| DNM700 | Documentary Form | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | DNM700 is a course designed to explore the art and history of the documentary form. Through extensive screening, discussion and analysis of significant international and Canadian documentary films created over the past century, students will be exposed to a rich variety of storytelling forms and techniques. Students will learn how the form of documentary filmmaking has evolved and been influenced by technological and ideological change. Further enhancing the students understanding of the development of this nearly universal mode of storytelling, the films seen and discussed will also be situated in the context of the extraordinary political, historical and social shifts that have defined the 20th century. |
| DNM720 | Editing For Non-Fiction | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | DNM720 is a production course to explore the art and craft of picture editing. The course will look at the various artistic and creative aspects, emphasizing hands-on experience. Through learning by doing, and closely examining the editing choices of others, the students will receive an in-depth introduction to editing as an art form. The course will argue that editing is not a science, and therefore cannot be learned through pre-set rules. These is no single solution to an editing assignment - every project poses its own set of challenges, and has multiple solutions, beyond the mastering of techniques. Whether the medium is drama, documentary, or some hybrid/experimental practice, editing can explore several goals: To tell a good story; to explore or establish a character; to make an argument; to instruct/provoke/or illustrate ideas; to provide the viewer with meaningful emotional experiences. The course is designed for students who want to expand and explore their storytelling skills, not simply become tech-whizzes on Final Cut Pro, Premiere or Avid. |
| DNM740 | Directing for Documentary | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | Its all about the STORY: Compelling characters, strong narrative, and the visual treatment! Regardless of the delivery format (TV, smartphone, theatrical) or fancy techniques (camera, editing), if theres no story, theres no film. Students will learn the basic fundamental skills on how to put a story together, including how to turn an idea into a story; secure access to film subject(s); research and development; filming on location; and prepare for editing phase of the production. Each student will direct his/her own short documentary film. |
| DNM760 | Production Management | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | This course introduces students to non-fiction film production management. This course will use hands-on exercises and case studies from the industry to demonstrate core production management principals. Students will be given an opportunity to meet industry experts and obtain valuable feedback from the field. Production Management principals that will be covered include the art of creating realistic business plans (including distribution and marketing plans), budget and financing, media funding strategies (including the art of pitching) and project and team management strategies. |
| DNM770 | Story Producing | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | Non-fiction production is a producers medium. This seminar course will address how to balance the inherent tensions between the industrys creative and business demands, and the relationship between producer and key creatives. While DNM760: Production Management course covers the business side of documentary film production, (DNM770: Story Producing) this class will focus on creative producing, including research and development, writing and industry networking. |
| DNM800 | Documentary Form | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | In Part I of Documentary Form we learned the history and evolution of documentary filmmaking as an art form, familiarized ourselves with the film language, and the great masters who invented the art and language of documentary films. The Part II of Documentary form/DNM800 this semester will continue building on that foundational knowledge. Furthermore, the students will have the opportunity to research, screen and create their own black book of some of the greatest documentary films produced worldwide. |
| DNM820 | Transmedia | In-person | Not offered | Not offered |
| | This course is designed to explore and explain the broad and growing field of transmedia as it pertains to filmmakers, in the context of interactive story-telling. The course will provide understanding into how the internet, the touchscreen and the mouse can transform linear filmic narratives into a interplay of sight, sound and time, of which the moving picture is just one of many facets. The medium is too new to have many fundamental rules. Instead, it raises a number of fundamental questions. What is trans-media? How can we make it? Why should we make it? Who are the people making it? What are the tools we can use to make it? How actually does code merge with design merge with the language of cinema? The course offers a pragmatic, non-coding environment that splits its time between theory, in-class practical lab sessions and critiques, and out-of-class research assignments. We are learning by observing, learning by doing, learning by any means possible. In effect, were hacking our way through the semester. |
