FilmTies: A Web-based Tool for Teaching 3-D Cinematography

College film programs which emphasize production of film provide hands-on practice in skills including i) camera operation to choose and film camera angles and ii) editing available footage to select and order the shots to tell the story. Film programs also incorporate group critique sessions in which students write commentaries on the works of other students. The motivation of the FilmTies application is to enable college film programs to offer more opportunities for practicing key skills of camera composition, editing, and critiques in a collaborative Web-based environment which requires no specialized lab equipment. We propose that film classes adopt the FilmTies system to offer additional practice prior to the more time-consuming and costly exercises using real camera equipment. This paper presents an overview of the FilmTies environment.