Module Information
Module Identifier
FM26520
Module Title
Creative Documentary
Academic Year
2015/2016
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Pre-Requisite
Successful completion of Part 1
Other Staff
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Workshop | 10 x 2 Hour Workshops |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Video Project | 60% |
| Semester Assessment | Written Assignment and Supporting Documentation | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Creative Portfolio including showreel | 60% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Written Assignment and Supporting Documentation | 40% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate a knowledge of, and ability to create, a wide variety of documentary forms.
2. Identify and articulate intended outcomes for a documentary production. These outcomes will focus on: storytelling, visual/editorial styles and appropriate production techniques.
3. Demonstrate technical and logistical competence across single-camera production.
4. Evaluate and assess production work, demonstrating an ability to offer and take constructive criticism.
Brief description
This practical module encourages students to develop crucial creative documentary-production skills and offers an essential introduction to the genre in preparation for the third year module in Documentary Production. As such, it will generate a sense of the very wide variety of documentary styles available: dramatic re-enactments, archive footage, animation, voiceover, sound effects, music, interviews, and observational cinema. The module will culminate in a final project involving the production of a 5 minute creative documentary.
Aims
The module aims to equip students with a strong understanding of the creative problems and possibilities of documentary production as well as knowledge of single-camera techniques.
The module aims to deepen craft skills in camera work and editing practices, as well as developing the roles and responsibilities in order to work effectively and co-operatively as a production team.
The module also aims to raise standards of professionalism in production work, presentations and pitches.
The module aims to deepen craft skills in camera work and editing practices, as well as developing the roles and responsibilities in order to work effectively and co-operatively as a production team.
The module also aims to raise standards of professionalism in production work, presentations and pitches.
Content
Week 1: Introduction to the module, including camera/sound refresher and observation exercise.
Week 2: Interview exercise.
Week 3: Storytelling exercise and how to pitch an idea.
Week 4: Activity exercise, group formation and pitch for final film.
Week 5: Pre-production skills.
Week 6: Group tutorials and preparation report for final film.
Week 7: Filming final film. Group Tutorials
Week 8: Editing final film. Group Tutorials
Week 9: Dubbing and titles for final film. Group Tutorials
Week 10: Final project screenings.
Week 2: Interview exercise.
Week 3: Storytelling exercise and how to pitch an idea.
Week 4: Activity exercise, group formation and pitch for final film.
Week 5: Pre-production skills.
Week 6: Group tutorials and preparation report for final film.
Week 7: Filming final film. Group Tutorials
Week 8: Editing final film. Group Tutorials
Week 9: Dubbing and titles for final film. Group Tutorials
Week 10: Final project screenings.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | The student will develop writing skills in the creation of their scripts. As they are based on teamwork, the workshops will involve high-level communication skills. There will also be discussion of screened work and related topics, along with the critique of students' own scripts. Students will be encouraged to discuss with increasing precision and sophistication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The course will require the critique of all areas of the production work, from direction to editing. Moreover, the course requires that students discuss the work produced at the script stage. The students will be encouraged to adjust their work in response to this assessment. The written assignment/critical essay will evaluate the video piece. |
| Information Technology | Journals, scripts and proposals will be word-processed. Digital Video footage will be edited on a computer using Avid Media Composer. Other applications and computer technologies may well be involved, depending on the student's particular production project. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The students work in professionally-defined roles in workshops and assessed exercises, and therefore gain a sense of professional media production. |
| Problem solving | Students will be presented with opportunities to address a range of directorial and cinematographic problems during the weekly workshops. More specifically, students will consider storytelling, appropriate directing and editing techniques. Furthermore, in producing the work, students will gain experience of solving the particular logistical, budgetary and technical problems involved in production. |
| Research skills | Producing the video work requires research into a wide range of Documentary films, critical-theoretical works, as well as historical, social and cultural materials. Shooting and editing the videos will involve research into the technical systems used in their creation. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Pre-production skills will be developed through the conception and planning of multiple productions. Single-camera production skills will be brought to a higher level. Editing skills will be developed through the postproduction of video work. |
| Team work | The workshop involves group work in the planning and execution of production work. The production of videos will involve very close collaboration. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5