Directing

This course is for students interested in directing theater, television, and film. It accommodates all levels of directing, from beginners with no experience at all to advanced directors interested in making a career of directing. The focus is on how a director can tell a story they care about in a way where each moment of the story is clear, engaging, and has visceral impact. The course offers a safe and friendly environment in which to work. Through the constant creation of shorter and longer stories, students learn how to work with actors, create characters that an audience wants to follow, stage stories so they are clear and effective, and use light and sound to increase the power of their storytelling. We introduce a variety of stage and video storytellers to see what kind of directorial storytelling styles might be of interest. Students direct both video scenes and live theater scenes, as well as one audio/podcast-like scene. The central focus is on how a director's personal experiences and passions can creatively and concretely shape their storytelling. No previous video experience is needed. Students use free video editing software and we provide links that help students get a quick handle on basic video editing techniques. While we look at some ways that the camera and editing are used in the storytelling, this is not a technical film-making course—no instruction on how to use a camera is offered. Most students have used their phones to record their videos, but each student is welcome to use any video recording device that they may have access to.