The Academy and Workshops

Act in Cinema

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:01:09 +0530

Acting in cinema can be easy... if you are taught the right way. Welcome to FilmCamp’s 1-day workshop Act in Cinema. Anybody can be taught to act. FilmCamp workshops are clear proof of this fact. Our participants know nothing about acting or filmmaking when they come FilmCamp. And yet, at the end of a day, they have completed a film AND acted in it. You can do it too!

Film Grammar for the actor:
At Act in Cinema, participants are introduced to the grammar of cinema. How is a film put together as a story? What are the requirements of an actor engaging in film acting? What are the different kinds of shots employed in a film? How does the actor convey different emotions through body language, facial expressions and eyes in the context of film grammar?

You learn all this through examples from Hollywood films. Then, you jump in and start doing it yourself, in front of the camera. You are given lines for a scene and assigned a character to play. Study and rehearse them with an instructor. Then come on camera with your fellow actors. We record your performance and review it with you. So you learn by rehearsing, performing on camera and reviewing yourself.

Film Script - The Bible: Participants are taught how to read and analyze a script. How to find sub-text, or elements of performance NOT mentioned in the script. These are open to interpretation by the actor and his creativity. How can an actor capitalize on this to delivering memorable performances on screen.

Beginning actors learn to listen to dialogue and explore spaces and silences. How to learn lines and not rattle them off by rote. All this, again, in front of a camera. Rehearse, perform and review.

Emotions and Feelings - An actor’s arsenal: Emotions are the bedrock on which actors build a performance. Actors, must be distinctly aware and be in touch with their own emotions. Actors are introduced to a range of emotional vocabulary they will encounter in any script. They will watch examples of great performances by Hollywood actors. Where do they find these emotions from? More importantly, where can you find them in yourself? Following this, students will enact small scenes with lines that employ emotions to create drama. Again - Rehearse, perform and review.

Film Production: Actors learn how a film shoot actually happens. How is it different from acting in a play. What are the challenges in playing roles that DO NOT develop in story order. How does this call for a higher degree of concentration and awareness on a film set? The endless repetition of action and dialogue on a film set - Why? Learn by enacting for the camera!

Movement on a film set: What is ‘blocking’ or ‘staging’ on a film set. Learn to work with movement while acting. What are an ‘actor’s marks’ on a film set? Why should actors hit their marks consistently, take after take? Understand the relationship between camera crew’s marks and the actors’ marks. Learn this by enacting shots with complicated movements combined with emotions.

Voice in cinema: Apt use of voice and tonal modulation add a layer of richness to the role being enacted. A wealth of emotion can be conveyed to an audience through adjustments and variations in voice by an actor. At FilmCamp we don’t dub voices and sounds in post-production. An actor’s voice is recorded in original and used in the film. Acting students learn to use voice as a powerful compliment to their acting performance.

Result of the workshop: Throughout Act in Cinema, actors will, at every stage - Learn - Rehearse - Perform and Review. Hence, participants get gain insights into cinema acting through practical instruction. This is done by helping the participant to shed inhibitions, understand the emotional import of the roles they play, infuse the characters with life and actually perform in front of the camera. Dramatic scenes enacted by participants are edited and put up on FilmCamp.TV’s Facebook Page. Participants are invited to participate as actors in FilmCamp.TV’s 1:1 FIlmmaking Workshop and in FilmCamp.TV productions.

1 on 1 Workshop

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:50:49 +0530

Ever wondered what it’s like to make a film? Find out at FilmCamp.TV’s 1:1, a one-day workshop where you make one-minute films. Over 450 people, with no filmmaking experience, in 5 cities have attended this workshop in the last 3 years.

At a 1:1, you will write, storyboard, enact, shoot and edit a one-minute film in one day. Because you cannot make a film alone, you will work collaboratively in groups (not exceeding 5). The workshop is supervised by instructors every step of the way. You will start at 8:00 AM and finish at 9:00 PM. For individuals 15 years and above.

Writing: A good film begins and ends with a good script. With that in mind, you will spend the morning collaboratively writing a treatment for a one-minute film. You will follow that by writing a script that you will polish till perfection.

Visualizing: Satyajit Ray carefully story-boarded his masterpieces. You will too! With hand-drawn pictures, you will create the blue-print of the story you plan to make into a film.

Shooting: The exciting (and tiring part) of filmmaking is the shoot. Armed with a camera (one for each group), your team will set out to shoot the film visualized in your storyboard. Two (or all) of you will act in the film while others take turns with the camera. Your shoot will be outdoors and set in one location. Each participant directs at least 3 shots.

Editing: Tired after the shoot? Welcome to the fun part of filmmaking - the edit. Connect your cameras to Mac computers (provided) and import your footage. You will edit your film using Final Cut Express.

Congratulations! By nightfall, celebrate the making of your first film. FilmCamp.TV promises you the experience of a life-time. The myth and allure of movie-making simplified to basic principles of story-telling.

Showcase: You are now dying to screen your baby. FilmCamp.TV helps you there too! We publish your film on our site, crediting you and your entire team. The whole world is now your audience!

Membership: By participating in the workshop, you become members of FilmCamp.TV, a unique filmmaking community that teaches, produces and showcases new Indian cinema. Your membership entitles you to film screenings, filmmaking workshops and demos.

We love filmmakers. We are silly that way. We want you to do what you like to do best - make more films. To that end, we support you with training, consulting, producing, our talent network and showcasing your film.

The Grassroot Filmmakers Grant: Participants of FilmCamp.TV’s 1:1 workshop now have an opportunity to put to use their newly-acquired filmmaking skills. This grant is aimed at aiding 1:1 filmmakers hone their filmmaking skills by using FilmCamp.TV’s resources and community to make more films. Read more...

Academy: Want to become a truly hands-on filmmaker? Your membership makes you eligible for enrollment into our Academy. When you train with us, you will learn to write, shoot and edit your films in a style never explored in India.
Find out more about the Academy. Check out Academy Films.

Junior FilmCamp

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 18:01:34 +0530

At Junior FilmCamp participant children will work in groups, not exceeding 5, each group making a film. They will write, storyboard, shoot, act, direct and edit their films. The method of instruction is informal and fun while also being structured towards the making and completion of films. Instructors will demonstrate use of equipment (cameras, tripods and computers) which children will actually handle themselves in the making of their movies. This is ALL hands-on

Writing and film grammar: We begin with an introduction to cinema. Screening of clips from Hollywood movies and children’s shows to illustrate how cinema is made. Children begin writing treatments (the story in 3 paragraphs) collaboratively. They learn how to use a tripod and mount a camera. After finalizing their story, they will be taught how to write a script.

Camera and storyboard: Introduce the camera and explain its functionality. Each group will work with its own Sony Handycam. Children will learn how to use a camera with a tripod. They will continue working on their scripts to completion. They will then break down their scripts to a storyboard. Clips from films will be used to illustrate how a script becomes a film and the importance of the storyboard in motion picture. Pre-production and planning in preparation for the shoot is done.

Shooting: Shooting of films of all groups happens on a prescribed day. This is done outdoors at a park. Children will frame shots they outlined in the storyboard. They will take turns to operate the camera, to shoot and direct the films themselves with the help of instructors. Based on the characters, children may act in the movie. Children are also welcome to invite friends and family to act. Each film takes 2-3 hrs to shoot. Films will be shot concurrently on the prescribed day.

Editing: Children will again work in groups to edit their films. Each group will be provided with an Apple computer equipped with Final Cut Express editing software. They will import the footage they have shot and edit their films on the computer. Each step of the edit is demonstrated first. Children will then edit the films themselves.

Screening: Edited films will be fine-tuned at the FilmCamp.TV studio. Students will be credited in the films they participate in. Music will be added as needed. There will be a screening of films at the venue. Students may talk about their experience making their films after each screening. Each student is given a DVD containing all films made at the workshop and an individualized certificate.

Who’s teaching? The instructor of the workshop is Sanjay Nambiar who is a critically acclaimed feature filmmaker and teacher of filmmaking. Sanjay learned and taught this method of filmmaking in Chicago (USA). He brings specific experience teaching this hands-on method to children. He believes in tapping into their creativity and empowering them with technology to express themselves. Sanjay has also conducted a filmmaking workshop for blind students. For more on Sanjay, click here.

Check out all Junior FilmCamp Films .

Read experiences of the first Junior FilmCamp in Sanjay’s blog:

Junior FilmCamp Day 1 - Movie-making, children and FilmCamp.TV
Junior FilmCamp Day 2 - The art of the treatment.
Junior FilmCamp Day 3 - Shaping the script.
Junior FilmCamp Day 4 - The Hitchcock storyboard
Junior FilmCamp Day 5 - 11 kids make 7 films

Details
For ages 9-16
1 week, 4 classes, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
One day of shooting of films
Film screening and certificate

Workshop Fee: Rs. 8000/- per child

For more information call:
96118 12121

FilmCamp Corporate

Sat, 31 May 2008 20:24:25 +0530

At FilmCamp, we believe filmmaking is the absolute perfect activity for teams in your company. If you want to break the shackles of conformity and get employees to think out of the box, we've got just the activity for them. A hands-on, one-day workshop that equals no other endeavor in creativity and problem-solving through teamwork, discipline, patience and role play. The reward - a completed short film for each team at the end of the day.
Participants in the workshop work in teams not exceeding 5 to make a film. All equipment for the workshop is provided. Workshops are entirely led by instructors guiding participants through each stage of production. FilmCamp is as interested in the completed film as are the participants.

Teamwork: Filmmaking is the ultimate teamwork endeavor. Several specialized artists collaborate in a high-pressure and capital-intensive environment to make a film. At Corporate FilmCamp, we recreate that same environment where each group of participants must write, shoot, act and edit their films in a day. A completed film is testimony to teamwork at its best.

Planning: Every endeavor in business calls for a plan. Plans come in many flavors.

Film Treatment as Business Plan: The key to effective teamwork is communication. Participants spend considerable time writing and rewriting treatments for a film. A treatment is the story in three paragraphs - beginning, middle and end. Its purpose is to flush out all problems and feasibility issues with a film. One could call it the business plan for a film. It basically answers two questions about the film - Will it work and can we do it?

Film Script as Project Plan: Following the treatment comes the writing of a script - the project plan for the film. Every action, movement and utterances of characters, locations and props required to execute the film is clearly called out. Participants learn to be succinct and visual in their language. Like all project plans, the script is the document that all artists from cinematographer to music composer will read to make independent journeys to make the film. Its clarity can never be understated to the success of a team.

Storyboard as Blueprint: Film being predominantly a visual medium, the team needs to visually comprehend what they are going to shoot. Shooting without a storyboard would be like an architect relying solely on measurements to convey his vision for a structure. Participants visualize through rectangular frames and stick figures every shot of the film. They will call out where the camera will be placed make note on continuity and overlapping action.

Execution: Planning all wrapped up, its time to execute. Each group is given a camera and a tripod. They will follow their script and storyboard to make the film they have meticulously planned.

Role Play: Shooting at a FilmCamp workshop is an exercise in role play. Two (to three members) of the team will play characters in the story. Those behind the camera will take turns being the director, assistant camera person, set decorator/prop master and script supervisor. They will change hats performing a different role for a stipulated number of shots. The purpose is to experience filmmaking from different perspectives.

Discipline: Workshop films are made outdoors, in public places and uncontrolled environments. Films have to be shot in 2-3 hours and before the sun sets. This calls for discipline among team members to remain focussed through the shoot. All activity in front of the camera and behind it needs to be rehearsed. Actors need to be prepared with their lines and those behind the camera need to frame, orchestrate and synchronize all the movement in each frame. All this leading up to the magic words "action" and "cut".

Patience: "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Nothing is more true of a film shoot. Inconceivable circumstances often conspire to jeopardize a well thought-out script/storyboard leading a film to ruin. Participants learn to curb overconfidence, be patient and troubleshoot through problems while keeping their nerve. Their singular focus - completion of their film.

Completion: A film is made a third time during the edit. Each team is provided with a computer to edit their films. They learn to import their footage, organize their shots as clips and assemble the film. Editing is also review time in filmmaking. Participants get to see their mistakes, fix them creatively using software tools and still convey the story they set out to tell. Each participant takes turns to edit a section of the film.

So by the end of the day, each team would have a film to show as testimony for their efforts. Completed films are titled, set to music, sound-mixed and burned onto a DVD for your teams at the FilmCamp.TV studio. This will be provided to your company.