Foundations of Documentary Practice (fall semester)
Students work toward understanding the fundamental aesthetic tools of documentary filmmaking: camera, sound, structure, and interviewing in the context of individual filmic style. Beginning with a series of exercises that lead to production on the year-long project, students sharpen nonfiction directing and producing skills and gain exposure to the different types of documentary. The course has two components, lecture and production lab, in which student work serves as the basis for tackling aesthetic, narrative and practical issues in documentary. The semester is divided between idea development and preproduction and active production (8 weeks) on individual documentary projects. We also view segments of films and videos that represent major trends in documentary history and conduct regular outside reading, thus creating an active seminar for the appreciation of the aesthetic, ethical and practical concerns inherent in a given directorial choice. Guest filmmakers provide supplementary instruction and mentorship.

Documentary: Its Art and History (fall semester)
The documentary is a challenging and influential form of film and video. It touches, informs, and sometimes outrages millions of viewers seeking facts and insights in a complex world. This historical introduction to the genre begins with the earliest "actuality" films of the Lumière brothers and ends with the latest postmodern explorations of film truth. The course examines how changing technology, shifting social and political realities, and the personalities and talents of influential individuals have continually re-defined what documentary means. Ethical as well as aesthetic issues are considered. Weekly screenings are of classics by Vertov, Flaherty, Grierson, Riefenstahl, Rouch, and Wiseman, as well as contemporary works.

Introduction to Documentary Cinematography (fall semester)
Documentary video making presents unique challenges for cinematographers, who often have to work alone or in small crews while capturing the unpredictable. This introductory graduate-level course is designed to elicit beautifully-framed, meaningful footage despite the chaos that may surround a typical shoot. There is special emphasis placed on shooting cinema verité and lighting with a small or non-existent crew. This course is as much about cinematography as it is about the technical ‘nuts & bolts’ aspect of digital cameras. Students will work exclusively with the New School JVC HDV cameras in preparation for the documentary project, and will crew with classmates for a series of preparatory exercises, designed to conclude as the production period begins.

Documentary as Social Practice (spring semester)
Documentary, as it has taken form in film, television, videos, literature, photography, theater, and new media, has a long and rich tradition of both theory and practice. The documentary method and debates surrounding it involve complex philosophical dilemmas about the relation between reality, representation, and ways of knowing. Documentary forms of representation constantly challenge easy distinctions between fiction and nonfiction, rationality and emotion, objectivity and subjectivity, and cognition and aesthetic pleasure. Documentary media are credited with having immense impact on social and cultural meanings. This class focuses on

1. issues that documentary raises concerning ways of knowing
2. issues that documentary raises about the aesthetics, politics, and ethics of representation
3. opportunities that documentary media present for political engagement and social change.

Documentary Project (spring semester)
Work continues on the year-long documentary project in the form of postproduction. Students revisit footage to find the narrative line in their work, and lectures in editing technique are supplemented by in-class review of works-in-progress. Students finish the term with a working cut of documentary project of up to 30 minutes in length.

Electives
In addition to the four core courses, Doc Talk and two elective courses complete the program. Doc Talk is a required bi-weekly meeting and serves as the program’s community gathering place. Doc Talk includes lectures by visiting documentarians, screenings curated by the faculty, and special presentations in a specific area of documentary-making or documentary study. Electives are selected with advisor approval from the graduate Media Studies curriculum.

Suggested electives include:
New Directions in Documentary
Radio Documentary
The Producer’s Craft
Political Communication
The Aesthetics of Editing
Media Communications and Social Justice
Storytelling Through Visual Analysis
Documentary Research Methods
Emerging Media and Documentary Practice
Demystifying Distribution