Innovative Approaches to First-Person Documentary Filmmaking

Catalog description

What does it look like when a documentary filmmaker uses the medium of cinema in surprising and unconventional ways to convey their own personal experiences? How can students move beyond personal testimony to create moving and visually compelling first-person documentaries about something that happened in their own lives? This collaborative practical course combines creative exercises, film screenings, lectures, and class discussions in a workshop environment in which students will gain a basic knowledge of the documentary filmmaking process while exploring their own cinematic vision and voice. Students will also explore ethical considerations and power relationships in non-fiction filmmaking. During the course of the semester students will research, develop, produce, direct, shoot, and edit their own short first-person documentary (approx 3-5 mins in length). As inspiration, a wide variety of innovative first-person documentary films will be screened and studied throughout the course. Students will be required to write weekly response papers about films screened outside of class, develop a film proposal for their own film idea, engage with readings about film history and technique, complete documentary production assignments, and keep a production journal about the making of their own film. Student work will be given individualized attention during class so participants are expected to engage with the variety of projects being undertaken by their peers and to participate actively in class workshops and discussions. We will screen films by Yance Ford, Agnes Varda, Kirsten Johnson, Judith Helfand, Marlon Riggs, Grace Lee, Angelo Madsen Minax, Sindha Agha, and others.