| Course Title: Advanced Courses in Production and Practice: 'Documentary Production' |
| Start Date: 09/09/2026 End Date: 12/22/2026 |
| Term: Fall Semester 2026 |
| Description: In this hands-on course intended for advanced film/media students, we will explore contemporary documentary forms through readings, screenings, discussions, and practice. The course will cover the span of documentary storytelling as students develop production skills in research and writing, interviewing, camera and sound recording, and editing. We will also model the professional strategies documentarians use to fund and distribute their work, putting together film proposals and pitch decks. Students will practice pitching their film ideas to the class. While this is primarily a production course, in which students will produce short films, we will also read key texts and view select contemporary films to investigate what a documentary can be -- investigative, personal narrative, experimental, or social advocacy tool. Screenings and readings will ultimately inform our process and approach. The course will explore ethical concerns associated with documentary film including issues of privacy, representation, truthfulness, and objectivity. Collaboration is encouraged. |
| Distribution(s): I - Humanities , TP - Topics Course |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Flonia Telegrafi | ftelegrafi@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 09/09/2026 - 12/22/2026 | Seminar | Wednesday | 01:30PM - 04:20PM | TBA | TBA | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: FMT-240VP. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Five College students: Open to Five College Film majors. Others majors require instructor permission. |
| Course Tags | ||
| FMT0003 | FMT-PR: Production/Performance | This course has been approved to count towards the Film, Media, Theater major in the Production/Performance area. |
| NXJRN0001 | NXJRN: Nexus in Journalism, Media, and Public Discourse | This course is approved for the Journalism, Media, & Public Discourse Nexus track. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 18 | Enrollment: 11 | Available: 7 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |