Time Frames (2024), dir. Ollie Palmer
This course immerses students in the processes and techniques of film-based visual storytelling, whilst introducing students to Oulipian-inspired constrained design processes.
Over the course of ten weeks, students make a series of short films, guided by rules that they create. Over time, both rules and films increase in length and complexity. For the initial films, students are assigned a subject matter, and have to devise a set of rules to shape the film they make. For example, students making a film about gravity might decide that the camera must always be moving downward, or swinging from a pendulum, or can only be made whilst the camera operator is falling over, etc.
The students make a series of these extremely short films both in class and in their own time, then present to, and provide feedback to their peers. This is intended to enable students not to be precious about the presentation of filmic work; the legibility of the rules used to create the films will be more important than the outcome of the films themselves. The films become a visual diary of constrained design processes. It also ensures that there is a substantial body of work (10-15 very short films per student).
Later this same process is expanded; students work in small groups to devise rules, and write, produce, and edit short films of increased length which combine multiple subjects. Students devise a set of rules which will inform every decision they make throughout the scripting, shooting, and editing process.
Throughout the course, students must document their process, present their works-in-progress, and provide feedback to peers about processes used. The course culminates in a public screening party of all films made during the course.
The course is taught via a combination of audio podcasts (which are also transcribed) as well as weekly meetings where students discuss their work and provide feedback to one another.
Anybody is able to listen to the podcasts and access course materials via this website. However, only students of the course at MIVC will have access to the weekly classes, feedback, and catch-up sessions, and be assessed on April 21, 2026.
Formal tuition is taught via podcast, which you can listen to via this website, or subscribe to via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts (or wherever else you listen to podcasts). There are eight weeks of podcasts, with three podcast episodes released per week. Each episode lasts up to 20 minutes, and most activities can be done in real-time whilst you are listening. During weeks 3-4 you will be learning film editing, so it may take you a little longer.
If you are enrolled in the course at MIVC, there are also weekly online meet-ups where we will critique each others' work and discuss the exercises. You will be expected to upload work from the exercises in time for each class. It is a module requirement for MIVC students to attend at least 80% of these meet-ups.
If you're participating from elsewhere, you are free to do exercises whenever it suits you. You could take the course in a short, intensive period, or stretch it over a year.
You are also expected to make one short film per day throughout this course. This may sound like a lot, but each film should only take you a couple of minutes to make. At the end of the course we'll be compiling your 'daily films' into one body of work.
This course is performed in public. All of the exercises we're doing are publicly accessible on this website. Over the period of this course, we will be making films and audio that we will put back into the public domain, so that anybody can use our work (with proper attribution). If for any reason you are uncomfortable with this, please contact the course tutor, Ollie Palmer.
If you are not enrolled at MIVC and would also like to contribute to the public body of work, please contact Ollie.