BU-COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONSULTANCY CENTRE

REVISED SYLLABUS – 2021-22

FOR
DIPLOMA IN DIGITAL FILM MAKING

BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY
COIMBATORE-641046
Dip. in Digital Film Making (Community College) 2021-22
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BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY: COIMBATORE.

DIPLOMA IN DIGITAL FILM MAKING

(Community College)

(for the candidates admitted form the academic year 2021- 22 onwards)

Minimum qualification for admission to Diploma Course in Digital Film Making is

a pass in Standard X.

SCHEME OF EXAMINATIONS

S. No Title of the Course Credits Maximum

Marks
1 Fundamental of Film Making (theory) 4 100
2 Pre-Production (theory) 4 100
3 Production (theory) 4 100
4 Post -Production (theory) 4 100
5 Pre- Production (Practical I) 4 100
6 Film Acting Fundamentals (Practical II) 4 100
7 Short Film (Practical III) 4 100
8 Internship 4 100
Total 32 800
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Question paper Pattern: Theory

Section A: (10 x 2=20 Marks)
Answer ALL the questions
Section B: (5 x 6 = 30 Marks)
Answer ALL the questions either (a) or (b)
Section C: (5 x 10 = 50)
Answer ALL the questions either (a) or (b)

Duration of examinations for all papers is three hours.

*Minimum Pass Mark: 40 Marks
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PAPER I
FUNDAMENTAL OF FILM MAKING
Unit:1
Overview of the film crew, Introduction to various departments of film making,
Collaborating and working with team. Introduction to stages of film production

Unit:2
Introduction to film script; treatment, Screenplay-format and layout, Narrative
structures, Protagonists and antagonists, Adoption, Genre, Loglines. Story boards.

Unit:3
Production Planning; Proposals, Budgeting, Scheduling, Finding locations,
Equipment, Role of production crew, Working with actors.

Unit:4
Shot sizes; meaning and motivation, Camera movements- methods and meaning,
Master shots, cutaways, inserts, reaction shots, Parallel action, Shooting scripts.
Picture composition and framing, working with lighting, color, lenses

Unit:5
Audio field production, microphones, music, sound effects, Shooting with knowledge
of editing. Researching, Mini interviews, Essential resources.

Reference Books
1 Goswami, Thin Film Fundamentals, New age international publishers, 1996
2 Amy Villarejo, Film Studies: The Basics, Routledge, 2013
3 Michael K. Hughes, Digital Filmmaking for Beginners A Practical Guide to
Video
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PAPER II
PRE –PRODUCTION
Unit:1
Overview of the film crew, Introduction to various departments of film making,
Collaborating and working with team. Introduction to stages of film production
Screen writing –idea –plot –creating ideas –brain storming –traditional three act story
telling – introduction –conflict –resolution –alternative structures

Unit:2
Introduction to film script; treatment, Screenplay-format and layout, Narrative
structures, Protagonists and antagonists, Adoption, Genre, Loglines. Story boards.
One-line treatment –elements of one line screenplay –dramatic arc –character and
character development

Unit:3
Shot sizes; meaning and motivation, Camera movements- methods and meaning,
Master shots, cutaways, inserts, reaction shots, Parallel action, Shooting scripts.
Picture composition and framing, working with lighting, color, lenses.
Professional script format –developing scene scripts –first draft –shooting script

Unit:4
Writing for other film forms –documentaries –short fictions –advertisements

Unit:5
Audio field production, microphones, music, sound effects, Shooting with knowledge
of editing. Researching, Mini interviews, Essential resource
Production Manager – his roles in all three stages of film production –Script
breakdown and scheduling – an introduction to script writing software movie magic.
Publicity Designers (Poster designing), Audiographer (Dubbing, re-recording, Sound
effects), Outdoor Lightmen, Studio Workers (moulders, carpenters, painters, etc),
Production Assistants (set assistants), Cinema Drivers, Junior Artist Agent Outdoor
Unit Technicians (Camera assistants, electricians, etc), Production Women
(Cleaners), Jr. Artists.

Reference Books
1 Jane Barnwell, The Fundamentals of Film Making, AVA book publishing,
SA, 2019
2 Nicholas Proferes, Film Directing Fundamentals: See Your Film Before
Shooting, Focal press, 2012
3 A. Goswami, Thin Film Fundamentals, New age international publishers,
1996
4 Amy Villarejo, Film Studies: The Basics, Routledge, 2013
5 Michael K. Hughes, Digital Filmmaking for Beginners A Practical Guide to
Video Production, McGrawHill, 2012.
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PAPER III
PRODUCTION
Unit:1
Overview of film production design: Functions of film production manager. Working
with assistants. Production manager as an architect of director’s dream. Production
management process. Stages of film production; Pre-production, Production
Postproduction. Direction –the –shot –Mise-en-scene-Power of Mise-en-cene –
Aspects of Mise-en-scene-shots –scenes – sequences –Reading the Image –Semiotics-
Study of signs & symbols-space and time –documentary film.

Unit:2
Preparing for production; Script breakdown, Shooting schedule, Production
manager’s job during pre-production. Techniques of managing low budget
productions. Movie making deals- Influencing factors which makes movie expensive
Digital Cinematography (I) Physics of Light –speed of motion –Perspective relation –
lens : focal length – middle focal length –Depth of field –and focus –deep focus –
racking focus

Unit:3
Location survey, Film commissions, Procedure of getting permission, Foreign
shooting. Setting the location on shooting schedule. Special effects –framing –aspect
ratio –common aspect ratios –common aspect ratios of 35 mm film- angle, level
height and distance of framing –Functions of framing mobile framing -mobile
framing – types of mobile framing – pan – tilt –tracking –craning –functions of long
take.

Unit:4
Cast and Crew; hiring procedures, crew duties, Actors, Agents, contracts, agreements
and working permits, immigration laws, production forms. Principles of television –
Video camera-Types of Video camera –Functions and controls- Digital formats –
Interlaced and progressive scanning -HDTV –Digital Cinema –digital resolution 2 k,
4k

Unit:5
Color theory –additive and subtractive color wheel – Perception of color –Color
temperature and white balance –Digital color manipulation an introduction.

Reference Books
1 A.S.Kanal, Cinematographer’s Handbook, 1995, India , Vikshi Institute of
Media Studies
2 Thomas D Burrows Lynne S Gross James C.Foust Donald N.Wood , Video
Production Disciplines and Techniques Eight edition, 2001, Newyork ,
McGraw Hill- Higher Educaqtion www.mhhe.com
3 John Hedgecoe, The New Manual of Photography, 2003, Great Britain,
Dorling Kindersley Ltd- A Penguin Company
4 David Sheshire , The Complete Book of Video, 1977 , Great Britain, Focal
Press
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PAPER IV
POST –PRODUCTION
Unit:1
History of film editing; the manipulation of editing, Lev Kuleshov’s experiment; the
language of cinema; introduction to the editor as storyteller and understanding the
narrative structure. Introduction to film editing –Necessity and principles of editing,
The screen technique: Joining of shots and scenes, the imaginary line.

Unit:2
Concepts of film editing, Process of editing- Storage and folder management,
Logging, First assembly, Rough cut, Final cut, Colour grading, inserting audio,
Graphics, Titling etc and exporting.

Unit:3
Basics of Sound production: Nature of acoustical waves; concepts of amplitude and
frequency wavelength and harmonics. Psycho‐acoustics: Nature of hearing and
perception of sound, hearing sensitivity, frequency, sound range, sound recordist’s
role.
Sound for Film and Video: The sound track – its importance in AV medium,
Different elements of a sound track, integration of sound to the film - Sync Sound:
Dubbing - Achieving synchronized sound and picture with film. Sound editing
fundamentals
Post production studio recording; Foley and ADR. Sound designing; Pro-tools,
Principles of Mixing: techniques, Building Blocks of Mixing, special effects,
Equalizers, Setting the sound stage, channels and Mix master - mix with automation.
Mixing in the box and Mixing through the board

Unit:4
The cut and types of cut, Pace, time and rhythm of storytelling, Fiction and non-
fiction editing, Offline and online editing, Montage editing

Unit:5
Post production; Knowing the footage, rough cut, getting fine cut, working with
music, sound mix, finishing touches.

Reference Books
1 David BordwellKristinThompson , Film Art An Introduction- 7th Edition ,
2003 , Newyork , Chris Freitag-McGraw Hill www.mhhe.com
2 Hedgecoe, A Complete Creative and Technical Guide to Making Videos ,
1989 London Octopus Illustrate Publishing
3 Thomas D Burrows Lynne S Gross James C.Foust Donald N.Wood , Video
Production Disciplines and Techniques Eight edition, 2001
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PAPER V
LIST OF PRACTICAL I
Pre- Production
1 Completing a Script for a 30 sec commercial
2 Story board for a 30 sec commercial
3 Writing a one –line script for 30 mins. short fiction and a simple scene script
for one or two scenes
4 Preparing a documentary research report
5 Producing a 30sec TV commercial –public service
6 Demonstrate a scene with mise-en-scene and breakdown ( 3mins. )
7 Producing a Documentary film ( 15mins. )
8 Producing a corporate / industrial video
Post – Production
1 Editing a music video re-mix ( 3mins. )
2 Shooting and editing a music video ( 2 mins )
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PAPER VI
PRACTICAL II

Film Acting Fundamentals

Unit:1
Greek theatre – Emergence of tragedy, Catharsis and the three Act structure in
contemporary narratives. Evolution of Indian Theatre: Parsi Theatre, Origin and
Development of Sanskrit drama: Characteristics, Nature and Importance. Reference-
Ramayana, Mahabharata, Abhigyan Shakuntalam,Folk Theatres of India,
Contemporary Indian Theater (Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese)

Unit:2
Types of Drama & Situational Acting: Tragedy, Comedy, Satire, Social, Political,
Contemporary, Black comedy, The Playwright: Style and Genre, Conflict, Plot
(Theme, Script, Dialogue, Narrations, Breakdown of Script), Character (Different
Shades of Characters E.G. Protagonist, Negative Shades, Supporting Characters Etc.),
Understanding the Need and Importance of each scene of Drama

Unit:3
Principles and Styles of Acting –I I(Detailing’s): Stanislavsky’s system, Chekov,
Brechtian and alienation Theatre

Unit:4
Principles and Styles of Acting –II (Detailing’s): Dimensions of Acting: 1. Body
Movement (Aangik), 2.Speech, Improvisation, pronunciation (Vachik), 3. Costume
(Aharya), 4. Emotions (Satvik)

Unit:5
Project Visit – Visit to a Performing Arts Institution or on a Site Observation with
relation to the Relevant & Decided Script for the Scene work.

Reference Books
1 Constant in Stanislavski -An Actor Prepares -Bloomsbury Revelations
2 Melissa Bruder -A Practical Handbook for the Actor -Vintage
3 Dr.Vishwanath Mishra -Stanislavski : Bhoomika Ki Sanrachna –Vani
Prakashan
4 Lee Strasberg -A Dream of Passion: The Development of the Method -
Penguin USA
5 Sanford Meisner& Dennis Longwell -Sanford Meisner On Acting -Vintage
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PAPER VII
PRACTICAL III

Short Film
1 To students will be able to implement the knowledge gained through the
course into practical field so as they will be able to work with professionals
and will be able to enhance their skills.
2 Preparation Of A Short Film (Fiction/Non-Fiction) 15-25 Minutes}

PAPER VIII
INTERNSHIP – 30 days

A film internship can launch your career in this fast-paced, competitive industry,
whether you want to be a producer, director, set designer, or screenwriter. Depending
on the nature of the internship, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the industry and prove
your mettle by assisting with lighting and equipment, supporting cast and crew on-
set, editing videos in post-production, or handling administrative and office tasks.