Community Collaboration
Marjorie Hudson
Class ID: 7656

One of the hardest things about documentary work is finding an entrée into a community, connecting with the key people and institutions that will make your project come together. How do you do it? The secret is you must collaborate with the community you choose to document, finding ways to link community institutions and leaders to your project for a synergy that builds trust and allows deeper access. You must seek out strangers, make friends, and honor differences, often across culture, race, class and even language barriers. Who you work with, and how you work with them in collaboration, make a great difference to the result. This course will lead you through the fundamentals of approaching a subject, finding contacts, looking for essential links between community groups, being a documenter without being an intruder. We'll look at some successful community-oriented projects and take steps in building collaborations of our own. With collaborative techniques, you may end up with more than a documentary frozen in time -- you may create the foundation of new structures and powerful lasting links within a community. (Limit 18)

Marjorie Hudson is an award-winning community activist and writer of natural history, history and fiction. Her work in 2000 won her the Sarah Belk Gambrell Artist Educator of the Year Award, and as founder of the George Moses Horton Project she linked public and private organizations to educate a community about its own lost hero of African American history. Her book Searching for Virginia Dare is an exploration of the links between ancestor stories and family mythology.

8 Thursdays, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (16 hours)
October 9 - December 11 (No class on November 6 or 27)
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Developing Film
Luis-Rey Velasco
Class ID: 7670

Learn the basics of film developing in this darkroom class. From negative to final print, you'll learn the fundamentals of achieving your desired effect. We will cover basic darkroom printing as well as special techniques in multi-contrast printing. You will conceive and work on a photo project that you will have the opportunity to present to the class and that can become a part of your portfolio. (Limit 15)

Luis-Rey Velasco is Photography Coordinator at the Center for Documentary Studies.

Materials fee: $40, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
6 Saturdays, 1 - 4 PM (18 hours)
September 6 - October 18 (No class on September 27)
Center For Documentary Studies
$215

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Developing Film-Level 2
Luis-Rey Velasco
Class ID: 7671

Go beyond the basics and learn more advanced techniques in the darkroom. (Limit 15)

Luis-Rey Velasco is Photography Coordinator at the Center for Documentary Studies.

Materials fee: $40, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
6 Saturdays, 1 - 4 PM (18 hours)
October 25 - December 6 (No class on November 29)
Center For Documentary Studies
$215

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Directing Your Documentary Film: Making Choices
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 7655

Making documentary films is more than pointing your camera at a subject, recording an event, or conveying interesting information. Your film will be a historical document that will not only tell the story of your subject, but will reflect you as an artist. Directing your film means making difficult choices: from initial story concept to your first screening. These choices, similar to those made by narrative fiction filmmakers, involve the range of available tools and techniques. Use this course to prepare for the choices you will make about how best to tell your story, design your production, develop your aesthetic, and capture your story on film. Through viewing selected film clips, reading, in-class production instruction and weekly assignments, you will gain an understanding of the art of directing a documentary film, while developing the skills you'll need to fulfill your vision. By the end of the term, you will be expected to complete a "mini-documentary" of approximately two to three minutes in length, combining all of the methods and techniques learned in the course. You will need access to a video camera and a tripod. (Limit 18)

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in 18 film festivals in seven countries, and has garnered numerous awards, most notably a Gold Medal in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards. His work has been featured on the Bravo Network, the Independent Film Channel (Split Screen), WTTW-Chicago, UNC-TV (NC Visions) and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Materials fee: $15, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Wednesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 3 - October 22
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Documentary Film/Video Support Seminar
John Bollenbacher
Class ID: 7810

So you're making a film or video documentary, and you're looking for objective opinions and valuable advice--not to mention a source of motivation to continue the arduous job of documentary shooting. Find it all in this support seminar, tailored for filmmakers working on their first documentary, but valuable for filmmakers at any level. We'll focus on footage, resources, motivation and support, and information about documentary outlets. We will begin by discussing your story ideas, examining strengths and challenges with the rest of the class. Release forms, soundtrack preparation, grant proposals, festivals and distribution will also be covered. As the seminar progresses, you'll bring in footage from your shoots and receive feedback from the group. You will also have the opportunity to discuss your experiences and to problem-solve or provide advice for other seminar members. Footage will be edited by the class on a non-linear editing system and we will discuss the techniques and tools of editing and what challenges filmmakers can expect to face. Students should have basic knowledge of video camera usage. (Limit 10)

John Bollenbacher is a veteran of over 20 documentaries, from feature length to five minutes long. He recently moved from Boston where he produced documentaries and taught documentary filmmaking at the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Materials fee: $5, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
7 Mondays, 6:30 - 9 PM (17.5 hours)
November 3 - December 15
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Documentary Work After School
Barbara Lau and Center for Documentary Studies Community Programs Staff
Class ID: 7652

What will the youth of today do tomorrow? How can we help them decide? The Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) offers this opportunity to introduce the documentary arts to young people in a way that will assist them in thinking about their future. This is a hands-on course that explores the value and use of documentary arts in afterschool instruction for middle-school-age youth. It will also examine fundamental approaches to working with young people. Strategies and approaches will be based on the Durham Works curriculum. Developed by the Community Programs at CDS, Durham Works is a career exploration program that has served Durham Public Schools and several community organizations. Students who successfully complete this class and practicum will have an opportunity to apply for employment with the Durham Public Schools' afterschool program in local middle schools, in conjunction with the Center for Documentary Studies. (Limit 8)

Registration is by permission of the instructor only, and students must be available for on-site instruction at a Durham Works site during afterschool hours. Students must have previous experience or class instruction in photo and oral history or interviewing techniques. For information, contact Barbara Lau at (919) 660-3676 or balau@duke.edu

Materials fee: $10, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM (first four sessions); 3:30 – 5:30 PM (second four sessions) (16 hours)
September 23 - November 11
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Documenting the Environment: Seeking to Connect
Lisa Satterwhite
Class ID: 7696

We are connected to all other living things on earth, and every place on earth, in some sense, is our home; yet damage to the earth is often a result of our own human activities. Examine the sustaining relationship between humans and the natural world, focusing on efforts by scientists, photographers, and activists to heal the disconnect between our actions today and the consequences for generations to come. We'll begin by getting in touch with the natural world through a brief class field study to catalogue a local species. Then you’ll be guided through a project using photographs, interviews, or both, either creating a portrait of an environment that is close to your heart, or documenting the work of a an environmentalist or an artist. To support student projects, we'll hone photographic and interviewing skills; look at the work of photographers who explore environmental philosophy, including Emmet Gowin and Robert Adams; discuss environmental ethics; examine the inherent spirituality in landscape photography; and learn of local programs that foster disease prevention and environmental justice. Class projects can be tailored to contribute to final projects for the Certificate, and student work will be exhibited at the Center for Documentary Studies. (Limit 12)

Lisa Satterwhite is a biologist and artist who cherishes the diversity of life on earth. She received her PhD from Johns Hopkins and is currently a cell biologist at Duke Medical Center. She has taught college-level fine arts as well as high school and university-level biology. She studied photography at Princeton University, and is working on a collection of photographs of her children.

Materials fee: $20, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Wednesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 3 - October 22
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Documenting War and Peace
Christopher Sims
Class ID: 7651

In a supportive, fast-paced environment, students will develop and carry out fieldwork assignments in the medium of their choosing around topics concerning recent and ongoing conflicts abroad or their domestic ramifications. Possible topics, among many others, could include a photo essay on a military family with a parent serving abroad, or an oral history of a seasoned anti-war activist. Students may work alone or in groups, and must provide their own equipment. Students will offer critiques of each other's work toward the goal of creating rich multimedia content for a presentation on the Web, which will be produced by the instructor at the course's conclusion. This course is ideal for intermediate students who have begun to develop their photography, oral history, radio or video skills in other courses or independently. (Limit 18)

Christopher Sims recently completed a yearlong multimedia project on U.S. Army recruiters. He worked for two years as a photo archivist at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, holds a graduate degree in Journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill, and is the Web Development Project Manager at the Center for Documentary Studies.

Materials fee: $10, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Mondays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 22 - November 17 (No class on October 6)
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies
Thomas Rankin
Class ID: 7683

Required for the Certificate in Documentary Studies

Documentary Studies Certificate students who have completed at least five full courses (including the required Seminar in Documentary Studies) and who have done substantial work toward their final projects are encouraged to gain admission to this Final Project Seminar by sending your list of courses taken and work completed toward your projects via email to: cdthomps@duke.edu (in the subject line of your email please write "Project Seminar"). Once approved for this seminar, you may register for it as you would any class. The seminar will consist of group discussions about each student’s project and progress toward completion, along with guided planning on taking projects to their intended audiences. Your successful completion of your project and of this course will result in the awarding of the Certificate in Documentary Studies. (Limit 18)

Tom Rankin is Director of the Center for Documentary Studies and Associate Professor of the Practice of Art. A published photographer, writer and filmmaker, Rankin has completed many of his own documentary works and has curated numerous exhibits. His latest book is Local Heroes Changing America: Indivisible.

8 Mondays, 6 - 8 PM (16 hours)
September 15 - November 10 (No class on October 6)
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Finding Focus
Pam Pecchio
Class ID: 7782

This course in documentary photography will emphasize project development. Open to students at all stages of the development process--both beginners and those already immersed in an idea--this critique-based class is designed to provide feedback, generate ideas, and develop self-editing skills. We will work together in an open forum, exploring the work of other documentary photographers and artists working in the documentary style. Access is available to a black-and-white darkroom for those with darkroom experience, although printing yourself is not required. Please come to the first session with your cameras and project ideas or projects in progress. (Limit 15)

Pamela Pecchio is an artist and freelance photographer. She received her MFA from Yale University in 2001, has show nationally, and currently teaches in the Photography Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Materials fee: $10, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
6 Saturdays, 10 AM - 1 PM (18 hours)
October 25 - December 6 (No class on November 29)
Center for Documentary Studies
$215

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Get A Grip on the Digital Video Revolution
John Bollenbacher
Class ID: 7762

The media field has radically changed in the past 12 years with the introduction of digital video, which has made film and video production faster, cheaper, higher quality, and more accessible. Many people want to start creating their own media with these new tools but are tripped up by all the information about pixels, chips, resolution, firewire, Digital8, MiniDV, Dvcam, and DVCpro, to name a few. You can begin to decipher all this and more in a single afternoon. Before shopping to outfit your digital production studio at home for under $10,000 (it can happen), arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make decisions about what's right for you. In one afternoon, we'll cover digital video, cameras from low-end to professional, and the advantages of each. Special attention will be paid to all the selling points and what they really mean. Then we'll look at the fleet of non-linear editing machines out there, how they differ, and what the right choice will be for you. (Limit 18)

John Bollenbacher is a filmmaker who hated editing until he got his hands on a Media 100 in 1996. Since that time he's created films from feature length to five minutes using just about every kind of digital camera, and edited on Avid, Media 100, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Radius EditDV, and others.

Materials fee: $5, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
Saturday, 12:30 - 4 PM (3.5 hours)
October 4
Center for Documentary Studies
$60

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Make that Audio Doc: Sound Recording and Digital Mixing
John Biewen
Class ID: 7595

You've got the recorder and the inspiration and now you're ready for some hands-on help. In this course you'll learn how to record optimal audio and to mix that sound using digital editing software. We'll cover the process from beginning to end--from microphone placement to choosing the right interview setting; from loading your audio and organizing your tracks to creating the perfect cross-fade. You will be encouraged to produce a short documentary using your own recorded audio, so come with a project in mind. You will need your own tape recorder (mini-disc, DAT, cassette), microphone, headphones and tapes/discs. The instructor can recommend equipment packages starting at under $100. You will have access to digital workstations equipped with ProTools editing software. (Limit 12)

John Biewen is the Durham-based Correspondent/Producer for American RadioWorks, the national documentary unit of Minnesota Public Radio. He has produced more than 20 documentaries for "All Things Considered" and other National Public Radio programs.

8 Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 9 - October 28
Center for Documentary Studies
$230

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Seminar in Documentary Studies
Charles Thompson
Class ID: 7657

This required class is designed for students in the Certificate program or who plan to enroll this term.

Photography, video, oral history, writing, ethnography and community partnerships--Documentary Studies is interdisciplinary and multifaceted in nature, encompassing many genres and numerous means of interacting with the world and its peoples. Through short readings, close examination of several documentary projects, and guest speakers who will present their own projects and perspectives on the documentary experience, you will gain a broad introduction to the diverse fields that comprise documentary studies. We emphasize not only methodologies, but also philosophies and ethics of fieldwork in different settings. Throughout the term, students will explore fieldwork examples and, at the final meeting, will present preliminary projects of their own. These projects may be the beginning of long-term documentary initiatives, or simply a means of helping decide directions for future projects. (Limit 18)

Charlie Thompson, PhD, is Curriculum and Education Director at the Center for Documentary Studies. His latest oral history project involves religion and agriculture in the Virginia Blue Ridge.

Materials fee: $10, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Thursdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 25 - November 20 (No class on October 9)
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Telling A Narrative Story in Photos
Susie Post Rust
Class ID: 7658

Out of the many possible building blocks to telling a story with photos, we'll focus specifically on the narrative personality profile, which is a story about a person's life. Each student will focus on one subject for the whole course, learning how to shoot a story that moves beyond what the person does to reveal who the person is. This is a building-block skill for shooting a more complex photo essay, because the ability to capture people is often a primary element in a complex essay. Class will consist of discussion of the elements of a narrative photo story, work done by professionals, and class critiques of your work. As you work on your story, you will be expected to bring your black and white, color or computer generated 8x10 prints to class. (Limit 18)

Susie Post Rust has spent the majority of the last 13 years working for National Geographic Magazine, in which her work on the Alaskan Coast appears in August 2003, as well as Life, Newsweek, US News, and World Vision. Her passion is shooting documentary stories, and she has worked in more than 20 countries.

8 Wednesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 17 - November 5
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Telling Your Story: Placing Yourself in the Documentary Film Tradition
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 7597

There are an infinite number of ways to tell your non-fiction story in film: cinema vérité, archival footage, photos, interviews, and recreations are only a few examples. Will your film be a personal doc? A portrait, experimental, or propaganda? We will study documentary filmmaking through the screening of films and clips, class discussion, readings and presentations. Outside of class, each student will be encouraged to keep a film journal in response to the films screened, readings and/or other researched materials. Surveying the tradition, history and conventions of non-fiction filmmaking, you will have a firm foundation from which to choose how to fulfill your documentary vision. You will also be encouraged to share ideas about your projects. (Limit 18)

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in 18 film festivals in seven countries, and has garnered numerous awards, most notably a Gold Medal in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards. His work has been featured on the Bravo Network, the Independent Film Channel (Split Screen), WTTW-Chicago, UNC-TV (NC Visions) and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Materials fee: $15, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Wednesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
October 29 - December 17
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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The Art of the Interview
Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks
Class ID: 7783

Explore a range of interviewing techniques and polish your listening and observation skills. We'll consider the variables involved when you are interviewing a subject for print, radio or video, and we'll practice with each medium. How much homework on your subject should you do in advance? How far can you veer from prepared questions? How can you put your subjects at ease and inspire trust? How can you get the most out of an interview when the time allowed is very short? We'll also discuss release forms, the ethics of editing, and the role of the interviewer in framing the final story or documentation. Participants will conduct interviews outside of class (which may be part of a larger project they are working on) and will be invited to share the results with the class for feedback and suggestions. We'll also conduct in-class interviews with guest subjects and with each other, using digital video, basic audio equipment, and plain old notetaking as a means to learn more about how the process is subtly different according to the recording medium. The goal of the class is to help each participant become a more experienced and confident interviewer. (Limit 18)

Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks are the Managing Partners of Minnow Media, LLC--a full-service multimedia production company based in Carrboro. Eubanks has written profiles and promotional materials for the last 25 years and once hosted a local radio program for three years. Early in her career, Campbell founded Lake Norman Magazine near Charlotte, became Knight Ridder's first female publisher, and then moved into documentary production for public television, for which she has won numerous awards. Between them, they have interviewed a range of "famous" subjects including Michael Jordan, William Styron, Mother Theresa, Maya Angelou, Ruth and Billy Graham, and Walter Cronkite, but their favorite subjects are usually the result of serendipity--the folks they often meet in their travels throughout rural North Carolina. For more information, see: www.minnowmedia.net.

6 Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 PM (15 hours)
October 30 - December 11 (No class on November 27)
Center for Documentary Studies
$185

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Video Editing for Beginners: Edit Your Doc on Final Cut Pro
Erika Simon
Class ID: 7594

Now that you’ve shot your footage, what will you do with it? In this introduction to Apple’s FCP, designed to get you editing the story you want to tell, weekly assignments help you create an edited sequence as a class project. You’ll share your work every other week with your classmates for problem-solving and feedback during the weekly workshop sessions. We’ll cover the basics of how to get your footage into the computer, put clips into a sequence to tell the story, and add dissolves and music. We’ll also view examples in class of how editing choices help documentary filmmakers tell their stories. Expect a heavy workload between classes. Optional tutorials with the instructor help if you get stuck. Comfort with basic computer skills is required. You’ll have two hours per week of access to the lab outside of class, plus 40GB of storage space on a personal hard drive provided for use during the course. (Limit 10)

Erika Simon learned the basics of editing on FCP in a CDS course. Since then, her project for that course screened at The Happening, she served as TA for two FCP courses, and she contracts as an editor on FCP with the Empowerment Project. She is a recipient of the Martha Nell Hardy Award for Outstanding Teaching at UNC-CH, where she earned an MA in Communication Studies.

Materials fee: $15, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
8 Mondays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 8 - October 27
Optional drop-by tutorials: Saturdays 11AM - Noon, September 13 - October 25 (No tutorial on September 27)
Center for Documentary Studies
$320

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Video Editing, Level 2: Final Cut Pro Secrets, Tricks, and Time Savers
John Bollenbacher
Class ID: 7784

So you've got the basics of Final Cut Pro down, but want to go beyond capturing your footage and dumping it out? Learn more advanced editing techniques that can make your project look like the professionals - and save you time. Compositing, color correcting, filters, graphics, motion effects, sound sweetening and preparing your project for DVD are just a few of the things we'll cover in this student/project driven class. This course is open to those who have a good working knowledge of Final Cut Pro. We recommend a basic course such as the Video Editing for Beginners (offered this term, ID: 7594). Students should also have a project, past or present, to work on to get the most from this class. (Limit 10)

John Bollenbacher is a filmmaker who hated editing until he got his hands on a Media 100 in 1996. Since that time he's created films from feature length to five minutes using just about every kind of digital camera, and edited on Avid, Media 100, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Radius EditDV, and others.

Materials fee: $20, due at beginning of class (exact amount please)
6 Tuesdays, 6:30 - 9 PM (15 hours)
November 4 - December 9
Center for Documentary Studies
$320

Recommended Text (if you don’t already own Final Cut Pro): A third-party manual, e.g., Final Cut Pro 3 for Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide; or Final Cut Pro 3 For Dummies.

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Video Production: Planning the Project, Getting the Shots
Chris Potter
Class ID: 7596

Have the footage you need when you sit down to edit your video documentary. We will talk about planning and organizing your project, and learn some basic camera, lighting and audio techniques that don't require expensive equipment. We will watch video clips that illustrate the techniques, try them out in class, and look at each other's homework. Please bring a camcorder and tripod to class. (Limit 18)

Chris Potter studied documentary film and video techniques at the Rice University Media Center. He has produced and directed commercial, industrial and public service videos at Southern Media Design & Production for over 25 years. He is working on a documentary film on the historical ecology of southeastern Burgundy.

8 Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 9 - October 28
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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Visual Storytelling 2: Community Collaborations
Nancy Kalow, Erika Simon and Phoebe Brush
Class ID: 7914

This intensive fieldwork seminar teams up experienced Documentary Studies Certificate students with nonprofit organizations in Durham to promote media literacy and community video production. The format emphasizes service learning and will also include video editing in the lab. Prerequisites include Visual Storytelling: Documenting Fieldwork with Camcorders; the Seminar in Documentary Studies; Spanish language competence; and other factors (interest, time, experience). Registration by permission only: for more information email Visualstory2@aol.com. (Limit 12)

Folklorist, filmmaker, and award-winning documentarian Nancy Kalow, well known to Certificate students as leader of the Visual Storytelling course, is joined by students Erika Simon and Phoebe Brush for this exciting work.

8 Thursday s, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
September 11 - October 30
Center for Documentary Studies
$230

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