General competences of the subject:



G006 To develop abilities and skills related to participation, management and teamwork optimization, applying informed criteria to decision making and evaluation of results.

G007 To apply skills, techniques, technologies and resources in order to develop contents, communication processes and audiovisual information.

G008 O project and design strategies aimed at identifying objectives and planning actions, in the context of content development and communication processes and audiovisual information.

G009 To acquire knowledge and experience of professional environments and routines in the field of audiovisual communication.





Transversal competences of the subject:



CT6- Innovation and entrepreneurship.

CT8- Teamwork.



Subject learning outcomes:



1-To address the analysis of cinema in its plastic dimension.

2-To examine the main aspects in the organization of the cinematographic space as we approach the evolution of set architecture in film throughout its history.

3-To interpret art direction in relation to other artistic practices

4-To identify and understand the main tasks of Art Direction and Production Design in the process of audiovisual production.

5-To apply working concepts, methods and procedures in the development an Art Direction project.

THEORETICAL MODULE



Lesson 1. Art direction for film: specific tasks and assignments

1.1 Production design and art direction

1.2 Organization of the Art Department

Lesson 2. An art direction project for film: main guidelines

2.1 The project step by step

2.2 Sets and trompe l’oeils

Lesson 3. Mise-en-scène

3.1 What is Mise-en-scène

3.2 Components of the Mise-en-scène

Lesson 4.The symbolic dimension of scenography



PRACTICAL MODULE



1. A first practical approach to film art direction.



1.1 Documentation and Moodboard

1.2 Set design and Locations

1.3 Costume design and colour palettes

1.4 Presentation



2. An art direction project for a feature film departing from the script.



2.1 Breakdown and visual analysis of the script: documentation, visual Concept, Moodboard

2.2 Sets design and locations

2.3 Props and colour palettes

2.4 Costume design

2.5 Presentation



3. Setting the scene: Creating your own project as an art director.

Throughout the course we will be working on the fundamental aspects of film Art Direction and the staging processes combining practical and theoretical lessons including documentation, research, film screenings and analysis. In addition we will provide various creation exercises that will help the student to become familiar with the different tasks assigned to an art director.

The final grade will be obtained from the continuous assessment of the various case studies and practices carried out through the course. The overall assessment will take into account the following guidelines: attendance and participation, the accomplishment and oral presentation of the various exercises and projects proposed. The first practice will be worth 2.5 points. The second project will be worth 3.5 points and the third one 3.5 points. Attendance and participation throughout the classes will be worth 0.5 points.



If the student is not able to attend the course the overall assessment will be based on a final test to measure his or her knowledge of the main theoretical and practical issues gathered in the programme. The student will be required to complete the integral version of the first two projects described in the practical module.



*This assessment system will be applied both face-to-face and/or non-face-to-face, in the event that the situation demanded.

Basic bibliography

Barnwell, Jane (2004). Production Design: Architects of the Screen (Short Cuts). London: Wallflower.

Barnwell, Jane (2017). Production Design for Screen: Visual Storytelling in Film and Television. New York: Bloomsbury.

Rizzo, Michael (2013). The Art Direction Handbook for Film. New York & London: Focal Press.

Shorter, Georgina (2012). Designing for Screen: Production Design and Art Direction explained. Rambsbury, Marlborough: Crowood Press.

In-depth bibliography

Dalle Vacche, Angela (1996). Cinema and Painting: How Art Is Used in Film. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Neumann, Dietrich (ed)(1996). Film Architecture: Set Designs from Metropolis to Blade Runner. Munich: Prestel.
Ramírez, Juan Antonio (2012). Architecture for the Screen: A Critical Study of Set Design in Hollywood’s Golden Age. North Carolina: University of California Press, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.
Sennett, Robert (1994). Setting the Scene: The Great Hollywood Art Directors. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers.

Journals