Please note: For week courses, registrations close at 12:00 on the Monday before the start of the course. So please, make sure to register ASAP!
The week-long course ‘Documentary: Visual Storytelling’ focuses on creating powerful scenes, both visually and aurally. How do you construct a compelling cinematic narrative through observational cinema? You will learn to look, to observe through the lens, and to translate your observations into film.
What will we be doing?
We’ll be out and about with the camera a lot, either alone or in small groups. We’ll explore questions such as: When is something a good documentary subject? How do you prepare your research? How do you approach someone you’d like to film? What technical equipment do you need – and who? How do you create suspense in your story? How do you build strong, coherent storylines in the editing process? You can work on an existing plan or a new idea during the course.
For inspiration, we’ll watch clips from a variety of styles and genres. This will also cover the use of archives and found footage.
You will learn the basics of camera technique – or deepen your understanding, if you already have experience – in camera movement, composition and lighting, in order to develop your own cinematic language. Interview techniques are not part of the course: the focus is on dialogue, direct and off-screen sound, music, voice-over…
The technique is always at the service of the story. The course is therefore ideal if you come from another visual or narrative discipline. All levels welcome.
During the week, you will create (either individually or collaboratively) a short documentary film or media installation.
