Introduction to documentary styles, filmmaking, directing, and production management, web promotion, broadcast, and screening. Students will learn the critical production decisions involved in documentary digital video production while producing short films. An overview of production methods such as idea development, research, proposal and scriptwriting, budgeting, and working with cast and crew with innovative collaborative tools. Students will discuss rights clearances, common challenges, and ethical issues. This class may include students from multiple sections.
Course Outcomes
- Articulate problems, challenges, and ethical dilemmas involved in documentary filmmaking, as well as, describe and discuss the range of documentary styles, including expository, observational, interactive, reflexive, and performative documentaries.
- Demonstrate an understanding preproduction process, including idea development, proposal writing, researching, script writing, preparing budgets, planning of interviews and shoots, and media copyright clearance.
- Exhibit an understanding of director’s role and production team’s work in the shooting process by setting up and participating in shoots that require appropriate decisions regarding cinematography, including location choice, camera work, and lighting, sound recording, equipment use, and developing strong interviewing skills.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the director’s role in the post-production process by making appropriate decisions regarding editing, sound, color correction, using software, and transferring the digital media to various formats.
- Collaborate as teams to plan, write, shoot, and edit a short documentary with an emphasis on affecting social change, environmental science, globalization, sustainability, or local oral history, science, or culture.