The Art of a Short Film
Written by Tara Najd Ahmadi, instructor of the three-week intensive The Art of a Short Film program. The deadline to register for this course is April 1, 2014. Register today!
My interest in the world of film and animation is tied in to images of the Eastern European animator Jan Svankmajer, who is mostly known in the US by his film Alice. This film is an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s story, Alice in Wonderland, and incorporates a wide range of material such as puppets, taxidermy animals, and painting to create a mysterious and lively dynamic. I remember going through the collection of the books on Svankmajer’s work at University of Tehran’s art library and being astonished by the quality of the imagery. The semi-alive puppets, timeworn utensils, and brownish colors all created a world at the intersection of nostalgia, dream, and reality. Meanwhile, I was aware that these puppets and surreal worlds were used to evade the state censorship at the time in the Eastern Europe courtiers. The puppets were free to express what their creators could not. My central interest in teaching is the potential, inherent in the medium of animation, film and video, to express what cannot be easily said in the form of language.
Image 1: Jan Svankmajer, Alice, 1988
My teaching method is based on broadening the experience of making art, both materially and conceptually, and targeting constructive changes on both personal and global levels through film. To inform this method, I will begin by organizing short in-class discussions on the philosophy of art. Then, I will introduce a diverse range of work by historical and contemporary artists and filmmakers such as Dada and surreal films and puppet animations, to provide examples and inspirations. Finally, we will work on a series of collaborative and in-class projects, which are important components of the course.
Throughout the three-week intensive Pre-College Programs, in order to make the students comfortable with different media, we will work with techniques such as 16mm film, video, hand-drawn and stop-motion animation. The students will also learn how to use programs such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Premiere in order to edit their films. Toward the end of the workshop, we will have a public screening, and watch the films that were made through the three weeks of class.
Image 2: William Kentridge, Ubu Film, 1996-97
To introduce the process of work in the class in detail, I bring an example of my favorite assignment. First, the entire group will create a story. Then, we will make a video/animation in the classroom based on that collaborative story. Students will be able to use any technique: collage, hand-drawn animation, film, or stop motion to illustrate a part of the storyboard. The students will perform the final edit, sound, and the post-production process. The consequence is similar to the Exquisite Corpse art projects done by the Dadaists, which was based on the need for reducing the amount of artist’s control on the work of art.
I am hoping to work with a diverse group of students from different backgrounds and experiences. The goal is to create an intimate and supportive environment to provide constructive feedback. In art education there are not many absolutes; self-expression and collaborative experience are fundamental. I am positive that this workshop will not only provide the students with a variety of new ways to look at the world around them, but will also offer three weeks of fun and playful learning!
Image 3: Brothers Quay, The Paris Years, 1983