For this area of the course, students are required to explore various film production roles through engagement with all phases of the filmmaking process. The development of film production skills is a complex process that requires creativity, imagination and problem-solving skills, as well as meticulous organizational and analytical skills. It almost always involves close collaboration with others and can demand a scrupulous attention to detail and a willingness to persevere. 

Students should learn the overall structure of filmmaking, the formulation of filmmaking intentions, the skills, responsibilities and professional expectations associated with each film production role and the nature of the relationships in a production team. Students should be encouraged to work in a variety of film production roles to enable them to explore their skills and aptitudes in different fields. 

It is intended that the work undertaken within this core syllabus will not only inform the approach students take for the film portfolio assessment task, but also provide much of the material required to complete the assessment task. Therefore, students must begin retaining and collating work from day one of the course to ensure they have enough material to fulfill the formal requirements of the task. 

Film production roles

For the purposes of the DP film course, students are required to experience working in a variety of film 

production roles. These roles are as follows: 

• Cinematographer—responsible for the camera and for achieving the artistic and technical decisions related to the framed image. 

• Director—responsible for the artistic and logistic aspects of the production, visualizing the script and guiding the other individuals involved in the film in order to fulfill their artistic vision. 

• Editor—responsible for assembling the raw footage, selecting shots and constructing the film in order to meet the artistic vision for the film. 

• Sound—responsible for capturing, creating, sourcing and assembling the audio elements of the film. 

• Writer—responsible for writing the screenplay, for updating the script during production and for supporting others in realizing the artistic intentions for the film. 

• One other clearly defined film production role not specified above (see below). 

• The intention of the optional “one other clearly defined film production role” is to ensure that as new technologies emerge over time, centers that become equipped with appropriate film technologies and expertise can incorporate them into their film courses to further broaden the production experiences of their candidates. This may be any role deemed a creative role within the filmmaking process such as animator, art director, costume designer, production designer, production illustrator or special effects. 

Filmmaker intentions 

For the purposes of the DP film course, filmmaker intentions are specific aims that students formulate in order to guide their work in each chosen film production role. These intentions are likely to arise from exposure to influences from films and filmmakers, and should be used to lead the practical exploration and experimentation in each film production role. Filmmaker intentions should be authentic and meaningful personal goals that the student is passionate about fulfilling. 

• These intentions could be as simple as developing a new skill or attempting a specific technique in their production work (such as creating a silhouette as a cinematographer or using a mask to create the effect of binoculars as editor) or might be more abstract, attempting to create work that echoes a recognizable film style or the creation of a particular mood through their filmmaking work (such as the photographic feel of Grapes of Wrath [1940] or the use of photographic stills seen in Run Lola Run [1998]). 

• Students may or may not necessarily fulfill their stated filmmaker intentions in their production work, and they should be encouraged to reflect on the process of learning in this area. This work goes to the heart of the IB learner profile and requires students to approach their learning with forethought, independence and a willingness to fail and try again. This is the very essence of being a risk-taker. Students are bound to come across successes and challenges in equal measure as they attempt to fulfill their filmmaker intentions. It is important that, from the outset, students perceive the value of failure as part of their process of learning in this work. 

Students will engage with various film texts, seeking influence and inspiration in order to guide their own production work. Students should research a variety of film production roles and acquire an understanding of industry practices and essential skills required for a minimum of three roles. They should have experience of examining their own personal interests and inspirations in order to identify filmmaker intentions. 

Students will acquire, develop and apply practical filmmaking skills and techniques, in a variety of forms and a minimum of three film production roles. Students should experience working both individually and collaboratively as creative risk-takers on a variety of filmmaking exercises and experiments in order to fulfill their filmmaker intentions. They should have experience of collaborating to create at least one completed film, working in one film production role. 

Students will reflect on their acquisition of skills and chart their learning in a variety of film production roles. Students should be able to reflect on the successes and challenges of their exercises, experiments and complete films, evaluating the impact this work has had on them as a filmmaker and the extent to which their filmmaker intentions were fulfilled. They should have experience of collating evidence of their explorations in a portfolio, presenting work in both visual and written forms.