ARTS 643
The Changing Character of the Documentary Film
Lisa Molomot
| Email: lmolomot@yahoo.com | |
| Course Summary | |
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This course traces the development of the documentary film from the late Nineteenth Century to the present. The goal of the course is to learn critical thinking skills as they relate to nonfiction film. As students learn about the construct of documentary films, they will be able to question what it is they are actually seeing and critique them in class discussions and papers |
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| Methods of Evaluation | |
| Class participation: 30% Mid-term paper: 20% Final paper: 30% Journal assignments: 20% Each week students will write a one-page paper on a specific topic about the film viewed outside of class. The mid-term paper will require students to compare two contemporary documentaries, and for a final project, students will write a mock grant proposal for a documentary they wish to produce. |
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| Course Materials | |
| Students are required to purchase Documentary History of the Non-Fiction Film by Erik Barnouw and The Documentary Tradition by Lewis Jacobs. Students will be required to watch films outside of class. All films are on reserve at the Olin Library. Ask for the videos with the call number to specify that it's a video. Please return all DVD's and videos back to the reserve desk. Films are also available at Best Video in Hamden: (203) 287-9286, through Netflix and at your local video store. They have also been digitized and are available by clicking here. | |
| Attendance Policy | |
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Students are expected to attend all 12 classes. If anyone misses more than 2 classes, they will most likely be unable to pass the course. |
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| Course Schedule | |
| Class 1 |
Introduction to Nonfiction Film |
| Class 2 | Representing Reality and Robert Flaherty Nanook of the North - Flaherty |
| Class 3 | John Grierson, the father of documentary Night Mail - John Grierson |
| Class 4 | Avant Garde films of the 30's The Man with a Movie Camera - Vertov |
| Class 5 | World War II Triumph of the Will - Riefenstahl |
| Class 6 | Postwar documentary and television Night and Fog - Resnais |
| Class 7 | Changes in Technology in the 1960's: Cinema Verite and Direct Cinema Chronicles of a Summer - Rouch High School - Wiseman |
| Class 8 | Ethics Grey Gardens - Maysles MIDD-TERM DUE |
| Class 9 | Documentaries in the 1970's and 80's The Thin Blue Line - Morris Roger and Me - Moore |
| Class 10 | Documentaries in the 1990's: PBS, HBO, Independents 3 Act Structure Fighter - Bar Lev |
| Class 11 | Documentaries Today The challenges of editing a documentary IN CLASS: Companeras |
| Class 12 | Guest Speaker IN CLASS: Printers Inc - Jacob Bricca |
| On Reserve | |
| 1. Workers Emerging From a Factory - Lumiere Brothers 2. Nanook of the North - Flaherty 3. The Man with a Movie Camera - Vertov 4. Rain - Ivens 5. Night Mail - John Grierson 6. Triumph of the Will - Riefenstahl 7. Why We Fight (Series) - Capra 8. Night and Fog - Resnais 9. Chronicles of a Summer - Rouch 10. High School - Wiseman 11. Grey Gardens - Maysles 12. The Thin Blue Line - Morris 13. Roger and Me - Michael Moore 14. Daughter from Danang - Gail Dolgin and Vincente Franco 15. Capturing the Friedmans - Andrew Jarecki 16. Fighter - Bar Lev 17. Blue Vinyl - Judith Helfand 18. Control Room - Jehane Noujaim 19. Spellbound - Jeffrey Blitz 20. Beyond the Border - McGinnis and Palos |
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