Ideas For Successful Documentaries Short Course

About this course

The course examines how documentaries are conceived and shaped, using progressive activities that combine looking, thinking, writing, discussion and filmmaking. Participants explore questions about the filmmaker’s perspective, the relationship between interviews and conversations, and the boundary between documentary and fiction. Practical work includes filming, recording sound and editing, with exercises taking place in and outside the classroom. Group discussion and collaboration are combined with the use of other art forms to stimulate ideas and develop coherent documentary concepts.

What you'll learn

• Generate and shape ideas for documentary films
• Apply documentary approaches through filming, sound recording and editing
• Examine the relationship between interviews, conversations and documentary storytelling
• Reflect on the filmmaker’s perspective and the purpose of a proposed film
• Develop documentary concepts using ideas from other art forms

Is this course right for you?

The course is open to both new and experienced documentary filmmakers, including people working in creative industries who need to make documentaries or want to develop their practice. Participation combines individual reflection with group discussion, collaboration and practical exercises. Technical skills are not essential because the emphasis is on generating and shaping ideas.

• Suitable for learners at different stages of documentary filmmaking experience
• Includes collaborative work and group discussion
• Technical skills are not essential