Video Playlists

• Meshes of the Afternoon(Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, 1943, 16mm, B&W, silent), view on Kanopy (requires subscription, Northeastern students have access).
  • AFTER watching the film, look at Notes on Maya Deren providing some context for interpreting the work, but see the film fresh before reading this; it's better that way!
• Lamp (Spike Jonze, Crispin Porter + Bogusky agency, 2002) and Lamp 2 (Mark Zibert, Rethink Canada agency, 2018), view both videos (YouTube) a valuable object of study given the skillful and effective use of a wide range of cinematic language conventions as well as a remake that reflects changes in the culture between 2002 and 2018.
• Watchtowers of Turkey (Leonardo Dalessandri, 2014, 3:34)
  • Also take a look at this article about the video: “Watchtower of Turkey” a stunning piece of cinematic editing and sound design
  • Watchtower of Turkey.mp4.zip (download this Zip archive and then unpack it for a QuickTime movie file of Watchtower of Turkey suitable for doing frame-by-frame analysis)

• The Above  (Kirsten Johnson, 2015, 8:22), experimental documentary
• Volkswagen: Milky Way, (dir. Dayton/Faris; agency: Arnold Boston, Music: Nick Drake “Pink Moon," 2006), commercial, think about the cinematic metaphors at work in this piece
• Please Consider #6: Skype (michelle ellsworth, 2011), performance, while this was made nine years ago, replace "skype" with "zoom" and it's totally up to date! 

• Cinematic lighting explained – Basics,  tutorial and ultra-mobile lighting kit – Epic Episode #9; this overview of lighting from Media Division provides a good summary of lighting fundamentals and how to achieve cinematic lighting with modest gear
• Bao by Pixar — a short animated film; notice how the cinematic lighting techniques discussed in the first video are applied in this video, which is one of the factors that contribute to the cinematic style of the work; see also this article (New York Times). Thanks to Mariam Alsadek for this contribution to the video playlist! NOTE: This link worked on 9/4 when I updated this site, unofficial copies get taken down often but can be found, Bao can be purchased legally for $2.99 on YouTube and other services.

• Recording Sound on Location (Lizi Hesling, CADARN Learning), provides a good overview of location sound recording, recommended for additional coverage of location sound recording
• The Foley Artist  (Oliver Holms, 2015, short film), many of the sounds we hear in fiction films are not made by the actual objects we see on the screen, many of the sounds in cinema are the work of foley artists
• Justin Boyd: Sound and Time  (Mark Lee Walley and Angela Guerra Walley, 2013, short documentary), sound is half the picture and often stands on its own, this is not only a short documentary about sound, but it provides a good example of a very well crafted short documentary with good b-roll footage that brings the story alive, a good example to draw upon for your micro-documentary projects
• Door Into the Dark  (May Abdalla and Amy Rose, 2014), a trailer for an immersive documentary installation, consider how sound is used in this work
• UCLA Post Production: How To Wrap A Cable (David McKenna), a demonstration of the mechanics of wrapping a cable with the “Over-Under" method, It’s important to wrap all cables properly and you'll be expected to wrap the cables we use in the workshop using this technique, so practice a little bit before the workshop

• 199. Elements of the Essay Film by Kevin B. Lee, this video explores how essay films use sounds, images, words, and editing differently than other forms of cinema.
• Poetry will be made by everyone, an excerpt from Chris Marker's Sans Soleil (1983), an essay film that reflects on the characteristics of human memory, and how our recollections are always fraught with uncertainty and fabrication, See also first few minutes of Sans Soleil (1983) here: Sans Soleil - The First Minute.

To produce a fictional narrative with traditional codes and conventions, you must learn the rules of master scene cinema language and classical cutting continuity and make a plan to shoot coverage to have options when editing. Here are some videos that will complement the assigned readings.

• The 180 Degree Rule in Film (and How to Break The Line) is a short video that covers one of the most important rules to establish continuity in a scene (note: this video was made by StudioBinder to promote  their products, and yet, it does a good job introducing the concepts)
• Creative Match Cut Examples & Editing Techniques for Your Next Shoot offers some tips that will help you create more cohesive sequences (note: this video was made by StudioBinder to promote  their products, and yet, it does a good job introducing the concepts)
• Guerrilla Filmmaking: How We Shot a Short Film in Two Hours (Shutterstock Tutorials), where he says, "Black magic cinema camera," pretend he said, "Sony a7iii available from the Media Center."
• 10 Common Mistakes New Filmmakers Make & How to Avoid Them (Film Riot) is essential wisdom that applies to fiction and documentary work.
• 10 Types of Shots Every Filmmaker Should Know (Shutterstock Tutorials), a good overview of key shots. Review Michael Wohl's essay, The Language of Film (2008), for a more detailed explanation of the various types of shots in a scene.

•  Splitscreen: A Love Story, directed by James Griffiths quite some time ago, was shot entirely on a Nokia N8 mobile phone, demonstrating that a strong concept, along with good composition, exposure, and basic technical craft, is more important than technical perfection or fancy equipment.
•  A Ninja Pays Half My Rent (Steven Tsuchida, 2003), This is an example of a well-crafted labor-of-love project by Steven Tsuchida  who lives in Los Angeles and works in television and film production. It is also a good example of an efficient coverage strategy, excellent editing, and perfect writing for a short narrative. Played many festivals and won several awards when it was first released and has stood the test of time as an excellent example. 
• Other, a short film written by and featuring Vanessa Baden Kelly and directed by Xavier Burgin about a black woman who struggles with her feelings as she navigates white spaces in the aftermath of the white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, an example of fiction based on contemporary social reality.
• The Black Hole (Phil Sampson and Olly Williams, 2008) is a story about a sleep-deprived office worker who discovers a black hole that can duplicate anything, leading to unexpected consequences. Never let anyone say you need a big budget or special creative resources to make an effective narrative work. Creativity flourishes under tight constraints. This video provides a clear premise and precise execution.

• Top 5 Most Common Problems with Student Films (This Guy Edits)
• 5 Things Film Editors Literally Do - According To Science (This Guy Edits),  this series of videos (which are highly recommended) is based on Karen Pearlman's book Cutting Rhythms - Intuitive Film Editing, which I also highly recommend.
• The Kuleshov Effect is SO WRONG! (This Guy Edits), Dr. Karen Pearlman suggests that the most important editing concept needs a new name. 

• Why Lens Choice Matters In Cinematography | Focal Lengths (In Depth Cinema, 2020)
  
• The Difference Between Anamorphic And Spherical Lenses Explained (In Depth Cinema, 2020)
  
• Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement — Every Camera Movement Technique Explained (StudioBinder)

• Black of Space (Gabriel Reid, 2020)
  
• Wanderlust (Alli Kramer, Trevor Hewitt, Erica Hink, 2016)