Documentary Filmmaking: Negotiating Reality

Content of Course

Day 1

10.00 - 11.30: The ‘creative treatment’ of reality.Lecture/Screening: Documentary film introduction lecture and screening. History of practice and documentary filmmaking today.

11.45 - 13.00: 'Observing' reality. Workshop: Narrative and Cinematography. Introduction to the camera equipment of documentary, composition and filming for narrative techniques.

13.00-14.00: Lunch break.

14.00 - 16.30: Practical Exercise 1: ‘Filming a Process’ observational filming exercise.

Day 2

10.00 - 11.30: Critical class review of practical exercise 1.

11.45 - 13.00: 'The Sound' of reality. Lecture/Screening: The role sound of documentary film.

14.00- 14.30: Workshop: Introduction to microphones, field recording techniques.

14.30 - 16.30: Practical exercise 2: Recording Audio for an Image.

Day 3

10.00 - 11.30: Critical class review of practical exercise 2.

11.45 - 13.00: 'Interacting' with reality. Lecture/screening: The filmmaker and their subject.

14.00 - 14.30: Workshop: preparing for interaction.

14.30 - 16.30: Practical Exercise 3: Interviewing ‘another’ practical exercise.

Day 4

10.00 - 11.30: Critical class review of exercise 3.

11.45 - 13.00: ‘Truth’ and Reality. Workshop/group discussion. Truth and ethics in Documentary Filmmaking.

14.00 - 16.30: ‘Reflecting’ on reality. Lecture/Screening. The filmmaker: influence and subjectivity. Introduction to overnight Exercise 4. Overnight: Practical Exercise 4: Filming a self-portrait.

Day 5

10.00 - 11.30: Critical class review of exercise 4.

11.45 - 13.00: 'Reconstructing' Reality. Editing workshop 1. Introduction to software, options for starting out yourself, and preparing for your first edit.

14.00 - 15:45: Editing workshop 2. Hands on editing exercises 2, working with your footage from the course.

15.45 - 17.00: Concluding presentation: ‘Using what you have learnt’, on moving forward from the workshop and tackling your own film projects.

Teaching method(s)

Lectures, short screenings technical workshops and practical exercises; the class review of practical exercises is aimed to be a comfortable and healthy environment for students to share their practice and discuss them with the other students.

Learning outcomes

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

• Grasp the major practical and theoretical elements in documentary filmmaking;

• Have greater confidence to present work to public audiences and approach the production of a documentary film;

• Understand the challenges that come with representing reality, including ethical considerations;

• Have a greater functional understanding of cinematography, audio recording, editing techniques, equipment and film production stages.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

• Rabieger, M. 2009. Directing the Documentary. Boston : Focal Press

• Cousins, M, & MacDonald, K. 2005. Imagining Reality : The Faber Book of Documentary. London : Faber

Filmography:

Below is a selection of films for each module of the course, they are suggested only and can be viewed in preparation or after the course.

'Truth' and reality.

• Greirson, J., 1929 Drifters. UK

• Herzog, W., 2005 Grizzly Man. USA

• Barnard, C., 2010 The Arbor. UK

'Observing' reality.

• Flaherty, R., 1922 Nanook of the North. USA/France

• Wiseman, F., (1968) High School. USA

'The Sound' of reality.

• Riedelsheimer, T., 2004 Touch the Sound. Germany

• Marker, C., (1962) Sans Soleil. France

'Interacting' with reality.

• Morris, R,. 2003 Fog of war. USA

• Mitic, B., 2008 Goodbye How Are You? Serbia

‘Reflecting’ on reality.

• Broomfield, N., 1988 Driving Me Crazy. UK/Germany

• Varda, A., (2008) Beaches of Agnes. France

Web Sources

http://www.scottishdocinstitute.com

www.tonguetiedfilms.co.uk

Class Handouts

Class handouts will be provided.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.