Documentary Analysis and Production
Fall, 2018
Instructor: Jessie Garcia (Marble)
Office Hours: Wednesdays,2:15-3:15 or by appointment
Goal: To analyze current and past documentaries for their styles, strengths and weaknesses and then create one of our own utilizing techniques we have learned in class. We will brainstorm ideas for our documentary in a pitch session and work out shooting, writing and editing schedules. The first part of the semester will be watching and critically thinking about the many styles of documentary presentation by watching many examples, plus learning to shoot and edit. The second part will be producing a high-quality short form documentary.
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
--Utilize various storytelling techniques to draw the viewer in.
--Take a large amount of video and condense it into smaller bits.
--Shoot video, write copy and edit.
--Critically analyze other documentaries and identify the best and worst parts.
--Write a log line and do a podcast about the documentary that will sell it in the best light.
GRADING
Your grade will be based on participation, effort and the final product you produce. There is no traditional mid-term or final exam in this class. Your documentary is your final project.
You will be expected to attend every class unless you have a very good reason for absence. You will watch and critique documentaries both in class and on your own time and do a lot of shooting and editing outside of class. We will also have guest speakers who are experts in documentary-making.
You will receive 20 points for every class you attend and give me your full attention. Guest speaker days count an extra 5 points if you engage with our speaker and ask them a question. You will only hurt yourself on days you are late, absent or lacking effort by missing out on those points. I value punctuality and you will automatically lose 1 point for being 0-5 minutes late, 3 points for being 5-10 minutes late, 5 points for being 10-15 minutes late, 10 points for being 15-30 minutes late and half points for anything beyond that. We only meet once per week, so I expect you to be there on time and will full attention. If I see you checking your phone, surfing the web or other non-class related activities I will also deduct points.
You will always have one full week to complete assignments (unless this is clearly stated otherwise in class), so I do not accept late assignments unless there is a clearly stated emergency.
The work you do towards the completion of the documentary will be graded on a point system.You will be in a small group and MUST work cohesively. Putting together a documentary in a short time is an ambitious project and we all must pull our weight. Your final grade will be an accumulation of points and the following scale:
Above 94%= A
Above 90%=A-
Above 87%=B+
Above 83%=B
Above 80%=B-
Above 77%=C+
Above 73%=C
Above 70%=C-
Above 67%=D+
Above 63%=D
Above 60%=D-
Below 60%=F
ASSIGNMENTS
The first six weeks you will have one feature-length documentary to watch per week outside of class. There will be a quiz on the doc as well as group discussion time. You will need to bring two ideas to the table for our pitch session and follow through on markers I give you (contacting your sources, shooting, turning in a script, editing the first minute, the first half, ¾ of the doc, etc.). Each marker will be graded. Students also take turns choosing a short documentary of less than 10 minutes to share with the class. Near the end of the semester you’ll turn in a logline, title and podcast. Finally, you’ll receive an effort grade and a documentary grade of significant points.
STATEMENT OF TIME INVESTMENT
This class meets once weekly for two hours and 40 minutes with a 10-minute break for a total of 37.5 hours of lecture time over the semester. You should expect to spend at least 15 additional hours watching documentaries or analyzing things we have talked about, plus at least 20 hours shooting video, writing and editing outside of class time for a total of 67.5-72.5 hours at a minimum this semester.
TEXTBOOK
There is no textbook or extra expense required for this class. We will watch a lot of videos during class time. You will also watch some out of class but will be given those videos by me.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared faculty and student responsibility. Students are expected to inform faculty [me] of their need for instructional accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized. Faculty [I], will work either directly with the student [you] or in coordination with the Accessibility Resource Center to identify and provide reasonable instructional accommodations. Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student's educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism can result in an F for the assignment or the class, and/or referral to the university system for academic misconduct.
Copying the words of others from the Internet or any source is plagiarism. If you have a question about use of any material, contact the instructor. Don’t risk the consequences of stealing words or ideas belonging to someone else.
University policy on plagiarism and academic misconduct:
Hang with me for a very rewarding journey and a final product that will go on Media Milwaukee and perhaps other outlets. It also has the potential to be extremely resume-worthy for yourself.
Specific details of this syllabus are subject to change at the professor’s discretion as the semester progresses, but this will serve as our guideline.