(FILM) Victor Kossakovsky´s Advice for Beginners

Here’s a summary of Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky’s 10 Rules that he follows for documentary filmmaking:

1. Don’t film if you can live without filming.

2. Don’t film if you want to say something – just say it or write it. Film only if you want to show something, or you want people to see something. This concerns both the film as a whole and every single shot within the film.

3. Don’t film, if you already knew your message before filming – just become a teacher.  Don’t try to save the world. Don’t try to change the world.  Better if your film will change you. Discover both the world and yourself whilst filming. 

4. Don’t film something you just hate. Don’t film something you just love. Film when you aren’t sure if you hate it or love it. Doubts are crucial for making art. Film when you hate and love at the same time. 

5. You need your brain both before and after filming, but don’t use your brain during filming. Just film using your instinct and intuition. 

6. Try to not force people to repeat an action or words. Life is unrepeatable and unpredictable. Wait, look, feel and be ready to film using your own way of filming. Remember that the very best films are unrepeatable. Remember that the very best films were based on unrepeatable shots. Remember that the very best shots capture unrepeatable moments of life with an unrepeatable way of filming. 

7. Shots are the basis of cinema. Remember that cinema was invented as one single shot – documentary, by the way – without any story. Or story was just inside that shot. Shots must first and foremost provide the viewers with new impressions that they never had before. 

8. Story is important for documentary, but perception is even more important. Think, first, what the viewers will feel while seeing your shots. Then, form a dramatic structure of your film using the changes to their feelings. 

9. Documentary is the only art, where every esthetical element almost always has ethical aspects and every ethical aspect can be used esthetically. Try to remain human, especially whilst editing your films. Maybe, nice people should not make documentaries. 

10. Don’t follow my rules. Find your own rules. There is always something that only you can film and nobody else.

Modern Art Movements

Content objective: Research movements within modern art and examine how they influence each other.

Language Objective: Do an oral presentation about an assigned modern art movement.

Today you will spend the class researching one of the following modern art movements (i will assign) in pairs:

• Impressionism
  
• Post-Impressionism
  
• Expressionism
  
• DaDa
  
• Fauvism
• Cubism
• Bauhaus
• Surrealism
• Abstract Expressionism
  
• Pop Art
  
• Minimalism
  
• Conceptual Art
  
• Post-Modern Art

You must provide the following information about your movement, plus anything else you found interesting:

1) Time period the movement encompasses

2) A brief summary of the most important ideas behind the movement

3) Historical in uences that led up to this movement, or a mention of what came before this movement

4) If the movement was a reaction to something, what was it?

5) The purpose of the movement--what was it trying to say about art

6) Media used by artists of the movement e.g., paint, photography, ready-made objects…

7) Major artists or founders of the movement

8) Characteristics of the artwork representing this movement

9) Initial reaction of the public to the movement

10) Two to three pieces of art work from this movement, along with why they are representative of this period

This is kind of a webquest—when you have finished answering these questions, email them to me (a.casals@gcnewhorizons.net) FIRST ONE TO FINISH GETS A SPECIAL PRIZE! (no, not money).

Next week you will do a BRIEF presentation about this; You may do a Powerpoint, a display, a dramatization or anything you want. Creativity will be highly valued! Much more than just repeating everything you read.

Good luck and please don´t waste time.


Art history sites for research

• Modern Art Timeline
  http://www.notaflag.com/timeline.htm
  Use this interactive timeline to learn about modern art.
  
  
• Interactive Art Timeline
  http://www.the-artfile.com/uk/timeline/timelinemain.htm
  This site is a rich art history resource, complete with succinct descriptions of many of the major art movements and their founders. Scroll to the right for modern art.
  
  
• Interactive Art Timeline
  http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/study/timeline. html
  Use this interactive timeline to learn about art history.
  
  
• About: Conceptual Art
  http://arthistory.about.com/msubmp5.htm
  This About.com site contains a list of links about conceptual art.
  
  
• About: Art History
  http://arthistory.about.com/library/bl101.htm
  This list of art movements is arranged chronologically.
  
  
• About: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
  http://arthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa021 400a.htm
  This page provides a good explanation of impressionism and postimpressionism.
  
  
• Definition of DaDaism
  http://arthistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site= http%3A%2F%2Fwww.peak.org%2F%7Edadaist%2F English%2FGraphics%2Findex.html
  This site has a concise definition of dadaism.
  
  
• WebMuseum: Impressionism
  http://arthistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site= http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oir.ucf.edu%2Fwm%2Fpaint%2 Fglo%2Fimpressionism%2F
  Visit this in-depth description of impressionism.
  

Weaving like the Hopi People

5th grade students were studying Native Americans last semester, so we learned about the Hopi People and the art of basket weaving. Using yarn and recycled plastic cups, they designed and created their own little baskets. Beautiful results, and so much fun :-)

Storyboarding

This time you will be on your own. Your assignment is to:

1) Adapt your text for the screen (turn it into a screenplay, 3 page minumum) (30 points)

2) Create a storyboard for your script (30 points)

Get to work. You should turn in by the end of the class (in print or by email to a.casals@gcnewhorizons.net) but if not, you have until BEFORE monday. This means i will not receive anything after midnight on Sunday.

Don´t stress too much, these DO NOT have to be technically perfect (example, the script doesn´t HAVE to have all the correct elements, i just need to understand it). You´re high school students, don´t think i´m judging you like professionals. What i am more interested in is creativity when choosing your shots and angles.

Tips

Keep in mind that scripts must be entirely audiovisual, which means you describe the action of write the exact dialogue. Leave out any emotional or internal description. Example:

Miguel walks into the class and stands in front of the board. He starts stretching his arms and legs, striving to get attention. The teacher rolls her eyes. She is very annoyed.

MIGUEL:

Hello everybody, let´s start with some stretching excercies.

Comic books are the best examples of great storyboarding, check some out. Quentin Tarantino is a master filmmaker because he steals from the best ;-)


Helpful links
Screenwriting:
http://www.writersstore.com/how-to-write-a-screenplay-a-guide-to-scriptwriting
http://www.screenwriting.info/

Storyboarding:
http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/storyboarding-your-film.html

Camera shots and angles:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/examining-the-various-film-shots.html
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/gramtv.html

Plastic Cup Fence Flag

Last year for Dominican Independence day (27th of February), 5th grade students created a beautiful flag on the chain link fence using recycled plastic cups. First, they collected all the cups. They later painted them in teams (red, white and blue) and finally set them up on the chain links. Great project, so much fun :-D

Principles of Design

Today´s assignment is to create examples of the Principles of Design. Check out this website to review what we´ve learned:

You have 15 minutes to review this. Afterwards, you will take the sheet of paper i gave you and divide into 6 squares (basically, do one vertical line and 2 parallel horizontal lines). Label each square as follows:

Balance
Rythem & Movement
Proportion
Variety
Emphasis
Contrast

Fill each square with a simple composition which defines these principles. Check out these examples but DO NOT copy them. This excercise must be finished TODAY and is worth 25 points. Coloring is optional, but preferred.

Get to work!