Filmmakers learn about filmmaking by watching films. This course reverse engineers (scenes from) movies to understand how they were produced. The purpose of the class is to learn from a finished film how the scenes were produced in front of the camera and microphone, and how the captured material was organized and augmented in the editing process. Each major Department may be addressed: Producing/Production Design, Directing, Camera (Lighting, Coverage, Camera work), Sound Design (Dialogue, Sound Efx/Ambience, Music) and Editing. These issues, as others, will always be considered in light of how they contribute to, maintain, or develop the underlying themes and meaning of the film, so relation to story will be central to all investigations. For example, scenes will be analyzed to understand what shots were actually taken and used in the final cut, where the camera was positioned, what lenses were used and how the coverage was designed; similarly, performance aspects of the acting may be scrutinized; as well as script development, investigating how scenes were developed from one version of the script to the final cut.