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    Documentary Filmmaking

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    kaiser
    Students will learn practical skills like interview and observation techniques, and conceptual skills like narrative structure and story construction. They will analyze existing documentaries and produce their own 5-8 minute documentary. Assessment includes class participation, a photo essay, a film critique, a project proposal, an interview project, and a final documentary project. The course covers documentary history, styles, ethics, production process, and realism. Screenings of example films complement weekly topics.

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    Documentary Filmmaking

    Uploaded by

    kaiser
    158 views5 pages
    Students will learn practical skills like interview and observation techniques, and conceptual skills like narrative structure and story construction. They will analyze existing documentaries and produce their own 5-8 minute documentary. Assessment includes class participation, a photo essay, a film critique, a project proposal, an interview project, and a final documentary project. The course covers documentary history, styles, ethics, production process, and realism. Screenings of example films complement weekly topics.

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    its course outline for documentary filmmaking

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    Documentary filmmaking

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    Students will learn practical skills like interview and observation techniques, and conceptual skills like narrative structure and story construction. They will analyze existing documentaries and produce their own 5-8 minute documentary. Assessment includes class participation, a photo essay, a film critique, a project proposal, an interview project, and a final documentary project. The course covers documentary history, styles, ethics, production process, and realism. Screenings of example films complement weekly topics.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    158 views5 pages

    Documentary Filmmaking

    Uploaded by

    kaiser
    Students will learn practical skills like interview and observation techniques, and conceptual skills like narrative structure and story construction. They will analyze existing documentaries and produce their own 5-8 minute documentary. Assessment includes class participation, a photo essay, a film critique, a project proposal, an interview project, and a final documentary project. The course covers documentary history, styles, ethics, production process, and realism. Screenings of example films complement weekly topics.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    The key takeaways from the course are that students will learn documentary production processes from concept to post-production, critically analyze various documentary styles, and complete a 5-8 minute documentary film.

    The main elements covered in the course include documentary storytelling concepts, different documentary types and modes, proposal development, pre-production planning, editing techniques, and documentaries focusing on social/political issues.

    The course will analyze documentary films representing different styles like cinema verite, observational, biographical and propaganda documentaries. Films like Nanook of the North, Drifters, The Thin Blue Line, and Amy will be screened and discussed.

    Documentary Film-making

    Course instructor: Qaiser Rafiq

    Email: ([email protected])

    Course description

    This course is designed to give students an introduction to the practical consideration of making a
    documentary film as well as exposure to various types of documentary styles and subject matter.
    Elements of training will include interview techniques, observation exercises, learning story
    construction, narrative structure and film editing. The course will explore the process from concept
    through development to production and post-production with the intention of completing one film in
    length from 5 to 8 minutes. To complement the process we will critically analyze a variety of
    documentary films and also discuss their attributes.

    Learning outcomes

    Understanding documentary production in its social and historical context

    Be able to critically evaluate and understand how it communicates meaning

    Be able to produce a documentary film, making informed decision at every stage of production

    Course assessment

    The assessment will be based on the following requirements:

    Attendance and participation 10%

    Photo essay 10%

    1000 words film critique 10%

    Proposal presentation 10%

    Interview project 20%

    Final project 40%


    Course Elements:

    Week 1

    Course introduction

    General discussion of “what is documentary” and Basic concepts in documentary storytelling

    Screening: - Nanook of the north by Robert Flaherty 1922

    Assignment: students will be asked to come up with ideas.

    Week 2

    Documentary types and modes

    Screening: Drifters by John Grierson, 1930- Night Mail by Harry Watt and Basil Wright,1936

    Coal face by Alberto Cavalcanti 1935- Waiting for fidel by Rubbo 1974

    Assignment: photo essay: thematic and narrative

    Week 3

    Proposal development

    Treatment, synopsis and composition

    Each student will submit a three to four page proposal for a documentary topic of their choice

    Week 4

    Constructing a documentary, narrative non-narrative films

    Interview techniques, How to conduct an interview.


    Screening: Man with a movie camera by Dziga Vertov

    Week 5

    Pre-production presentation

    Story development

    Each student/group will present their research and plans for characters and sequences. Students should
    be able to discuss the feasibility of the plans and demonstrate pre-production planning including
    location surveys. (Recce)

    Week 6

    Reality and representation” The truthfulness of documentary things”

    Screening: The thin blue line by Errol Morris, 1988- super size me by Morgan Spurlock. 2004

    Assignment: 1000 words film critique

    Week 7

    Documentary’s ethical and aesthetic dilemmas

    Screening: - sacrifice by Andrei Tarkovsky- Grey garden by Albert Maysles’s 1975

    Week 8

    Interview project

    Midterm (students are required to present an interview with creative treatment)


    Week 9

    Documentary & realism. Major realist film theorists

    Character development

    Screening: Nobody’s business by Alan Berliner,1996

    Week 10

    Cinema-verite, observational cinema

    A discussion of “Direct Cinema” in the 1960s

    Screening: Titicut Follies by Fred Wiseman 1967- salesman by David and Albert Maysles 1969

    Week 11

    Social, political and propaganda documentaries

    Screening: sicko by Michael Moore, 2007- The Square by Jehane Noujaim, 2013

    Week 12

    Editing concepts and techniques in documentary films

    Screening: Amy by Asif Kapadia, 2015- Diego Maradona, 2019

    Week 13

    Biographical documentaries

    Screening: others will love the things I loved by Manuel Mozos, 2014
    The look of silence by Joshua Oppenheimer, 2014

    Week 14

    Documentary association of Pakistan

    Documentaries that highlights challenges faced by Pakistanis

    Screening: drone by Tonje Hessen schei, Every last child by Tom Robert’s

    Made in by Pakistan by Nasir Khan, A Girl in the river by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    Pakistan’s hidden shame & Among the believers by Mohammad Naqvi

    Week 15

    Final review of all projects, closing remarks

    Week 16

    Final – screening for whole semester

    Screenings

    Film screening and assignment screening discussions are an integral part of the course participation
    grade. Selected films will be analyzed for specific conceptual and stylistic choices. We will apply the
    same standards to the analysis of group projects. Be open to be challenged and honest as there will be
    differing ideas and points of view expressed. These discussions are important in the development of
    your ability to collaborate.

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