This past Sunday, Feb. 5, New York Film Academy conducted a Master Class in Filmmaking at the Historic ARTS Theatre in London’s West End.
Taught by Jonathan Whittaker, Chair of the Short-term Intensive Programs at NYFA, the event welcomed filmmakers and performing artists not just from the London area, but from all over Europe.
With over fifteen years of experience in the film industry—having produced, directed and lensed short films, music videos, live concerts, commercials, TV shows, features, docs, virtual reality experiences and 3D specials—Whittaker’s “Directing the Scene” Master Class enlightened attendees on how to properly break down a scene and take it from the page to the screen.
Through a lecture that included film clips and anecdotes from films such as Martin Scorsese’s iconic boxing masterpiece “Raging Bull,” and Steven Speilberg’s classic hit “Jaws,” the two-hour Master class highlighted how the filmmaker identifies the purpose of the scene and fits it into the larger whole, designates point of view and designs shots that communicate POV to the audience. Additionally, the lecture explained how the director determines the visual elements that comprise the metaphor, as well as how he or she uses pacing to create tension in the film.
“Not only was there a great turnout, the participant engagement and thoughtful feedback made this a successful workshop,” said Whittaker.
The Master Class was very well received by aspiring artists and perspective students. We hope to see some of the individuals again at one of our many locations around the world.