This course provides students with an overview of the economic foundations and production stages of a documentary or fictional film. Students learn how to draft a production dossier for a film project, whether it is a fiction film, a documentary, or a short film. They gain knowledge of the pitch, synopsis, intention note, and production note; narrative structure or film movement; script structure; a preliminary production schedule covering creation, production, and post-production phases; a projected budget and financing plan; and finally, film distribution.
The course addresses issues of authorship rights and music and image rights. It also analyzes the challenges of film production and distribution, particularly in Switzerland. Through concrete case studies, the course encourages students to reflect on the impact of artistic choices on a film's cost, and vice versa, as well as on the nature of the work and the responsibilities of producers and directors.
By the end of the course, students are able to produce a full production dossier for an audiovisual work.