40-1103 Aesthetics and Storytelling

Course is the foundational course for future work in the TV Department. Whether students are aiming to be a director, writer, producer, or editor, the fundamentals of aesthetics in relation to TV are crucial to doing well in any of these areas. In this course we learn how to choose the right shots and how to construct a coherent sequence, as if we are constructing clear and understandable sentences (the sequence) out of the best words possible (the shot). To learn this skill, we at times break down things even further, focusing on the elements of shot construction (mise-en-scene, lighting, color, compositional balance and framing, perspective, etc.). Because these words and sequences are a specialized language, course will emphasize becoming proficient in terminology so that students can communicate with those whom they are trying to reach–from a crew they are a part of to a crew they are directing, and ultimately to the TV viewer who wants to hear their story. In Aesthetics II, we will expand on these ABC’s to help students develop their own voice as a storyteller.

2 Credits