Radio, Television and Cinema (English)
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code: NMC016
Course Name: Virtual Filmmaking
Semester: Spring
Course Credits:
ECTS
5
Language of instruction: English
Course Condition:
Does the Course Require Work Experience?: No
Type of course: Departmental Elective
Course Level:
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE:6. Master`s Degree QF-EHEA:First Cycle EQF-LLL:6. Master`s Degree
Mode of Delivery: E-Learning
Course Coordinator: Dr. Öğr. Üy. SADİ KERİM DÜNDAR
Course Lecturer(s): Pavel Tairov, Ömer Akbulut
Course Assistants:

Course Objective and Content

Course Objectives: The course introduces students to the history of techniques and methods used in visual effects creation from the beginning of cinematography. Course shows uninterrupted process of evolving media creation tools from ancient history (theatre, paintings, books) to modern day’s interactive films, games, experiences. It is aimed to raise awareness of students about visual effects tools and methods through examining film production vfx history from the beginning to the present. To comprehend the newest methods of creating modern visual effects and computer graphics and preparing for application-oriented processes with this knowledge are fundamental in this class.
Course Content: In this class, there are two topics covered in detail:
1. Evolution of virtual cinematography from the beginning and use of visual effects tools in film production.
2. History and milestones, inventions, and methods used in the process of development of today's filming technologies.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1) Students, - Will be able to develop an understanding of the tools and methods used in the movies' visual effects by recognizing use cases acceptable to exact conditions.
2) Antik yöntemlerden modern araçlara kadar medyada hikaye anlatımının tarihini öğreneceklerdir.
3) Will be able to express how technological development shaped modern visual effects' capabilities for post and pre-production.
4) Will know post-production in cinema, the history of technology development, and the evolution of similar techniques through the XX century.
5) Will be able to understand all the components needed to optimize and facilitate film production using modern techniques and technological facilities.
6) Will learn computer graphics' history of development and breakthroughs in the history of CG technologies.
7) will understand virtual production tools and gain hardware-specific knowledge of LED, green-screen technologies, as well as creative methods and use cases.
8) Will learn the next generation of tools for media content creation and ML/AI methods to improve speed, efficiency, and quality.

Course Flow Plan

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Course overview. A brief history of storytelling in different media through the ages. Film production history overview. Virtual production overview. Future tools and jobs in media production. AR, VR, ML, AI.
2) Storytelling in media: importance as an evolution mechanism. Historical overview of a storytelling methods development. Role of the media in modern post-industrial society. Cross-media use of the real-time engines - interactive exhibitions, modern art, commercial projects (3D mapping, Interactive billboards, xR, etc
3) Film production: overview, history, roles on stage and in post-production. Cinematography history, camera hardware evolution, film theory. Understanding critical parameters of the lenses, cameras, recording equipment, and signal infrastructure. Film stage unspoken rules.
4) Post-production in cinema: history overview of methods, tools, and major inventions. Reinventing the same concepts of film post-production with digital intermediate techniques and the digital process of post-production. Importance of “real-time visualization on-stage” for creatives, actors, and crew in film production.
5) Animation. 2D classical methods of post-production in the era of the film. Creative tools to achieve freedom for storytelling using simple methods. Matte painting, chroma keying.
6) Bilgisayar grafikleri. Bilgisayar video çıkışı, video oyunları ve 3B oluşturmanın ilk günleri ile ilgili ilk deneyler. NLE, renk düzeltme. Bilgisayar tabanlı post prodüksiyon.
7) Modern computer graphics tools. Methods to create 3D assets. Importance of textures. Methods to achieve photorealistic results using computer graphics. Modern AI/ML-based tools to simplify storytelling.
8) Midterm
9) Real-time game engines - Unreal Engine / Unity (others). Why this is a revolution for modern film production techniques. In-camera VFX difference vs traditional post-production methods. Ways to combine two different approaches to be able to create the best results.
10) Virtual production today. What do we have, what do we need and how will technological advancement be? Limitations of technologies and ways to overcome them. Hardware and software with pros and cons.
11) Technology lies behind virtual production. Real-time requirements and optimizing methods for VP. Difference of the VP from near-time rendering and post-time rendering. Using virtual production data with traditional post-production techniques.
12) Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, eXtended Reality - why this is important. Why it isn’t everywhere nowadays? Why it will be changing. Cross-media creation and displays methods. “One asset for any platform” paradigm.
13) Next day’s tools to use in film production/media content creation. AI/ML prompt engineers and technical artists - knowledge and tools required. Metaverse and sensorial experiences. Predictions of content-creating methods evolution.
14) Final project

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Virtual Production Field Guide Volume 1 by Noah Kadner
Virtual Production Field Guide Volume 2 by Noah Kadner
The Essential Guide to Virtual Production 5th Kind
The Filmmaker's Guide to Production Design Vincent LoBrutto
Introduction to Computer Graphics. Rafal Mantiuk
Special Effects The History And Technique. by Richard Rickitt
3D Animation Essentials by Andy Beane
References: Virtual Production Field Guide Volume 1 by Noah Kadner
Virtual Production Field Guide Volume 2 by Noah Kadner
The Essential Guide to Virtual Production 5th Kind
The Filmmaker's Guide to Production Design Vincent LoBrutto
Introduction to Computer Graphics. Rafal Mantiuk
Special Effects The History And Technique. by: Richard Rickitt
3D Animation Essentials by Andy Beane

Course - Program Learning Outcome Relationship

Course Learning Outcomes

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4

5

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7

8
Program Outcomes
1) By providing both theoretical and practical education, it prepares students for academic and business life.
2) It provides a critical perspective on mass media.
3) With the English curriculum, it allows students to follow the international market and academic studies from original sources.
4) Students will be an expert in front of the camera, behind-the-scenes, news center, light, sound, editing, directing, cinematography, screenwriting.
5) Thanks to the media professionals, the students will be ready for the sector.
6) Acquires production skills such as short and medium films, screenplays, documentaries and TV programs.
7) Have the basic knowledge and experience of image technologies.
8) Thanks to sectoral cooperation, professional business life will be started.
9) Through an applied curriculum, students gain an interdisciplinary perspective on different media studies.
10) With the technical training to be taken in studio environment, students gain experience in the sector.
11) They will have skills such as negotiating with the group, taking initiative.
12) Acquire basic values ​​related to media and business ethics.
13) Follow the developments in the field and communicate with colleagues by using a foreign language at least at the level of European Language Portfolio B1.
14) Students use information and communication technologies together with computer software at the advanced level of European Computer Driving License required by the field.

Course - Learning Outcome Relationship

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Average 3 Highest
       
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) By providing both theoretical and practical education, it prepares students for academic and business life.
2) It provides a critical perspective on mass media.
3) With the English curriculum, it allows students to follow the international market and academic studies from original sources.
4) Students will be an expert in front of the camera, behind-the-scenes, news center, light, sound, editing, directing, cinematography, screenwriting.
5) Thanks to the media professionals, the students will be ready for the sector.
6) Acquires production skills such as short and medium films, screenplays, documentaries and TV programs.
7) Have the basic knowledge and experience of image technologies.
8) Thanks to sectoral cooperation, professional business life will be started.
9) Through an applied curriculum, students gain an interdisciplinary perspective on different media studies.
10) With the technical training to be taken in studio environment, students gain experience in the sector.
11) They will have skills such as negotiating with the group, taking initiative.
12) Acquire basic values ​​related to media and business ethics.
13) Follow the developments in the field and communicate with colleagues by using a foreign language at least at the level of European Language Portfolio B1.
14) Students use information and communication technologies together with computer software at the advanced level of European Computer Driving License required by the field.

Assessment & Grading

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Midterms 1 % 40
Final 1 % 60
total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 40
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 60
total % 100

Workload and ECTS Credit Calculation

Activities Number of Activities Preparation for the Activity Spent for the Activity Itself Completing the Activity Requirements Workload
Course Hours 14 6 2 2 140
Laboratory 24 0 0
Application 24 0 0
Project 1 0 0
Midterms 1 0 0
Final 1 0 0
Total Workload 140