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Meetings Wednesdays 6 p.m. Room 013 Gregory Hall
DOCUMENTARY CLUB
Documentarians record the real stories of real people, preserving it for the future to learn from. We are storytellers, sharing people's tales. We are journalists, loyal to the facts and informing the public. We are filmmakers, utilizing the full capabilities of the creative medium of film. We are researchers, finding reliable sources and checking what we think we know.
At Documentary Club, we seek out the stories of local people. From vertical short-form street interviews to full feature productions, Documentary Club is a place to learn about everything that goes into documentary-style media. This club is open to all UIUC students, regardless of major or prior experience. We will teach you to research, interview, film, and edit.
Documentary Club is a registered student organization at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Follow Us
YouTube: @uiucdocumentaryclub
Instagram: @dc_uiuc
JOIN DOCUMENTARY CLUB
To join Documentary Club, or to ask questions, please email uiucdocumentaryclub@gmail.com
Looking for a crew?
If you have an idea for a documentary project but need a crew, please reach out to the email above. Note that we do not make advertisements or non-documentary films.
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD
We have ongoing surveys to gather different perspectives from the community. We also use surveys to find people to interview on topics covered in our projects. Please have a look at our surveys.
We greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
ONGOING & UPCOMING PROJECTS
CANDID CAMPUS
There are many students at UIUC who come from places far away. Some may not be able to travel here to see the campus for themselves before committing to this university. There are plenty of virtual tours and content creators who share their personal experiences, but what if you're wanting a commentary-free look at just an average day on campus? Candid Campus is a collection of footage around campus showing what you'll see and hear on a typical school day at UIUC.
Because of its simplistic observational nature, this project is great for people learning how to film and build sequences.
RUMOR HAD IT
The Champaign-Urbana area is full of urban legends, myths, and rumors. In this series, we speak with local archivists and historians to find the source of these stories and what— if any of it— is true.
This is a research-heavy project with lots of interviews. If you're looking to grow those skills, this may be the project for you.
THE STORY OF PINTO BEAN
Photo by Cyoung701 on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, edited with color filter
Pinto Bean was a beloved campus squirrel with a unique coat. He brought joy to students, staff, and community members alike, until he was tragically hit by a car. Pinto Bean's body was taxidermized and is now displayed in the Forbes Natural History Building.
This feature-length documentary will recount the story of Pinto Bean through the people who witnessed his fame. It will involve searching for sources and conducting pre-interviews, interviewing, compiling social media posts, and creating a proper story arc out of the various collected medias.
LOCAL STREET ART
Details coming soon.
2025 Reel
Candid Campus Teaser
English Building Ghost
Rumor Had It Teaser
This news package for UI7 Newsbreak was made as a trial for the Rumor Had It series, where each episode covers a local urban legend. In this one, Adrien speaks with a university archivist who has thoroughly researched the nationally famous English Building ghost lore, and two university tour guides who have shared the legends over and over again on tours.
Sammi Merritt shares a never-before-heard explanation for why so many articles on the ghost story begin with, "Back when the English Building was a women's dormitory..." even though the building was never used as a dorm.
The full Rumor Had It episodes will be significantly longer than this news package, but it is our first trial on working with archival material and local lore experts. We're excited to make it into a full series!
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