Welcome to Film & Video Production at AHS
Built on a foundation of filmmaking and advertising theory, program students gain the skills and experience to produce an array of creative projects (e.g., commercial promos, movie trailers, music videos, and fictional narratives), all while working with industry standard HD video cameras, professional microphones, sound recording and lighting equipment, and project management and media production software.
In today’s class, we analyzed a scene from Taika Waititi’s 2019 film, Jojo Rabbit, where Stephen Merchant’s character, Captain Herman Klenzendorf, arrives to inspect Jojo’s home. The resulting scene showcases Waititi’s use of context and tone to build a subtle tension that builds rapidly with each character beat. In the events before the scene unfolds, Jojo has recently discovered that his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), is secretly harboring a young Jewish girl, Elsa Korr, in the family’s attic. Jojo is grappling with this discovery, torn between his ingrained Nazi beliefs and the reality of Elsa as a person. He’s been … Read more
May 6, 2025
Focus on Title Sequences
Jeremy Towsey-French
As students finalize their first advertising project this week, we’re peppering their work with discussions on film trailers and the technical aspects of title sequences –including some additional discussion on using Adobe After Effects to build simple sequences in Premier Pro. With that, it’s important to consider just what makes great titles. Exceptional title sequences transcend their functional purpose of displaying credits, evolving into an integral part of the cinematic experience by actively shaping the audience’s initial perception and understanding of the film. A hallmark of a great title sequence is its ability to immediately establish the film’s atmosphere and genre. Through deliberate visual choices, such as color palettes, textures, and motion graphics, the sequence can evoke feelings of suspense, romance, dread, or excitement, effectively preparing the viewer for the emotional landscape of the story to come. Moreover, the thoughtful selection and integration of music play a pivotal role, often … Read more
May 2, 2025
Trailers in Transition
Jeremy Towsey-French
In today’s class, we highlighted some of key differences in trailer design and intent, comparing methods from the 1980s with current methods. We first reviewed the trailer for Top Gun (1986), which showed a straightforward presentation of the film’s narrative, including a clear establishment of the characters (Maverick, Iceman, etc.), the setting (the elite fighter pilot school), and the central conflict (competition, achieving greatness). Music was featured throughout and was indicative of the soundtrack, but not the specific top-40 songs from the film. The editing was paced to build excitement but with a more gradual rhythm than today’s trailers. We then compared this to the trailer for Black Bag (2025), which employs a more rapid and fragmented style. This includes modern signature styles like quick cuts, emphasizing intense moments that create a sense of urgency. The music was more dramatic and impactful, using a blend of modern scoring techniques and a sound effect-manipulated version … Read more
