Foundations of Filmmaking Technology

This unit surveys the historical and technical foundations that underpin contemporary film and video production, from 16mm/35mm film and the digitization of moving images to core video, lighting, lens, and sound principles. Students will develop pre-production artifacts, evaluate production roles and workflows, and prepare practical skills needed for subsequent hands-on production and post-production units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the historical evolution of film and video technologies (including 16mm/35mm, analog video, and digital formats) to compare aesthetic qualities, workflows, and preservation implications for contemporary production decisions
• Apply pre-production methodologies by developing an original concept, treatment, three-act outline, and a corresponding script breakdown with a basic shooting schedule and budget for a short narrative project
• Demonstrate technical competency in image and sound fundamentals by selecting appropriate resolution, frame rate, focal length, aperture, depth of field, three-point lighting setups with color temperature considerations, and by executing double-system sound recording and sync procedures in a controlled exercise
• Evaluate production and post-production roles and workflows by articulating director, cinematographer, and crew responsibilities, outlining the stages of post-production, and proposing management and communication strategies to ensure an efficient shoot-to-post pipeline