Documentary Filmmaking

AY2019/2020 Semester 1

Consisting of a series of lectures, film viewings and workshops, Documentary Filmmaking explores the different t genres and practices of the cinematic non-fiction film form. The course covers a brief history and theory of the documentary as political propaganda, investigative essay, personal journal, and cinema verite observation, through the study of documentary auteurs. You will develop an understanding of the ethical precepts, as well as an appreciation of the aesthetics and intellectual rigour of the documentary form. Through practice, you will be exposed to the fundamentals of documentary filmmaking. The course seeks to develop your ability to identify, conceptualise and research a topic, negotiate access to characters or events, manage a production through efficient budgeting and scheduling, and create a short non-fiction cinematic narrative with coherent artistic vision and intellectual purpose. Assessment will take the form of: Documentary Film project Working in groups of 2, teams will write, shoot, direct and edit a video documentary. You may shoot no more than 60 minutes of video per group and the finished films should be 4-6 minutes long, complete with titles and credits. Includes oral pitches. The films are to submitted as self-contained MOV files. Continuous Assessment Continuous assessment components include both written and studio-based exercises.