This course is an introduction to documentary filmmaking and storytelling, based on the central question of whether documentary is purely an act of documenting, or deliberate and intentional selecting. How real is reality in documentary? How do the stories we choose to tell reflect who we are as filmmakers, and also as individuals? What are the choices and consequences that come with crafting narratives? Students will learn and discuss the theory and practice of documentary making, basic filmmaking techniques, and create their own short documentary film inspired by an issue, concern, or question that they are interested in exploring. This course is targeted at students with a broad diversity of background and disciplines. This is not a filmmaking course in that students are not expected to become professional filmmakers by the end of this course. No knowledge of camera techniques, editing skills etc. is required to take this course. Storytelling, the narrative craft, and the analysis of documentary filmmaking, take center stage above and beyond technical skills. Only basic filmmaking techniques will be taught to students for the purposes of fulfilling their group film projects
Student Reviews
Anonymous AY23/24 Sem 1
About the Instructor
Prof Jessica has extensive knowledge about the subject of documentary filmmaking. It was also really insightful to hear her explain how she approaches filmmaking herself as seen from her past projects in the industry.
Content (Structure/Organization)
The course was divided into two distinct parts.
The first half before recess focuses on the history and development of documentaries with a key emphasis on specific themes each week such as advocacy and war. Discussions were quite insightful as Prof Jessica did not shy away from addressing difficult topics relating to the ethical implications of filmmaking. While there is never a straightforward answers to these questions, the class discussions help me consolidate the nuances of such debates.
The second half dives straight into the core of this course: documentary filmmaking. It felt like a crash course on everything ranging from pitching, shooting, editing and much more. I had a lot of fun going through each step of this process. There was one class where prof invited her friend, Jolinna, who is a director of photography to teach us the basics of setting up an interview scene. Instead of going through the slides and explaining the theory behind photography, she went straight into setting up the lighting for an interview scene. Her hands-on approach to teaching such technical skills really helped me envision myself in the shoes of a filmmaker.
Accessibility
The content for the theoretical part of the course is fairly easy to understand and is comparable to other NUSC courses such as NSW (but more fun because you get to watch documentaries as assignments). Prof Jessica does a really good job of breaking down complex topics related to the development of documentaries.
However, working on the documentary for the second half of the course can be challenging, especially if you have no experience with camera equipments and editing softwares. Picking up these skills along the way can be quite time-consuming, and I would highly recommend experimenting with these tools a bit before actually using them for your documentary.
Manageability of Workload
First half of the course was manageable, just remember to watch the documentaries before every class. But the workload for the second half varies depending on the scope of your project and the skill level of your group (we didn't sleep for 2 days doing the final edits). With good planning and organization, I'm sure you can spend less time on it.
Ease/Difficulty of Attaining Grades
An A is definitely doable in this course. I think prof is quite fair in her grading. With consistent effort and demonstration of what you have learnt, getting a good grade shouldn't be hard.
Learning Value/Recommendation
This course has taught me more than any other courses I have taken before in terms of picking up a new skill and the contextual knowledge behind it. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in trying out filmmaking as this course provides a great platform for you to work on your first film.