WELCOME TO ART HISTORY FOR FILMMAKERS

The course, which is a series of 4 workshops held weekly,  will examine the relation of cinema to the history of visual art. Since cinema's earliest days, literary adaptation has provided the movies with stories. But there is another way of looking at film, and that is through its relationship with painting, the oldest of the art forms. Through looking at film clips and art images, the course will cover different ways that images from art are used by filmmakers. We will look at key moments in the development of Western painting, and how these became part of the visual culture from which cinema emerges. As an introduction to art history and the visual aspects of cinema, the course will be useful for active filmmakers, for those who seek to work in cinematography, film design, and also for those who want to gain a different appreciation of cinema. The sessions are structured around a weekly theme, and will include practical, optional take-home exercises. You’ll be encouraged to visit London’s art museums, and to watch at least one film per week at the cinema. Current films will be recommended in class. The course will be led by me, author and filmmaker Gillian McIver. I recently published the first comprehensive study of the film-art relationship,  Art History For Film Makers, Bloomsbury 2016. The book can be used alongside the course. You can get it here or wherever you prefer. [picture credit: still from Girl with a Pearl Earring dir. Peter Webber 2003; Cinematography Eduardo Serra; UK Film Council & Archer Street Productions. The still strongly resembles The Avenue at Middelharnis by Meindert Hobbema. Oil on canvas, 104 × 141 cm. 1689. National Gallery, London ]