Syllabus
Course Name : TFI Documentary/Experimental Filmmaking
12 Weeks, Begins Sept. 15, 2003, Mondays, 3:30-6 p.m.
Instructor: James Lujan
Office Hours: By Appointment
Contact: 751-3380, jameslujan@yahoo.com
Textbook(s): Suggested: Documentary: A History of the Non-Fiction Film by Erik Barnouw, Film as a Subversive Art by Amos Vogel.
Course Description:
Documentary/Experimental Filmmaking is an exploration of nonfiction, non-narrative, personal filmmaking. This beginner’s-level course, offered by the Taos Filmmakers Initiative, will be a hands-on experience where students learn by doing. The instructor and other students will provide support, feedback and criticism, but most of what each student will learn will be through the process of conceiving, researching, directing, shooting and editing their own projects. Following the completion of the course, the short video films will receive a TFI-UNM public screening.
Course Objectives:
1) To introduce students with little or no production experience to basic video production techniques.
2) To guide students in the production of 1-2 minute video projects which utilize the documentary or experimental styles of nonfiction, non-narrative film.
3) To develop the ability of students to visualize ideas and communicate to an audience with images that will effect them intellectually and emotionally.
4) To provide students with a working environment where they can become familiar with the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process.
5) To help create an understanding of the ethical and artistic responsibilities incumbent upon a filmmaker when putting forth his or her vision of the world.
Expectations:
You are not expected to be brilliant or to win film festival awards. But you are expected to conceive a project that you care about and reflects your vision of the world. You will also be expected to provide constructive feedback to your classmates so that we can create an environment where we’re not afraid to experiment and try new things. Though you will be making personal films, you will be expected to be responsive and open to the suggestions of others. If this sounds like a contradiction, it is, but learning to deal with feedback, particularly when you can adapt and change things, is a critical part of a filmmaker’s growth and development. There will be little “homework” in the traditional sense, but students will be expected to spend long hours outside of class working on their own film projects or assisting other students on theirs. Depending on the complexity and demands of any given video project, some projects may demand more time than others. Students also may find it necessary to spend extra money on their projects for production and postproduction, beyond tuition and lab fees, to ensure the project’s successful execution. This is not a requirement, however, and is solely at the students’ discretion. Finally, because TFI is trying to create a safe, collaborative environment for creative expression, students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and responsible manner at all times both in class and outside of class, especially if interacting with members of the community du ring the production of the film projects. Please no cell phones or Walkmans in class.
Course Requirements:
· Each student must complete a 1-2 minute documentary or experimental short video project.
· Each student must write a weekly production report chronicling the making of his/her film from concept to completion.
· Each student must serve on a crew position in a video project directed by someone else.
· Students must make all deadlines.
· All students must sign a waiver holding TFI and UNM-Taos harmless against all liability in the event of property damage or bodily injuries sustained while shooting.
· The director of each project must compile a production notebook which is due upon completion of the video. The following materials are typically included in a production notebook:
1) Copies of each draft of treatment/script of the project.
2) Interview questions if relevant.
3) Storyboards if relevant
4) Any legal releases or pre-production materials such as shooting permits, location releases and likeness and physical reproduction releases for interview subjects.
5) A shooting schedule.
6) Camera reports/shooting logs.
7) Editing logs.
8) Sound logs/sound mix sheets.
9) Copies of production photos, if any.
10) Copies of 12 weekly production reports
· For the final class, students will be asked to appear before camera to talk about their experiences making the short films.
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