Upcoming dates: Pitches for 4-5 minute short doc due Tuesday next week, March 17.
Breaking news story must be completed and filed by class time on March 24.
The first rough cuts of your docs will be due on Thursday April 2, before we split for spring break.
Final cuts of the short doc will be due Tuesday, May 5.
Your portfolio website, complete with your reel, will be due on Thursday, May 14.
Today’s Discussion:
We’ll look at a selection of short docs for inspiration.
As watch these, I’d like you to pay attention to the following things and make notes so that you can refer to them when we discuss afterward:
Is there music? How is it used? How do you feel about the sound mixing in general?
How would you describe the filmmaker’s shooting style? (For instance, are there lots of slow-mo, lots of handheld shots, lots of close-ups?) What about their editing style? (Frenetic/fast-paced? Clever transitions? Slow/lingering/meditative?)
What is the pacing like? How does it serve the story?
How is the story structured? Are there different scenes/chapters? How many? Are there clear scenes or does it all flow together?
What kind of B-roll is there? Is some of it creative/thematic B-roll, rather than a more literal visual of what is being discussed?
Finally, ask yourself what went into the making of this doc. How do you think the filmmaker got access? How much trust was necessary in order to achieve the sense of intimacy the film conveys? How much time do you think they spent with their subjects? What challenges would they have had to contend with in their audio/mic setup?
https://vimeo.com/129230742?fbclid=IwAR10Dre2bqQs3UyvLb0pU-t1SxDm7Op6_kFPEpxe7kIPL6hOcMi8Y-MwXTg