Florence Film School

 Summer Workshops

At The New Renaissance Florence Film School we offer week long workshops in every aspect of Film Production. Our Workshops are designed as a professional and creative laboratory for Artists who want to strengthen their craft, deepen their artistic expression and expand their creative palettes. Our unique learning environment utilizes the art and energy of the Past Renaissance to help the evolving artists of the New Renaissance to reach a more profound level of creativity and professionalism.

We have assembled a staff of professionals from all over the world to mentor students in their field of expertise and help them on their personal journey to better define their own unique style. We seek to join the divine aspect of humanity with the technological advancements creating profound and meaningful art in all disciplines.

These Workshops are open to the community of Florence for a limited time. Space is limited.

 Summer Workshops: 2008
 

Screenplay Writing:

Workshop 101

~450 euros 

 
 
 

July 7th -11th : Screenplay Writing:

 

This class is conducted by a professional screenplay writers and authors. Students will leave the class with a perfected Pitch, and a completed Professional Short Screenplay or Documentary Script or a Treatment for a Feature length Screenplay. Student will also learn to recognize their own unique way of putting words and images together. All completed Screenplay shorts will be reviewed by our production company Infinite Human Productions for consideration. 

 

The Workshop includes:

 

 Writers’ Laboratory: 2 hours daily of intensive instruction and experimental exercises where students will learn the foundation of solid screenplay writing:

 

Students will learn the foundation of solid story structure popularized by Joseph Campbell mentor to George Lucas the creator of Star Wars. Students will learn how to write Professional scripts and make them highly personal and original by delving  into their own personal journey as the hero in their story, facing their shadow self and  uncovering  their own unique story telling style and writer’s voice.  Students will learn how to create rich full characters that come to life as they move into their own unchartered areas of self discovery and risk being unique!

 

In the Field:

The Writer’s Tour of Florence :

 

Students utilize the art of Florence as a way of inspiring them to create rich and deeply personal characters that will help the hero as they journey through their life story. Students will pay respects to the writers who went before them then enter into the secret world of symbols, metaphors, and dreams that speak to the sub conscious of their audience and learn how to translate them into their own artistic vision to more effectively impact their audience.

 

Topics Covered:

 

Perfecting the Pitch

Mythic Story Structure

Jungian Archetypes

The Hero’s Journey: Three Act Structure

Creating Compelling Characters that drive the plot.

Weaving Plot, Theme and Structure

The Creative Use of Metaphor

Creating Strong Dialog

The Mechanics of Writing a Professional Script

There will be a great deal of time dedicated for  independent writing assignments and completion of the final Screenplay.

 

Acting and Directing for the Camera:

Workshop 102

~450 euros

 

 
 
 

July 14th-18th : Acting and Directing for the Camera: 

This class is taught by professional Directors and Performing Artists. Its unique focus is to bring Actors and Directors together to learn how to analysis and break down Scripts, block and rehearse scenes, find their marks and deliver their  highest performances in front of the camera. Students will have the opportunity to perform on both sides of the camera to gain a better understanding of the creative process and the collaborative efforts involved in intuitive acting and directing. Students will write, direct and perform  a short personal monologue which will be filmed and used as part of their professional portfolio or as an audition piece. These audition pieces will also be put into our data based to be used for casting in Student Films, Theatre Companies and Professional Films that are shot on location here in Florence . While the workshop is very challenging we also create a nurturing, safe and creatively free environment where actors can  experiment and play!

 

Theatrical  Laboratory : 

This portion of the acting workshop will help actors unblock any thing that may be stopping them from fully expressing themselves. They will gently move through their personal restrictions gaining a stronger sense of  their true selves and more confidence in letting go and trusting their own inner voice. Actors and directors will learn to trust their gut feelings about a character and go with their intuitive interpretations.

 

Writing Laboratory:  

Students will learn have the opportunity to create and write their write their own monolog that best exhibits their talents.

 

 

Directing Laboratory : 

Students will work behind the camera learning how to the analysis script for beats and movement of emotions, block scenes and frame shots to best capture the mood, tone and drama of a particular scene. Actor Whisperer: Actors and Directors will take turns coaching one and other to help actors reach their most relaxed and powerful performance in front of the camera. Through the tools of intuitive directing Actors and Directors will collaborate together to make create a comfortable, relaxed working environment and deepen the understanding and expression of the actor.

 

On Location Shooting:

 Students will also have the opportunity to film on location learning how to work with crowd control and maintaining concentration with the distractions of on location shooting.

 

Analysis: 

Student will then to play back their performances learning to constructive analysis their work and use it as an impetus for self improvement.

Cinematography and Lighting:

Workshop 103

~650 euros

 

 
 
 

July 21st -25th: Cinematography and Lighting 

Under the guidance of a professional Award Winning Cinematographers students will have the opportunity to develop their own inner artistic eye. They will learn the basics involved in motivating the frames by story using composition ,color line, symbolic representation, and creating mood and tone through lighting. Students will see film clips by diverse directors and have the opportunity to analysis them and extract elements they would like to incorporate into their own style.

 

Workshop consists of:

Lecture Series 2 hours daily.

 

In The Field Assignments:

Students will learn by observing the artistic developments and techniques of the Master Artists through out the ages and how they developed perspective, line, color and composition. They will see how they represented  the mundane and celestial worlds , their use of Chiaro Scuro techniques to create lighting effects and shadows. 

 

Students will collect their own portfolio of visual images, analysis them in class based on their effective use of the elements of composition they will have studied.

 

Story Telling with Imagery:

Students will learn how to arrange their pictures into a sequence that motivates the frame by a theme.

 

Analysis:

 Students will have the opportunity to constructive analysis their work and see where they can improve on their style and technique and begin to become aware of their unique way of perceiving the world around them.

This Class is perfect for Film makers and Photographers who wish to perfect their technical skills and more profoundly develop their own inner artistic eye.

 

Animation and Motion Graphics:

Workshop 104

 ~650 euros

 

 
 
 

July 28th- August 1 Animation and Motion Graphics:

 

Students will learn the basics of drawing, creating animation and motion graphics  and developing story boards using a variety of skills, techniques and soft ware. This is a perfect workshop for students who want to gain an understanding of the multitude of possibilities that now exist in the fields of Animation and Motion Graphics that can be used to enhance Film, Web Sights and Multi Media presentations. Students will be exposed to a broad palette of creative tools and have the opportunity to create their own animated short which will  become an invaluable part of their  portfolio.

 

Overview:

Students will be given a brief over view of the many animation techniques used today. Students will learn how to animate text, short stories, interactive animations and non-linear stories in flash and photo shop.  Students will create storyboards to help organize and visualize their animations before creating them. These storyboards will also be helpful in future animation and film projects. Students can be able to narrator their stories or create their own sound. At the end of this course students will have a clearer understanding of the art of  animation and the numerous ways it can be used to express ideas.

 

Intro to Special Effects:

Students will learn the basics of how to layer videos, apply motion graphics, filters, sound bites, special renders, and create a specific look for their films. Students will use Adobe After Effects, Live Type, and Final Cut Pro. Students will participate in demos and discussions focusing on the future of film. Students will learn to express their own personal aesthetic by creating a final project choosing their own graphic tools that best communicate their message style and creative interpretation of life.

 

Media Lab:

 30 hours of demonstration and hands on supervised learning.

 

In the Field Tours of Florence :

Students will examine the Art Treasures of Florence and gain inspiration from the original story boards created in Fresco. Students will see how Master Artists conceived and implemented their story telling skills into their great works of Art.

 

Students will have the opportunity to draw form the multitude of artistic work here in Florence for their own creative projects. For example Students may capture the many statues in Florence and bring them to life through the art of animation!

 

Digital Video Production:

Workshop 105

~950 euros

 

 
 
 

August: 4th –August 8th 

Digital Video Production:

Students will be introduces to the fast changing choices and possibilities now available in digital film production. Students will learn how to choose the best cameras and equipment and make cost effective choices for creating their own low budget professionally executed films. They will learn how to achieve the highest professional level for the lowest cost.

Then Students will through hands on exercises and have the opportunity to work with state of the art equipment learning how to conduct interviews, capture motion, record sound and work in various filming modalities. Students will have the opportunity to shoot with state of the art video cameras and analysis their raw footage in class.

 

Workshop Includes:

Lectures: 2 hours daily on the Psychology of the Camera. Students will explore how to best utilize the camera: angles, lens and framing the shot to motivate their story.

 

Hands on Camera Work:

Students will learn and experiment with different modalities:

 

White Balance

Shutter Speed

Focus

Use of Tripod

Use of Battery and Charger

Video Latitude

Use of Microphones

Moving Sequences,

Eye piece and Lens

Close ups

Wide Angles

Making Pulls and Zooms

Camera Reports

Slating

 

In the Field On Location Shooting around Florence :

Students will shoot on location in Florence .

 

Analysis:

Students will play back their footage analysis their shot choices on how well they communicated what they were going for as well as receiving constructive feed back on any technical problems they may have encountered. Students will have their film exercises reviewed and critiqued by professional Directors who will help them to improve their technical skills as well as empower their unique style of capturing images.

 

 

Professional Editing:

Workshop 106

 ~650 euros

 

 
 
 

August 11th – 15th  Professional Editing  

 

This Workshop covers both the technical and aesthetic aspects of editing. Understanding Story telling techniques and the basics of dramaturgy is key in furthering the creative vision of the director. Technical skills will be taught using the language of film and the organization of raw footage and sound material. Students will learn the concept of joining powerful images together in a succinct fashion to tell their story in a fresh and original manner. Students will learn how to use non-linear soft ware final cut pro on Mac computers emphasizing the Art and Craft of creating cogent sequences that serve the story. Students will also learn how to use transitions, sequence motions and special effects motivated by story, theme and metaphor.

 

Workshop Includes:

30 hours of lectures supervised Lab time with hands on mentoring. Independent Lab Time. Students not enrolled in the eight week program may bring in outside work to edit.

Professional Sound Design:

Workshop 107

 ~650 euros

 

 
 
 

August 18th – August 22nd Sound Design

For a film to realize its' full potential to communicate ideas, a

Filmmaker needs more than knowledge of camera angles, lighting and a good

Script.  Sound & music are also key elements of how a film

tells the story intended by the filmmaker. This workshop will provide

valuable insights, by giving students a platform to enhance their

awareness of sound & music, and practical tips on how to incorporate

sound & music into their film projects.

 

Students will learn:

 

- how to recognize the impact of sound & music on a film's mood and message.

- how sound & music communicates ideas.

- a brief overview of techniques used by professional sound designers,

with emphasis on modern digital technologies.

 

Activities include:

 

- exercises that demonstrate how sound & music affect perception.

- techniques on selecting sound & music for film.

- hands-on experience incorporating sound & music into a film project.

 

In the Field:

Students will tour Florence and learn to listen to the city. They will collect sounds around the city of Florence to be used as sound effects.

 

Students are encouraged (but not required) to provide clips from their

own film productions for various workshop exercises

 

Film Marketing & Distribution:

Workshop 108

 ~750 euros

 

 
 
 

August 25th- 29th 

Film Marketing & Distribution 

Using a unique approach to Creative Marketing  this workshop will teach the  ins and outs traditional film markets and give film makers a head start in how to get into the new global markets that are now opening .  Students will learn of the best markets and  distribution avenues for their films. They will learn which are the best opportunities for funding, distribution, and how to choose the best Film Festivals for their films. 

Students will also learn the latest techniques in multimedia viral marketing to get their name and their work to their target audience. 

Through  hands on experiences of creating logos, movie posters and press kits and promo trailers   which will be published on our U Tube Channel New Renaissance News. Students will collaborate in creating a multi media event  hosted  here in Florence

Yoga, Arte and the Creative Spirit:

Workshop 109

~250 euros 

 
 
 

This class incorporates therapeutic yoga postures, positive hypnotic suggestions, meditation, advanced breathing techniques, and creative visualization and to help you move through physical, emotional, mental and spiritual blocks and more easily go with life’s flow.


What students say about the course: These classes worked wonders for me. The hypnotic suggestion reminds you to love yourself always, (something that we need to be reminded of everyday), and it opens you up to allowing positive changes to come into your life. Even after the first class I began to feel better about myself and my future and with time I found I was looking forward to the future, with a sense of wonder and excitement about what was going to happen to me next, instead of the fear I had been feeling before. The classes increased my self-love and positivity while decreasing my fear and negativity.


The visualizations focused on increasing our energy levels. These classes gave me the helping hand I needed; gave me the energy I needed to get to a new level of being where I could begin to help myself; where I could meditate better, think more positively, be more calm. Sometimes we just need a helping hand from the outside to get us to this new level; to get past some of our karma. I would recommend these yoga-therapy classes to everyone


"We are living in 1937, and our universities, I suggest, are not half-way out of the fifteenth century. We have made hardly any changes in our conception of university organization, education, graduation, for a century - for several centuries. "
Jules Vernes

 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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