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.

Documentary Video Boot Camp will be offered next on January 9-13, 2012 (Mon. through Fri., 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., contact me for more information or get in touch with MassArt Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) at 617.879.7200 to register for the class. Or visit the PCE Winter 2012 Intersession page to register online. Early registration is recommended since historically the class fills every time it’s taught.

MPFV225 Documentary Video Boot Camp (1.5 credits)
January 9 through 13, 2012, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Note: the class includes an optional editing lab on Thursday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

This page, handouts, and associated materials were most recently updated for the Documentary Video Boot Camp offered in June 2011, it will be updated for the January 2012 class prior to the start of class.

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.

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
• 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 (link goes live on the first day of the January 2012 class, see the Archive Section below to review syllabus of previous classes)
• Schedule (link goes live on the first day of the January 2012 class, see the Archive Section below to review syllabus of previous classes)
• Assignments (link goes live on the first day of the January 2012 class, see the Archive Section below to review syllabus of previous classes)
• Interview Lighting (PDF, 19.5 MB)
• Camera Basics (link goes live on the first day of the January 2012 class, see the Archive Section below to review the camera documents of previous classes)
• 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)
• Editing the Documentary (PDF, 138 KB)
• 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 (PDF, for June 2011 class, will be updated prior to start of January 2012 class)
• Schedule (PDF for June 2011 class, will be updated prior to start of January 2012 class)
• Assignments (PDF for June 2011 class, will be updated prior to start of January 2012 class)
• Syllabus (from June, 2010 class, PDF, 115 KB)
• Assignments (rom June, 2010 class, PDF, 83 KB)
• Schedule (from June, 2010 class, PDF, 48 KB)
• Syllabus (from Jan, 2010 class, PDF, 83 KB)
• Assignments (from January, 2010 class, PDF, 114 KB)
• Schedule for the week (from January, 2010 class, PDF, 46 KB)
• Syllabus (from June, 2009 class, PDF, 68 KB)
• Assignments (from June, 2009 class, PDF, 76KB)
• Syllabus (from January, 2009 class, PDF, 81 KB)
• Assignments (from January, 2009 class, PDF, 65 KB)
• Camera Basics, covers DVX100B and includes a technical glossary, PDF, 5.6 MB (Legacy link, we no longer use the DVX100)
• Suggested DVX100 settings and information links, also applies to DVX100A and DVX100B (Legacy link, we no longer use the DVX100)
• DVX-100A Gamma Curves Chart (Legacy link, we no longer use the DVX100)

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

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