NFLM
3510

The Aesthetics of Directing

Schools of Public Engagement: Media

Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Degree Students
The Aesthetics of Directing
Fall 2025
Taught By: Greg Takoudes
Section: B

CRN: 3141

Credits: 3

Your challenge as a director is to realize your vision on the screen. Designed for students who are making or planning to make their own films, this course covers the art and craft of directing. We analyze the work of classic and contemporary directors, observing how they use the language of cinema. Topics include framing and composition, camera angles, camera movement, blocking actors, visualizing action, creating a sequence, script breakdown, and techniques for establishing character, mood, and conflict. We explore different directing styles, such as the subjective approach of expressionism, the pursuit of authenticity in realism, and the narrative conventions of Hollywood. Students do a script breakdown and storyboard for a scene they then videotape. Short scenes produced on video in class demonstrate principles in practice.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Media (MED)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Studio (S)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 13

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2025 (Monday)

Seats Available: No

Status: Waitlist*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 12:18pm EDT 6/20/2025

The Aesthetics of Directing
Fall 2025
Taught By: Tal Shamir
Section: C

CRN: 3754

Credits: 3

Your challenge as a director is to realize your vision on the screen. Designed for students who are making or planning to make their own films, this course covers the art and craft of directing. We analyze the work of classic and contemporary directors, observing how they use the language of cinema. Topics include framing and composition, camera angles, camera movement, blocking actors, visualizing action, creating a sequence, script breakdown, and techniques for establishing character, mood, and conflict. We explore different directing styles, such as the subjective approach of expressionism, the pursuit of authenticity in realism, and the narrative conventions of Hollywood. Students do a script breakdown and storyboard for a scene they then videotape. Short scenes produced on video in class demonstrate principles in practice.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Media (MED)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Studio (S)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 13

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2025 (Monday)

Seats Available: No

Status: Waitlist*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 12:18pm EDT 6/20/2025

The Aesthetics of Directing
Summer 2025
Taught By: John Didato
Section: A

CRN: 1137

Credits: 3

Your challenge as a director is to realize your vision on the screen. Designed for students who are making or planning to make their own films, this course covers the art and craft of directing. We analyze the work of classic and contemporary directors, observing how they use the language of cinema. Topics include framing and composition, camera angles, camera movement, blocking actors, visualizing action, creating a sequence, script breakdown, and techniques for establishing character, mood, and conflict. We explore different directing styles, such as the subjective approach of expressionism, the pursuit of authenticity in realism, and the narrative conventions of Hollywood. Students do a script breakdown and storyboard for a scene they then videotape. Short scenes produced on video in class demonstrate principles in practice.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Media (MED)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Studio (S)

Modality: Online - Asynchronous

Max Enrollment: 16

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: June 17, 2025 (Tuesday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: July 25, 2025 (Friday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Closed*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 12:20pm EDT 6/20/2025

The Aesthetics of Directing
Spring 2025
Taught By: Shimon Dotan
Section: A

CRN: 2868

Credits: 3

Your challenge as a director is to realize your vision on the screen. Designed for students who are making or planning to make their own films, this course covers the art and craft of directing. We analyze the work of classic and contemporary directors, observing how they use the language of cinema. Topics include framing and composition, camera angles, camera movement, blocking actors, visualizing action, creating a sequence, script breakdown, and techniques for establishing character, mood, and conflict. We explore different directing styles, such as the subjective approach of expressionism, the pursuit of authenticity in realism, and the narrative conventions of Hollywood. Students do a script breakdown and storyboard for a scene they then videotape. Short scenes produced on video in class demonstrate principles in practice.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Media (MED)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Studio (S)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 14

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: February 3, 2025 (Monday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 15, 2025 (Tuesday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Closed*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 12:18pm EDT 6/20/2025

The Aesthetics of Directing
Spring 2025
Taught By: Greg Takoudes
Section: B

CRN: 3183

Credits: 3

Your challenge as a director is to realize your vision on the screen. Designed for students who are making or planning to make their own films, this course covers the art and craft of directing. We analyze the work of classic and contemporary directors, observing how they use the language of cinema. Topics include framing and composition, camera angles, camera movement, blocking actors, visualizing action, creating a sequence, script breakdown, and techniques for establishing character, mood, and conflict. We explore different directing styles, such as the subjective approach of expressionism, the pursuit of authenticity in realism, and the narrative conventions of Hollywood. Students do a script breakdown and storyboard for a scene they then videotape. Short scenes produced on video in class demonstrate principles in practice.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Media (MED)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Studio (S)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 13

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: February 3, 2025 (Monday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 15, 2025 (Tuesday)

Seats Available: No

Status: Closed*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 12:18pm EDT 6/20/2025