|
Summer workshop brings valuable film training, hands-on experience to students |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 24 April 2007 |
by LINDSAY CRAVEN
Lifestyles Editor
In the span of three weeks you could work a typical fast food job, earn a few bucks and take three weeks of the same old boring classes that are offered every other semester, or you could take an intensive Film and Digital Video Workshop.
The workshop, taught by W.S. Pivetta and Scott Spears, will take place July 9 through July 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the second summer session.
“There’s
a little bit of everything in it but it’s mainly an intensive film
production workshop where they actually shoot using the different
styles of movie cameras,” Pivetta, a theatre and dance instructor,
said.
“The focus and what makes [the workshop] unique…is the fact that we’re
actually shooting on movie film and not video- that’s the key.”
Pivetta, an Ohio State University graduate, notes his first love as cinematography but also works in sound and editing.
“I’m a cinematographer and that’s my first training … and I’ve been
doing that for about 30 years,” Pivetta said. “I’m also an assistant
cinematographer, I work for several cinematographers in the country
that hire me to be their assistant because I own all of the equipment
so I come in with the entire company and I can give them my experience
but yet they can still shoot it.”
Pivetta’s experiences include major independent features and music videos in the country and heavy metal rock music genres.
Pivetta said that he has worked with Charlie and Martin Sheen, Bret Michael’s first movie and done dozens of music videos.
Spears will assist Pivetta on this workshop. He is currently in production for a film in California.
Spears has a long resume that includes feature films “Beyond Dream’s Door” and “Horrors of War.”
Spears has also worked on several short films, music videos, commercials and videographies.
This workshop will be the fifth for Pivetta, who also teaches it at Bowling Green University in Ohio.
This year will mark the second year for a workshop at Appalachian State University.
“Last time we had the workshop we didn’t have the turnout we wanted,
but the students that took it absolutely loved it. It was a fantastic
experience and they didn’t want it to end,” Pivetta said. “I’m hoping
that this time will be about the same, if not better.”
Pivetta currently teaches only one course in film production at
Appalachian and said that small college’s funds make it difficult to
offer more production courses and workshops.
“This is such a new thing at a college that really doesn’t offer any
type of production other than some photo and video courses and lots of
theory,” Pivetta said. “Usually in a college our size they don’t have
actual hands-on production classes because of the costs.
Fortunately for Appalachian I own an entire film production company and so they get the benefit of having it.”
The course will provide a six-hour credit for students, with costs at
about $642, as well as a $500 lab fee to cover the cost of film,
digital processing and digital transfer of the film. Pivetta said this
is half the cost of most universities.
For more information on the program visit the “Special Programs”
section of the department of theatre and dance’s Web site or e-mail
Pivetta at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
For more information on Scott Spears, visit his Web site at www.scottspears.net.
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments