Syllabus Details

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An introduction to the theory and practice of documentary filmmaking. We will explore theory: How do documentaries work? How do they represent the world? What makes for good documentary? What are the ethics of documentary filmmaking? And practice: How do we make our own documentaries? How can we capture engaging video? Good sound? How can we tell compelling (real) stories in film?

This course is listed in the History department and we will take up important questions of historical representation. It is also cross-listed in Global, Media and Digital Studies and the Digital & Visual Storytelling Pathway. It is open to students with no prior training in filmmaking. As part of the course students will conceive and produce their own documentaries. If you have a video project in progress, you are invited to integrate it into the work of the course.

We’ll meet on Thursday afternoons in a workshop format, with a mix of short lectures, video clips, discussions, and hands-on work.

A half-credit course, we will meet from the start of the semester through week 8.

STUDENT LEARNING GOALS

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • critically analyze documentaries, using the language of documentary film analysis and reference to important documentaries
  • explain the processes of documentary filmmaking, using the language of documentary filmmaking
  • plan and execute a documentary project

COURSE WEBSITES

The full syllabus, up-to-date course schedule, and many details are available on the Voices website: https://documentaryfilmmaking.voices.wooster.edu

We will use Moodle—at https://moodle.wooster.edu—to distribute course announcements, readings, and to track grades.

COURSE MATERIALS

There are no required books or films for purchase. We will read short excerpts from a few well-known texts and online resources. Many additional readings are available on Moodle.

The most important text for this class is Nancy Kalow’s free Visual Storytelling: The Digital Video Documentary (2011), available in our Moodle readings folder. It is dated in many ways but provides an excellent overview of the principles of documentary filmmaking.

We’ll watch many short video clips on documentary filmmaking along the way – and will always be on the lookout for helpful examples and tutorials.

EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE

We will complete many assignments using our smartphones or personal cameras. I’ll also introduce you to some of the professional equipment available through the Department of History and the Library. For those who have experience, we have some advanced cameras available.

For video editing software, we will start with iMovie to provide students with an introduction to the basic principles of non-linear editing. We’ll discuss alternative software and I’ll provide alternatives for students ready to move on to a more professional standard, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

ASSIGNMENTS & GRADES

  • Engaged attendance, active participation, and professionalism (20% of final grade)
  • Weekly Assignments (50%)
    • Documentary pitch
    • Four short video shooting/editing exercises
    • Short presentation on a documentary film
  • Final Project – Short Documentary (15%)
  • Final Exam (15%)

CLASS EXPECTATIONS & POLICIES

  • I do not expect that you are masters of videography and filmmaking. If you do bring experience in making films, that is great, but none is required for success in this course.
  • I have high expectations for attendance. I expect that you will be ready at the start of class, you won’t come in late, and you won’t miss class except when there is something unavoidable – and then that you will let me know promptly and do work to make up for your absence.
  • I put a high premium on class engagement. Toward that end, please silence and turn off notifications on all electronic devices before you enter the classroom – and put away phones and laptops before class begins. There will be many times when we use our phones and our laptops in the classroom, but our attention should be on our work together. If you are on your phone during class without permission, you will be counted absent for the day.
  • Regarding attendance: we only meet 8 times during the semester. Missing more than one class will hurt your grade. If you absolutely must miss more than one class (because of illness or other avoidable issues), please come to office hours to discuss making up for your absence. Coming to class late, leaving during class sessions, or otherwise being a distraction will count as the equivalent of 1/2 an absence.
  • My goal is to hear from everyone in class as often as possible. Toward that end, I will sometimes call on students and ask you for your thoughts. You can always pass or ask me to come back to you. If this is the source of anxiety, please talk to me and we can find an alternative way for you to answer questions and join in class conversations.
  • Regarding workload. Video production is time-consuming! We will do some work in our Thursday afternoon workshops, but you will also need to block out time during the week to do the work of this course.
  • Grades. For the weekly assignments I give you a score of 8 out of 10 (equivalent to a B) simply for completing the assignment as required and on time. I give additional credit for work that shows extra effort and/or creative engagement.
  • Flexibility. I understand that life can be complicated – and you are learning to manage complex responsibilities. Toward that end, I’ll give you one free pass – a 72-hour extension with no questions asked for any assignment except for the final documentary film submission and the final exam. Please just contact me before the assignment is due to say you would like to use your free pass.
  • If these guidelines and expectations might be difficult for you, please let me know immediately.