Film & Media Studies 441 - Documentary Production

(Offered as ARHA 441 and FAMS 441) In this advanced documentary production course, students will take a site-based approach to nonfiction filmmaking, traveling weekly to a selected location to gather material. Working both individually and collaboratively, participants will develop a body of work that reflects their engagement with the site, experimenting with different modes of documentary filmmaking (observational, participatory, poetic, etc.). Through hands-on production, critique, and discussion, students will refine their approach to cinematography, sound, and editing while considering questions of representation, form, and storytelling. The course will also include critiques, historical and contemporary screenings, technical workshops, and guest visits from filmmakers working in the field. Over the semester, students will create their own short videos as part of a collective project that combines their varied perspectives, culminating in a final public screening.

Requisite: A prior 200-level production course or relevant experience (to be discussed with the instructor in advance of the first class). Limited to 12 students. Fall 2025: Associate Professor Levine.

How to handle overenrollment: Priority will be given to FAMS and ARHA majors, then attention will be given to achieving a mix of majors.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students will develop audiovisual literacy through sustained engagement with documentary production, refining their ability to interpret, capture, and construct meaning through moving images and sound. They will be expected to cultivate a responsive and adaptive approach to filmmaking in the field, working in dynamic environments where observation, timing, and ethical considerations shape creative decision-making. Participants will also exercise critical thinking in analyzing form, modes of representation and narrative structure. The collaborative, community-based exchange component of this course will help students foster a sensitivity to varying perspectives, experiences and creative methodologies. Students will be evaluated on their ability to integrate technical proficiency with conceptual rigor in their work, demonstrating growth in both individual projects and collective contributions. Active participation in discussions and critiques will be crucial, as will a willingness to experiment and take creative risks. The final assessment will emphasize the depth of engagement with the filmmaking process, the clarity of artistic and documentary intent, and the ability to synthesize feedback into refined, considered work.