DIY DOCS

INSTRUCTOR: Usama Alshaibi

SESSION: Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.*
8 weeks, beginning February 7. 2007

TUITION: $425 for 8 week course

DESCRIPTION: An experienced documentary filmmaker walks students through the process of creating a no budget documentary movie.  Topics from finding stories to interview techniques, using release forms, budgeting, fundraising, and finding an audience will be covered.

GOALS: To instruct and inspire beginning filmmakers to find interesting stories and subjects within their immediate reach, and to make effective documentaries about them. To help new doc makers find an audience.

PREREQUISITES: An interest in documentary filmmaking, and access to a video (or film) camera and desktop editing software (iMovie, Vegas, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Avid, etc.).

CURRICULUM:

  1. A brief history - Watch examples and excerpts in class. Students should bring in examples of their favorite documentaries.  Overview of different approaches and styles.  Experimental non-fiction forms will be addressed.
  2. Objective/Subjective  - What is truth?  What is propaganda? How do personal stories fit into a broader social or political narratives?  What are different reasons for making a documentary?
  3. Selecting a story - how do you know if a story or person will make a good subject for a doc?  What opportunities have presented themselves to you?
  4. The interview - techniques, styles, obstacles.  Learn how to listen and what to ask.  How do you make a subject feel more comfortable in front of the lens.
  5. Writing a proposal - each student will write out three brief proposals, pitch to the class, and then focus in on one for the final project
  6. Producing a Doc - a broader discussion of fundraising, production, festival strategies, marketing, and finding distribution for larger projects.
  7. Editing - look at and discuss examples of effective editing.

FINAL PROJECT: Make 3 - 7 minute video to submit to Current TV.  The class will discuss and give in depth critique, and students will get feedback from the Current TV community.

 

ENROLL NOW!

 

* NOTE: When feature length movies are screened, classes may run longer than three hours. Students will have the option of staying late to watch the entire film, or may leave and borrow the DVD/tape at a later date.