Course Code: BFMP 3000
Academic Year: 2025-2026
Through lecture and screenings this course introduces the students to the history and theory of documentary and exposes them to the diverse breadth of documentary possibilities. The students also work on developing, writing, shooting and presenting their personal documentary projects with guidance from the professor and classmates. The filmmaker's control of the subject choice, structuring, packaging and pitching of a documentary project is practiced and reviewed. Subject research, story structuring, visualization, and writing narration is undertaken. Planning and practice includes decisions about genre, approach, point-of-view, narrative spectrum and the building and nurturing of vital relationships with subjects. Students develop proposals with accompanying support material and practice their skills at verbal pitching that together constitute a compelling presentation of premise, character, story and style of a documentary film project.