"Exploring Documentary Filmmaking"

"Exploring Documentary Filmmaking"

Objectives:

* Students will understand that there are various methods a filmmaker can use to tell another person’s story
* Students will understand that a documentary can be made with many different styles.

Lesson:

There are many styles and approaches to Documentary Filmmaking. In this lesson we have compiled a list of documentaries that range in their styles and approaches. For each film, use the SCMAA and story arc worksheets to aid in the film analysis.
Traditional Techniques

The following examples are considered “traditional “ style documentaries, using talking head interviews with b-roll, in which the interview subjects provide stories and information that are presented as facts and evidence in support of the themes being explored in the documentary.

Example:

Irmas Campus International Youth Media Summit PSA’s (2006) Racism PSA (1 min 6 sec)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cgLJsOREic

Sequential Visual Storytelling

lights.
camera.
ACTION!!!

Your mission: Your first week of filmmaking is almost complete! Using what you’ve learned thus far, you are being asked to make a short comic book on any subject you’d like, but it must somehow involve shoes! You will take your finished pictures and assemble them into a finished comic. Yay!

Think: Sequential Visual Storytelling! If it works on paper, it’ll (probably) work on film! Let’s see if that’s true!

Here are your rules:

- You are to storyboard a story in which shoes feature prominently.

-In your film, you must: Start somewhere, go somewhere else, and you must leave something behind. Cryptic enough for ya? You fill in the blanks.

-SHOT VARIATION!!! think about how dull the w.s. of the fight in Gunsmoke was. Move the camera! Get up close! Think about all your options!!! W.S., M.S., Tracking., O.S., P.O.V….on and on!

-RULE OF 3rds!!!! and Eye-trace. Be aware of how you frame your shot! If it’s mis-framed, it better be for a reason! Does the action unfold properly?

-180 degree rule. Are your characters going in the right direction?

-Tripod! You must use a tripod…or at least a mono-pod… keep your shots steady! (unless you purposefully want it shakey…for a reason!)

-12 shot minimum. No maximum. (don’t be afraid to shoot ‘too much’!)We will compare the shots that you’ve taken with your storyboards in class. It’s okay if you have too much footage. You’ll edit it down as you create your comic.

You will add titles, sound effects, and dialogue in post.

When you’re complete, we will print these out for you to keep! Hurrah!

Curriculum by: Chris Gaines
Director, Real to Reel
Digital Filmschool
RAW Art Works

Teaching Storyboarding with Comic Strips

fc01cg2.jpg

MISSION: To make a short comic book on any subject you’d like, but it must somehow involve shoes! You will take your finished pictures and assemble them into a finished comic. Yay!

Curriculum by:
Chris Gaines
Director, Real to Reel
Digital Filmschool
RAW Art Works
chris@rawart.org

check them out on the web!
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/r2rfilmschool
youtube: http://www.youtube.com/rawartschool

Users Rights, Section 107 music video

Learn about copyright and fair use with this engaging music video from the Media Education Lab. This video supports the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education available at www.mediaeducationlab.com.