Documentary Video Boot Camp

This is the resource page for my Documentary Video Boot Camp course. Below you’ll find links to handouts, presentations, and reference materials related to the class.

MPFV225 Documentary Video Boot Camp (1.5 credits)
June 14 through 18, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.MassArt Professional and Continuing Education (note: the class includes an optional editing lab on Thursday evening from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

NOTE: The class is now full with a waiting list, however, I will run the class again during the January Inter-session of 2011. Contact me for more information or go to the MassArt Professional and Continuing Education web site or call [617] 879-7200.

Documentary Video Boot Camp, January 2009, Photo by Anne Marie Stein

A one-week, full-time, immersion for students who want to learn the fundamentals of video documentary in an intimate and focused setting. Participants will develop an understanding of basic shooting techniques, picture composition, sound, lighting, interviewing, and editing with Final Cut. The class will guide students through a series of assignments using traditional, cinéma vérité, and subjective approaches. Through exercises, screening, discussion, and critique, students will be exposed to a range of storytelling, aesthetic, and artistic issues. From artists who want to document their work, to aspiring documentary filmmakers who want to share stories of social reality, this class will provide a strong foundation to build upon. Prior video production experience is helpful, but not required, whether you are a beginner or have some experience, this boot camp will be a good learning experience.

Documentary Project Studio
I also teach Documentary Project Studio which is designed to guide you through the phases of research, planning, production, post-production, and distribution as you reinforce your skills making a complete documentary start to finish. It will be taught next during the Summer of 2010.

Resources

Suggested Readings and Resources (on this site)

• Resources for Documentary Filmmakers
• Notes on the Interview
• Notables of the Noughties: 35 documentary films, 2000-2009
• Sixty-seven excellent documentaries available through Netflix
• Ten Documentary Films
• Suggested DVX100 settings and information links (also applies to DVX100A and DVX100B)
• DVX-100A Gamma Curves Chart
• Interview with David Redmon and Ashley Sabin about Intimidad
• Operation Filmmaker offers crisp angle on subject-filmmaker relationship
• Maria’s Story and its role in the technological history of documentary filmmaking

Suggested Readings and Resources (on other sites)

• Fair Use & Copyright (Center for Social Media, American University School of Communication)
• Interview Basics (Adam Weiss)
• Getting Interviews to Tell the Story (article by Hermine Muskat in New England Film (July, 2007) about the interviews in Remembering John Marshall)

Handouts

• Syllabus (PDF, 115 KB)
• Assignments (PDF, 83 KB)
• Schedule (PDF, 48 KB)
• Interview Lighting (PDF, 19.5 MB)
• Camera Basics, covers DVX100B and includes a technical glossary (PDF, 5.6 MB)
• Documentary Proposal Template (PDF, 46 KB)
• Release Forms (PDF, 85 KB), also available as a zip archive which contains the forms in the form of individual PDF files: DVB-release-forms.zip (207 KB)
• Rule of thirds (printed, not available as a download)
• Wireless Microphones (PDF, 1.4 MB)
• A Brief Introduction to Editing with Final Cut Express, work-in-progress, comments requested (PDF, 3.4 MB)
• Documentary reading list (PDF, 68K)
• One Hundred Documentary Films, suggested viewing, (Revised June 2009, PDF, 184K)

Presentations

• Interview Lighting Presentation (PDF, 105 MB)
• Interview Lighting Presentation Notes (PDF, 392 KB)
• Sound Recording (PDF, 34 MB)
• Sound Recording Presentation Notes, accompaniment to Sound Recording presentation, includes glossary (PDF, 200 KB)
• Art of the Interview (PDF, 12 MB)

Archived Documents (from previous classes)

• Syllabus (from Jan. 4-8, 2010 class, PDF, 83 KB)
• Assignments (from Jan. 4-8, 2010 class, PDF, 114 KB)
• Schedule for the week (from Jan. 4-8, 2010 class, PDF, 46 KB)
• Syllabus (from Jun. 8-12, 2009 class, PDF, 68 KB)
• Assignments (from Jun. 8-12, 2009 class, PDF, 76KB)
• Syllabus (from Jan. 12-16, 2009 class, PDF, 81 KB)
• Assignments (from Jan. 12-16, 2009 class, PDF, 65 KB)

* These document are in the process of being completed, check with me for when they will be available.

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