Acting & Directing

Here is the syllabus for Acting and Directing.

COURSE NUMBER: FV2000
COURSE NAME: Fundamentals of Acting and Directing
COURSE LENGTH: 11 weeks
CONTACT HOURS: 44 hours
CLASSROOM #: ROOM #
STUDENT LOGIN: http://stu.aii.edu


INSTRUCTOR: Tom Hammond
WEB SITE: shootthefilm.blogspot.com
PHONE: 813.900.4759
EMAIL: thammond3@tampabay.rr.com
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
CREDITS: 4
DATE OF SYLLABUS: 7/11/2008


COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course is an introduction to the jobs of actor and director as they relate to the filmmaking process. The goal is to develop an understanding of these two positions and some fundamental skills involved with their respective crafts. Students will direct other students and act in scenes which they create and scenes provided by the instructor. The course will consist of reading, discussion, performance and viewing of classic examples of acting and directing.
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PREREQUISITES: None

COURSE TOPICS:
1. The Actors Craft
2. The Director’s Job
3. Casting
4. Rehearsing
5. Working on the Set
6. Blocking
7. History of Acting
8. Styles of Acting
9. Tools of the Director
10. Directorial Styles
11. History of Cinema Directing


COURSE COMPETENCIES: The student will be able to:

1. Have an understanding of film history as it relates to acting and directing.
2. Perform the basic job of a director.
3. Give an acting performance.
4. Conduct a rehearsal.
5. Compile a basic shot list.
6. Abide by on-set etiquette.
7. Understand the various styles and schools of acting.
8. Understand the structure of authority in a production.
9. Assume command and responsibility as a director in a production.
10. Conduct a production meeting.


GRADING OPPORTUNITIES:
A total of seven grading opportunities will be given:
 two (2) examinations (30% of final grade)
 several projects (60% of final grade): scenes and performances
 class participation (10% of final grade)


STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT:
Participation (discussion, role playing)
Class projects
Homework (independent reading & viewing)
Exams

GRADING CRITERION:
This general grading criterion might not be applicable to all projects, but can be used as the projects’ guide in relation to the overall student learning objectives for the course:
 concept - 30%
 execution - 40%
 presentation - 30%

Concept is the beginning of the process. It is here that original ideas can be expressed along with original concepts for old ideas. Originality is the key here.

Execution is based on the quality of performance and the success of your endeavors as a director. Is the scene believable? As an actor, were you able to express honest emotion? As a director, did you realize your original vision for the scene?

Presentation is based on the physical aspects of the scene. Were you able to create an atmosphere using lights, props, sound effects, music or any of the other stylistic tools available to you?

HANDWRITTEN WORK, no matter how neat you think it is, is not accepted.

GRADING SCALE:

A 4.0 94-100 B- 2.7 80-83 D+ 1.4 67-69
A- 3.7 90-93 C+ 2.4 77-79 D 1.0 60-66
B+ 3.4 87-89 C 2.0 74-76 D- N/A
B 3.0 84-86 C- 1.7 70-73 F 0.0 0-59


CLASSROOM POLICIES:

Holidays: This quarter has ___0____ holidays

Required Text(s): None

Recommended Text(s): TBA

Required Supplies: Specifics will be outlined in project sheets.

Late Work: Assignments must be in on the date identified in the syllabus (or project sheet) and at the beginning of class. Late projects will not be accepted. Any deviation of this policy will be extremely rare and at the discretion of the instructor.

Sleeping in Class: Sleeping in class is not permitted and will not be tolerated.

Food/Beverages: Food and non-sealed beverage containers are not permitted in any classroom, lab or studio.

Cell Phones and other electronic devices: Cell phone usage is not permitted in any classroom, lab or studio. All cell phones, beepers, games, two-way radios (Nextel), or any other communication device must be turned off before entering the classroom. Leaving the class to take/make a phone call is not permitted unless it is an absolute emergency.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism will not be tolerated and may lead to immediate expulsion from the class and/or college. Plagiarism includes taking words, ideas, or artwork from anyone else and presenting it as your own or not citing properly in accordance with APA Style Guide.

Saving Work: It is the student’s responsibility to save his or her work to disk. Multiple copies should be saved and verified prior to leaving the classroom. The teacher is in no way responsible for the work saved on hard drives, nor is he/she bound to give an extension on work improperly saved. The hard drives will get purged regularly. Students are expected to back up all work. Loss, theft, computer failure, etc. are not acceptable excuses.

CAMPUS POLICIES:

Add/Drop: The first six (6) academic days (not including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) of each quarter are designated as the schedule adjustment period. During this time, students may make registration adjustments (adding, dropping, or changing days/times of courses) without financial penalty.

Attendance: The Art Institute of Tampa policy requires students to attend a minimum of 82% (36 hours) of scheduled course hours in order to receive a passing grade in a course. Attendance will be taken twice in a class period. Once at the beginning of the 4 hour period and once after returning from the second break. Every student is required to remain for the full class period. If you are not present within 10 minutes of each roll call, you will be marked as half absent. Two half absences will function as the equivalent of 1 absence.

ADA Statement: To meet the needs of our students with disabilities, The Art Institute offers reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Students or applicants who would like to request reasonable accommodations should contact the Student Services Coordinator for the school. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact your instructor and the Dean of Student Affairs in advance of the quarter of study when accommodations are needed.

PARTICIPATION CRITERIA:
Excellent
A (93-100)
A- (90-92)
Outstanding participation. The student is actively engaged in every facet of the class. He/She comes to every class session ready to engage in informed discussion bases on a thorough and critical reading of their homework assigned material (if applicable), and he/she maintains complete critical reading notes and brings it to every class session and keeps copies of everything in their journal. The student makes extraordinary contribution to the class through consistently thoughtful, well focused, and original examples. The student works collaboratively with his/her classmates and instructor and the student seeks assistance should he/she need it. The student misses no classes.

Very Good/Good
B+ (87-89)
B (83-86)
B- (80-82)
Good participation. The student is actively engaged in most facets of the class. He/She comes to every class session ready to engage in informed discussion based on a careful reading of the assigned material, and he/she maintains substantial number of critical reading notes and brings it to most class sessions. The student makes a solid contribution to the class through regular relevant and thoughtful comments, questions and examples. The student works collaboratively with his/her classmates and instructor and the student is likely to seek assistance should he/she need it. The student misses the maximum of one class.

Satisfactory
C+ (77-79)
C (73-76)
C- (70-72)
Average participation. The student is actively engaged in some facet of the class. He/She comes to many class sessions ready to engage in informed discussion based on a general reading of the assigned material, including few critical reading notes and brings it to many class sessions. The student makes a contribution to the class through general, incomplete and/or tangential comments. The student, for the most part, works collaboratively with his/her classmates and instructor and is not likely to seek assistance on his/her own. The student misses two class sessions.

Below Average
D (60-64)
Poor participation. The student rarely demonstrated an active engagement in some facets of the class. He/She comes to many class sessions unprepared for informed discussion, and his/her critical reading notes are substantially incomplete and rarely bring it to the class sessions. The student does not collaborate with his/her classmates and instructor and the student is not likely to seek assistance on his/her own or even with direction. The student misses two-three class sessions.

Failure
F (0-59)
Unacceptable participation. The student is not an active member of the class.

SYLLABUS CHANGES:
Syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Awareness of these changes is the student’s responsibility
CLASS SCHEDULE:

THERE WILL BE A WEEKLY PERFORMANCE

MON TUE WED THU FRI
Week01
______ Introduction
Week02
______ History of Acting & Directing
Week03
______ The Director’s Job
Week04
______ The Actor’s Craft
Week05
______ EXAM
Week06
______ Casting & rehearsing
Week07
______ On the Set
Week08
______ Acting Styles
Week09
______ Directorial Styles & Tools
Week10
______ EXAM
Week11
______ Final Scenes
FV2000: Acting & Directing
This class is setup to have something due every week. There will be at least one workday or makeup each quarter that will allow for cancelled classes or holidays that run into scheduled classes.
All projects, unless specified, will involve an idea week and a presentation week.
On idea week you will present your idea for the project. We will have a critique that will aid you in avoiding unreasonable projects for the allotted time frame and making your project stronger.
On presentation week you will bring in your completed project for an in class critique along with delivering all of your deliverables due for the specified project.
11 Week Course Breakdown
Week 1
Discussion: Introduction, Syllabus, Instructor, Creativity, Critical Thinking.
The Jobs of Actor and Director – an overview.
Scene: Improvisation
Film: None
Assignment: Scene Selection

Week 2
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: History of Acting and Directing
Film: TBA
Assignment: Scene Selection

Week 3
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: The Director’s Job
Film: TBA
Assignment: Scene Selection

Week 4
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: The Actor’s Craft
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal

Week 5 - - - MID TERM - - -
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: The Critique Process
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal

Week 6
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: Casting and Rehearsing
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal

Week 7
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: Working on the Set
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal
Week 8
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: Acting Styles
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal

Week 9
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: Directorial Styles and Tools
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal

Week 10
EXAM: FINAL EXAMINATION
Due Today: Scene
Discussion: The Impact of Technology
Film: TBA
Assignment: Rehearsal

Week 11
CRITIQUE: Final Scenes

COURSE NUMBER: FV2000
COURSE NAME: Fundamentals of Acting & Directing
INSTRUCTOR: Tom Hammond








 I have completely read and fully understand the contents of this syllabus
 I take full responsibility for living up to these obligations including, but not limited to attendance, participation, notes, quizzes, projects, etc.
 I will ask for help/assistance (both in and out of class) if needed



Student Signature: ______________________ Instructor Signature: __________________________

Print Name: ___________________________ Print Name: ________________________________

Date: ________________________________ Date: _____________________________________