Syllabus

The Documentary Experience: A Video Approach, PPS 105S
Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:10, Lyndhurst 007, & 7:00 – 10:00, Lyndhurst 001,
Center for Documentary Studies, 1317 West Pettigrew Street

Gary Hawkins, Instructor, roughsouth@usa.net
Office Hours, Wednesdays, Noon – 1:00, or by appointment.

Wil Weldon, T.A., wil@duke.edu / Office hours: Tuesdays, 2 :00- 3:30, or by appointment.

Equipment checkout is on Wednesday nights after class.

Textbooks: (Suggested reading. Handouts are required reading. Note: Handouts serve to prep discussions the following week.)

Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming and Editing Documentaries of Real Events by Barry Hampe.

Writing, Directing and Producing Documentary Films and Videos by Alan Rosenthal.

Introduction to Documentary by Bill Nichols.

Writing For Story by Jon Franklin.

Working by Studs Turkel.

Note: The Class Calendar is subject to change. Rely on announcements as well as the syllabus.

WEEK ONE

Wednesday, August 27th

1:30 – 3:10 ELEMENTS OF THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
What is “Character”? What is Cinema Verite? What defines “documentary” vs. the fiction method of filmmaking? What constitutes a good interview?

Discuss project parameters.

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
The Rough South of Larry Brown, Hawkins
The Rough South of Harry Crews, Hawkins

ASSIGNMENT: Put a camera on an “interesting person” and conduct an interview. This person cannot be a Duke student or an employee of the University. Please restrict interviews to the Triangle. Cue your tape to the most interesting section and bring it in Week 3.

7:00 – 10:00 SAMPLE INTERVIEW

BUSINESS: Form partnerships.

Participate in a sample interview and learn terms – focus, depth of field, unidirectional mic settings, diffuse lighting setups, CU, ECU, MCU, hand held photography, two-shots and lookspace. Introduction to the Sony XV cameras.

Cameras, tapes and tripods distributed.

WEEK TWO

Wednesday, Sept. 3rd

1:30 – 3:10 FICTION VS. NONFICTION
What is “pure cinema” beyond the genres? How is effective fiction filmmaking achieved, and are the techniques for achieving it applicable to nonfiction filmmaking?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
The Circus, Chaplain
Seven Chances, Keaton
The Rough South of Larry Brown, Hawkins
The Four Horsemen, Ingram
Notorious, Hitchcock
Roger and Me, Moore
The Wrong Trousers, Park
Psycho, Hitchcock
Don’t Look Back, Pennebaker
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, Morris
Salesman, Maysles Brothers

HANDOUTS: Stalking the True Short Story
from Jon Franklin’s Writing for Story

7:00 – 10:00 Sony Camera demonstration and prep.

WEEK THREE

Wednesday, Sept. 10th

1:30 – 3:10 STORY FORM
How does complication and resolution achieve “story”? What are elements of the modern popular story? What are the popular genres? Is nonfiction a storytelling genre or something else?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Pulp Fiction, Tarantino
The Thin Blue Line, Morris
Waco: The Rules of Engagement, Gazecki
Great Chefs of the World - TLC

HANDOUTS: The Unity of Opposites from The Art of Dramatic Writing
by Laos Egri.

7:00 – 10:00 “Interesting Person” interviews are will be screened. Don’t forget to cue your tapes.

BUSINESS: Review Sonys for bugs in the operation.

Introduction to the edit suite.

ASSIGNMENT: Re-write project proposals based on what you’ve learned so far, and on potentially new subjects you’ve met. Due Week 4.

“Spaghetti”. Shoot and cut a brief (less than five minutes) preparation of a spaghetti dinner. Signs, dialogue and voice-over cannot be used. This is a visual exercise. Assignments are due Week Five.

SIGN-UP for FINAL CUT PRO training sessions with
Wil Weldon.

WEEK FOUR

Wednesday, Sept. 17th

1:30 – 3:10 ARGUMENT BY JUXTAPOSITION
How does the filmmaker advance his meaning by
juxtaposing facts? When does a filmmaker “cheat”?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Hearts and Minds, Davis
Roger and Me, Moore

HANDOUTS: Clarity & Narrative Drive from How to Write a Mystery
by Larry Beinhart.

7:00 – 10:00 Revised proposals due.
Exercises in scene coverage.

WEEK FIVE

Wednesday, Sept. 24th

1:30 – 3:10 THE CONTEST 1: DEEPENING CHARACTER THROUGH NARRATIVE DRIVE
What is “narrative” and how does it manifest in nonfiction filmmaking? What are the three methods of generating narrative drive? What constitutes a fast paced or slow paced film?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Pumping Iron, Butler, Fiore
When We Were Kings, Gast
Hands on a Hard Body, S.R. Bindler

7:00 – 10:00 View & Discuss “Spaghetti” films.

BUSINESS: Note: By this date students should be clear and committed to a single subject for their ten-minute film.

Introduction to techniques for organizing material.

ASSIGNMENT: Show five uninterrupted minutes of your subject interacting with the environment or with other people. The interaction should indicate something important about your subject. Due Week Seven.

Write a treatment for your ten-minute film. Due Week Seven.

WEEK SIX

Wednesday, Oct. 1st

1:30 – 3:10 SENSE OF PLACE
How is Place defined by a character’s action, and how is a character defined by his behavior in a Place?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Vernon, Fla., Morris
Unpromised Land, Bunuel
Shoah, Lanzmann
Microcosmos, Nuridsany and Perernnou

HANDOUTS: Point of View from Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics
by Michael Rabiger.

7:00 – 10:00 View and Discuss Remaining Cuts of “Spaghetti.”
Further discussion of Final Cut Pro edit systems.

WEEK SEVEN

Wednesday, Oct. 8th

1:30 – 3:10 INSIDE, OUTSIDE, BEHIND: PERSON, P.O.V. & THE DIRECTOR’S VOICE
How does camera placement achieve “voice” and “person”? Who doles out the information anyway? When does journalism lapse into opinion?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Sherman’s March, McElwee
Why I Don’t Hate Las Vegas Anymore, Zahedi
Crumb, Zwigoff
Mr. Death, Morris
Man and Dog, Benson
The Dancing Outlaw, Young

HANDOUTS: The Secret Language of Film by Jean Claude Carriere

7:00 – 10:00 View interaction exercises.

ASSIGNMENTS: Bring in three minutes of material that might be cut together to create one scene in your film. Be prepared to share your approach with the class in terms of choices made about character, location, activities engaged in, editing technique, etc.

TREATMENTS DUE.

WEEK EIGHT

Wednesday, Oct. 15th

1:30 – 3:10 THE CONTEST 2: DEEPENING CHARACTER THROUGH
CONFLICT & TENSION
What is the nature of conflict in nonfiction filmmaking? What is “ping pong” editing, and what are the alternatives?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Harlan County, U.S. A., Kopple
Grey Gardens, Maysles Brothers
The Dancing Outlaw, Young

HANDOUTS: Stories, Imperfect and Impossible by Thomas Moore

7:00 – 10:00 Group discussion of projects, troubleshooting problems, etc.

ASSIGNMENT: Edit one scene of your film (2-3 minutes) and present it to class.
Editing Exercise, due March 10th.

WEEK NINE

Wednesday, Oct. 22nd

1:30 – 3:10 HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARIES & ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE
What is the Role of the Narrator in nonfiction filmmaking? When and where is an “unreliable narrator” most valuable? How is archival footage obtained? How do alternative soundtracks counterpoint or contradict the visuals?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
Coney Island, Burns
Crossroads on a Hill, Hawkins
The Atomic Café, Loader, Rafferty
The Sweetest Sound, Berliner

7:00 – 10:00 VIEW & DISCUSS EDITED SCENES

WEEK TEN

Wednesday, Oct. 29th

1:30 – 3:10 ODD HYBRIDS
When do documentaries cease to document? What is the agreement a film strikes with its audience and when is that agreement violated?

SCREENINGS: Selects from:
George Washington, Green
Gummo, Korine
WR: Mysteries of the Organism, Makavejev
I Am Cuba, Kalatozishvili
The Thin Red Line, Malick
Mule Skinner Blues, Earnhart
Jane Campion’s Short Films, Campion
F is for Fake, Welles
Dogme films

7:00 – 10:00 VIEW & DISCUSS EDITED SCENES

BUSINESS: Schedule one-hour individual appointments with professor at the Final Cut Pro suite.

WEEK ELEVEN

Wednesday, Nov. 5th

1:30 – 3:10 VIEW ROUGH CUTS

7:00 – 10:00 ROUGH CUTS CONT’D

WEEK TWELVE

Wednesday, Nov. 12th

No class sessions. Personal meetings with students at Final Cut Pro suites.

WEEK THIRTEEN

Wednesday, Nov. 19th

No class sessions. Personal meetings with students at Final Cut Pro suites.

WEEK FOURTEEN

Wednesday, Dec. 3rd

Re-digitizing sessions with Wil Weldon. Attendance required.

Wednesday, Dec. 10th FINAL SCREENING & PARTY (mandatory)

EVALUATION:

Short assignments will be evaluated one week after they are due. Each student will receive a written evaluation on the final film at the end of the semester.

GRADING CRITERIA:

Quality of work (assignments and final film) 50%

Professionalism (care with equipment, willingness to collaborate) 30%

Attendance, Class Participation, Quizzes 20%