Theoretical and practical reflection on the potentials of film within architecture.

Short Films about Architecture: Analysis and Realization.

This seminar is about what film, as a multifaceted narrative medium, can potentially contribute to an accessible, efficient and challenging communication of architecture. Most of the examples that will be discussed were produced in the last ten years, but we will also go back to the 1930s to discuss a few important precursors. Some of the films were realized as animations, some of them are more commercially oriented, some others more artistic, experimental or didactic. Yet they all have in common that, compared to more conventional animations, their makers have attached great importance to narrative aspects and that their storyline does not remain limited to the architecture in itself, but also includes stories “behind” architecture. Each of our meetings will be a combination of theory and praxis. We will watch and discuss existing short films against the background of various theoretical perspectives on the use of film in architecture and there will be a “hands-on” part during which participants will have the occasion to work individually or in pairs and produce short films themselves, in order to get acquainted with various specific aspects of movie making. Previous experience in movie making is not required.

Place: Seminarraum Architekturtheorie- Wiedner Hauptstr. 7, Stiege 2, 1. Stock, Seminarraum. On 16.10, 30.10, 13.11 and 04.12 from 9:00 until 14:30.

2 Essays (1000 words each) and a short film on an architectural theme to be determined.

TISS und Architekturtheorie, www.a-theory.tuwien.ac.at

Previous experience in movie making is not required.