︎︎︎24 Frames: Communicating Ideas through Film

Films move at 24 images (or frames) per second, while the stories they convey emotionally move us. Either in the form of daily-shared stories on our phones or streaming platforms at home, motion pictures are deep-seated. This course investigates films as transformative tools for thought. Students will learn about interesting ways of watching films, film criticism, and especially how to communicate powerful ideas through short films. By the end of the semester, students will be able to translate their own ideas on screen by producing an individual, urban-related short film that uses the method of remediation.

Driven by an international range of film productions across time periods and genres, we will begin to develop a visual vocabulary through terms such as mapping, observation, narrative and montage in order to create our own short film adaptions. Using a ‘procedural mode of engagement’ — which we will explain in class — as a way of examining these contexts and frames, the course adapts film- making as an act of creative engagement with the built environment. This creative reservoir of residential atmospheres helps us to question our current place and time. Through in-class discussions, critical film analysis, peer reviews, and final short film screenings, the course aims to present the various modes and styles of film production and further enhance students’ visual communication skills. No prior film or poster making skills are required.