La Voz

Issue date: 4/24/06 Section: Features

Media Credit: Mariya Kisina A De Anza College student takes notes from a cinematography lecture during his Introduction to Film class, also know as F/TV 1 or ELIT 1. The instructor is Susan Tavernetti. The class meets on Thursdays from 2:15 to 5 p.m. Besides learning about film techniques, it also analyzes works of film art.

Sunday, May 7, 2006; Posted: 6:00 p.m. PDT


At approximately 5 p.m. on April 27, 30 students were watching "Solo," a short film exploring the theme of man versus nature. The course: Introduction to Film. The instructor: Susan Tavernetti.

But their task entails more than sitting. They must be thinking about every part of the film. This includes points of view and dramatic structure which they discuss with the teacher after the film.

During the movie, Tavernetti prompts her class to understand reasons for a cinematographer's choice of colors, angles, movement and framing.

"What is the significance of the red hat?" asks Tavernetti. At one point, the audience is in awe when the climber drops his belay peg. With the instructor's aid, students learn that tension was created effectively when the peg dropped and four different shots of the climber are used.

Then the class discusses how the climax builds and what ideas the film reinforces. Tavernetti makes an insight that since the viewer notices that he/she acts as the cameraman for the brave climber, the climber is not alone facing the mountain.

Tavernetti said that her students sometimes work as groups or individually to investigate important elements of films before having a class discussion. The students watch three to four visual works per class. On this day, they saw "The Hire" film short, "Solo," a portion from "The Matrix" and more. Tavernetti said her class is exposed to different media such as documentaries and commercials.

The instructor said her class is for all students of any major.

"The visual media is so much a part of our lives ... to become media literate is something that everyone should learn about," Tavernetti said. The aim of the class is analysis of film so that students apply what they learn to what they see.

Tavernetti said the course is more about important elements of film rather than filmmakers or technological details.

Tavernetti said people tell her after completing her class that they will never see a film the same way again.

"Instead of being bored [during a bad movie], people can analyze what is not working and why," explains Tavernetti.

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