NFTS Scotland: Art Department - The Three Key Crafts In Person

In person delivery (subject to government guidelines allowing) with COVID-19 protocols in place
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Delivered over five weekends, this course teaches you three essential crafts required to work in the Film and TV Art Department: Hand Drafting, Model Making and Camera Lens Projections

The course covers:

Hand Drafting - a basic requirement within an Art Department. Understanding its technicalities and craft will develop and improve C.A.D. drawing immeasurably.

Being able to draw by hand and by computer is prerequisite for anyone joining an Art Department.

Model Making - a continuation of the drafting process. It is indispensable in explaining the Designers con­cepts to Producers, Directors, D.o.P’s and everyone involved in the production process.

Camera Lens Projections - a working knowledge of what the camera sees with different lenses and different aspect ratios is fundamental to drafting and designing for the screen.

Through various exercises, you will be able to draw exactly what the camera will see with a specific lens from a given height and distance from the set.

Course Overview:

Hand Drafting

Introduction and showing various examples of drawing and styles

The Plan - how important this is

Elevations and Sections

Line Weight

Details - windows, doors, fireplaces, stairs, etc

Lettering - legibility!

Laying out the page

Model Making

Making a presentation model from the technical drawing

Techniques Used

The use of floating (wild) parts of set

Lens Projection

Essential knowledge

Creation of a set of lens templates for varying lenses and aspect ratios

Tilting the camera up and down and calculating what is seen

How to use lens templates in designing and drafting a location or set build

About the Tutor

This course is led by David McHenry, who is currently working on Ridley Scott's epic about Napoleon. He has previously worked on Neil Gaimans ' The Sandman', and Scotland-based series ‘Outlander’ as a Draughtsman. With over 40 years of industry experience, he has Production Design and Art Direction credits for both feature and television productions, including John Wick 3 and Games of Thrones. He began his career studying Theatre Design at Central School of Art, London and now also teaches as a visiting lecturer at the Norwegian, Swedish and London Film Schools.

His book ‘Drawing the Line, Technical Hand Drafting for Film and Television’ has recently been published and students will receive a copy as part of the course.

Who is this course for?

This course is for those wanting to work in the Art Department or Set Decoration and have an Arts/Design based background.