FMSA 312 F001: Core Studio:Rethinking Docs

Documentary forms are constantly changing and inventing new approaches. This studio course will serve as a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of directing and making documentary film + screen art works. Students will explore and experience concept development, research and scripting, production, post-production, and presentation practices. Students will be introduced to a variety of genres and styles within the documentary tradition, which may include creative doc, advocacy for social and political change, personal and autobiographical, historical, film essay, experimental, ethnographic, observational, installation, and gallery-based practices. Teaching methods include screenings and discussions, hands-on workshops, exercises, individual and collaborative projects, and assigned readings exploring a variety of critical, aesthetic, technical, and ethical issues inherent in non-fiction practice. While the focus of the course is primarily on directing to documentary film, students may work on a variety of forms that include photo-roman, sound, media installation, and journalistic writing. Students will have regular critiques and develop a timetable in which their projects must evolve from concept to completion.