History in the Visual Mode: Methods and Practices of Documentary Storytelling 2022/23 Fall

Instructors

Oksana Sarkisova and Jeremy Braverman

Course description

The course focuses on representations of contested historical events in documentary cinema and combines theoretical and practical approaches. It aims at introducing students to the basics of analyzing and producing moving images that make use of historical arguments. The theoretical part of the course surveys classical and experimental documentary films and addresses mechanisms of constructing historical narratives by visual means. During class discussions we will analyze the use of first-person testimonies, found footage, and the role of editing and sound design in documentary films as means of storytelling. In the practical component of the course students will learn the basics of camera work and editing and will do group exercises to develop their visual skills. The students will learn to film interviews, work with archival footage, and shoot observational scenes. Working on practical assignments, students are introduced to the basics of project development and organization, learn camera basics and basic post-production techniques. The course aims to develop analytical, rhetorical, visual, as well as a range of practical skills, including collaboration and communication skills. The course introduces students to the basics of visual literacy and develops their critical thinking and ability to design interdisciplinary research projects. 

LIST OF CLASSES

Class 1 – SEPTEMBER 20
Documentary Cinema: A Contested Notion. Films and/in history. 
Class 2 – SEPTEMBER 27
Expectations and conventions. Modes of documentary filmmaking.  
 Class 3 – OCTOBER 4
Documentary production fundamentals: preproduction, organizing structures
Class 4 – OCTOBER 11
Appropriated images: Uses of found footage 
Class 5 – OCTOBER 18
Documentary and Subjectivity.  Filmmaker as Character.
CLASS 6 – OCTOBER 25
Hybrid Genres. Reenactment and the Construction of Realism  
CLASS 7 – NOVEMBER 8
Editing Concepts and Principles. Assign Found Footage exercise
CLASS 8 – NOVEMBER 15
Interview Techniques; assign Final Exercise
CLASS 9 – NOVEMBER 22
Cinematography
CLASS 10 – NOVEMBER 29
View & critique Round 1 exercises
CLASSES 11-12: December 6
View & critique Round 2 exercises