Behind the Silver Screen
Richard Brown's New Master Class
In this new and original series, distinguished film professor Richard Brown takes students on a remarkable journey through the creative process of making motion pictures. He explores and illustrates each key element in filmmaking, from original concept to final “release print.” Writing, financing, casting, shooting, scoring, editing, and sound design are discussed with a focus on how each individual piece fits into the finished puzzle.
For over a quarter-century, Professor Brown has interviewed virtually every major film artist from in front of and behind the camera (2,000 of his conversations are archived in the Library of Congress). In his Master Class, students are brought into the thick of the film production process using selected scenes and anecdotes from a broad range of releases. These may include Moonstruck, The Dark Knight, Juno, Slumdog Millionaire, Annie Hall, Titanic, Michael Clayton, Sideways, Forrest Gump, Crash, Rain Man, and Chicago. Professor Brown engages all of these elements to create a rich and exciting experience.
This course is available both as a live lecture at the TimesCenter in midtown Manhattan or as a live lecture online (synchronous) through the New York Times Knowledge Network. The lectures will also be archived online with other material.
Program Details
This is a three-part course.
November 24, 2009, Act 1: Writing, Financing, Casting
7:30 - 9:00 PM EST
Live lecture - in person and online
“Every day I invest in meticulous pre-production saves me two in my shooting schedule.” —Orson Welles
December 1, 2009, Act 2: Acting, Directing, Shooting
7:30 - 9:00 PM EST
Live lecture - in person and online
“If I’ve cast the film right, then 90 percent of my production work on the set is done.” —Sydney Pollack
December 8, 2009, Act 3: Editing, Scoring, Sound Design
7:30 - 9:00 PM EST
Live lecture - in person and online|
“I love post-production…finally, everyone goes home and I can sit in the editing room and really tell my story.” —Alan Pakula