage when time runs out and decide on reshoots and pick-ups
- Supervise post-production from the DP's side, including editorial collaboration, picture lock, conform, grade, clean-up and sound
- Prepare deliverables including a DCP, plan a festival and online release strategy in Canada or the US and build a reel excerpt
- Write an evidence-based reflection, give and receive critique and plan professional next steps
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 53 min total · final exam
- 1 The capstone brief, assessment and choosing a project 30 min · quiz
- 2 Developing the pitch and look book 29 min · quiz
- 3 Script breakdown and shot design with the director 30 min · quiz
- 4 Budget and resources for a micro-budget short 30 min · quiz
- 5 Permits, releases, music and legal clearances 27 min · quiz
- 6 Crew, safety and scheduling 29 min · quiz
- 7 Camera, lighting and look tests 30 min · quiz
- 8 Production week one: running the set as DP 30 min · quiz
- 9 Production week two: problem solving and coverage triage 30 min · quiz
- 10 Post-production: editorial, conform, grade and sound 28 min · quiz
- 11 Deliverables, festivals and screening strategy 30 min · quiz
- 12 Reflection, critique and professional next steps 30 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Shoot a complete short film as director of photography, from brief to festival: scoping, look book, breakdown and shot design, micro-budget and funding from collectives, fiscal sponsors and grants, permits, releases and music clearance, crew, safety, scheduling and SAG-AFTRA low-budget agreements, tests, two production weeks with coverage triage, post and grade supervision, DCP and festival strategy, and an evidence-based reflection.
Part of the Film & Photography stream, typically taken in year 4.