Seminar in Documentary Studies
Charles Thompson
Class ID: 8269

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, 7:30 – 9:30 PM (16 hours)
February 5 – March 25
Center for Documentary Studies
$195


Basic Flash Photography
Luis-Rey Velasco
Class ID: 8257

Learn the basics of flash photography, including details of manually calculating flash exposure, common flash technology such as TTL , and examples of common filters (polarizers and screw-in filters). We'll begin with in-camera flash basics, then move to intermediate flash topics such as automatic and manual exposure readings, detachable units, flash guide numbers, bounce flash, and fill flash; then we'll cover some advanced methods including using off-camera flash and flash brackets. (Limit 15)

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

Materials fee: $40, due at start of class (exact amount please)

6 Thursdays, 6 - 9 PM (18 hours)
February 12 - March 18
Center For Documentary Studies
$215

Community-Friendly Documentation: A Jump Start
Marjorie Hudson
Class ID: 8057

Some documentary projects investigate wrongdoing and scandal, then lay bare the subject like flayed meat. But some of our favorite documentary projects are ones that reflect a community back to itself in a new way, a way that builds respect for each other. How in the age of "we-love-to-hate" news media does a stranger walk into a community and build trust, camera or recorder in hand? Learn about one of the toughest and subtlest parts of community documentary work: building trust. We'll strategize ways to build trust and access, practice what we preach in a two-hour practicum with team coaching, and come back the next week to share experiences about breakdowns, blowups, and breakthroughs. This opportunity is for students who have completed projects, for those who have had problems with community projects (that means everybody), and especially for those who are starting something new. This is good groundwork for planning a new project and a good support system for working on existing projects. (Limit 18)

Marjorie Hudson has worked with scores of community groups to build community through the arts, through cross-cultural writing workshops, and through oral history and community celebrations. Her work with the George Moses Horton project in Chatham County won her the North Carolina Artist Educator of the Year award in 2000. She is also an award-winning fiction writer.

3 Saturdays, 11 AM - 1 PM (6 hours)
February 7 - 21
Center for Documentary Studies
$95

Directing Your Documentary Film: Making Choices
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 8043

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 not only will 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 start of class (exact amount please)

8 Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
February 3 - March 23
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

Documentary Film/Video Support Seminar
John Bollenbacher
Class ID: 8250

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 start of class (exact amount please)
7 Mondays, 6:30 - 9 PM (17.5 hours)
February 2 - March 15
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

Documenting the Family
Michelle McCullers Segbefia and Joy Salyers
Class ID: 8202

Are you working on a family history, researching your own family or local community, fascinated by genealogy? Have you wished for a more exciting project than merely a family tree? This class will give you the tools you need! Useful for anyone working with oral history or interviews, the course will go beyond discussion of basic interview techniques and skills to consider such issues as getting people to talk, making tired stories new, opening cans of worms, and getting at "the truth" (if it exists!) In addition, we will discuss the effect of doing family documentary work on you, ethics related to privacy and representation, and possible end projects, including websites, performances, written pieces, and mixed media. (Limit 18)

Joy M. Salyers and Michelle M. Segbefia are folklorists and oral historians. As co-directors of the local organization In Our Hands, they work with clients from 8 to 80, using oral history, creativity, and other experiential tools to connect individuals and communities. Both have experience working with families, their own and others—conducting interviews with family members, seeking out "lost" family stories, and recording intimate family and community events such as funerals and reunions.

Materials fee: $10, due at start of class (exact amount please)

6 Saturdays, 11 AM - 1:30 PM (15 hours)
January 24 - March 6 (No class on February 21)
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

Field Recordings and Songcatchers: Documenting North Carolina Music
Amy Davis
Class ID: 8254

Learn about music documentation while exploring the rich folksong tradition of North Carolina. We will focus on the work of prominent song collectors and scholars, the impact of early commercial recordings, and self-documentation efforts while listening to a wide range of commercial and archival recordings. Special guest artist and scholar John Cohen will discuss the making of one of his North Carolina films while reflecting on his documentation work in the 1960s. Based on listening and short readings, our discussion will cover historical and present-day audio field recording techniques, and the social conditions that fostered various song styles, including shape-note singing, ballads, blues, gospel, bluegrass and early country. Class will culminate in presentations of group or individual recording projects of musical events in the local area. (Limit 18)

Amy Davis received an MA in Folklore from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has been a fieldworker for both the Kentucky and North Carolina Arts Councils, a folklorist-in-residence at Kentucky public schools, and a reference archivist at UNC’s Southern Folklife Collection. She has played traditional American folk music for nearly 20 years, and currently performs with the string band The Hushpuppies.

Materials fee: $5, due at start of class (exact amount please)

8 Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (16 hours)
February 18 - April 21 (No class on March 10 and April 14)
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

Filling the Frame
MJ Sharp
Class ID: 8146

Forget about f-stops, shutter speeds, and flash syncs for a moment. What are you going to put INTO that rectangle you're going to call a picture? In our weekly assignments we will practice specific techniques to bring interest and importance to every part of the frame, including motion blur, backlighting, and the judicious use of dead space. All skill levels welcome. (Limit 18)

MJ Sharp was the staff photographer at the Independent for nine years and now freelances both nationally and locally. National clients include The New York Times Magazine, The Ford Foundation, the Columbia Journalism Review, and PBS's Frontline. Local clients include The Ciompi Quartet at Duke University, Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, and the Duke Short Courses Program at Duke University. Samples of her work are online at www.mjsharp.com.

5 Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM (10 hours)
February 3 - March 2
Center for Documentary Studies
$125

Get A Grip on the Digital Video Revolution
John Bollenbacher
Class ID: 8256

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 start of class (exact amount please)
Saturday, 12:30 - 4 PM (3.5 hours)
March 27
Center for Documentary Studies
$60

Location Lighting
Luis-Rey Velasco
Class ID: 8258

Learn the basics of using strobes and/or studio lighting as a tool for field photography. The idea is to go beyond the misconception that studio lighting is always best. Use of controlled lighting in the field allows the photographer to maintain proper exposure and the desired mood. Strobes and continuous lighting sources will be provided. Assignments will include going into a community and doing street photography using strobes and continuous lighting, taking budget and costs into consideration. Discussion topics will include creating a studio for location without the expense of strobes and power packs. We will explore manual calculation of flash exposure, examples of common filters, and details of common flash technology. Emphasis will be placed on learning the difference between key flash and fill flash exposure. While this course is based primarily on still photography, video students are welcome. (Limit 15)

Luis Velasco is the Darkroom Coordinator for the Center for Documentary Studies and the Documentary Coordinator for Student Action with farmworkers. His father first introduced Luis to photography at the age of seven. He had his formal photography training in California at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara and Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz.

Materials fee: $40, due at start of class (exact amount please)
6 Thursdays, 6 - 9 PM (18 hours)
April 1 - May 13
Center for Documentary Studies
$215

Make that Audio Doc II: Pulling It Together
John Biewen
Class ID: 8253

A workshop course for students who've recorded interviews and gathered sound and are ready to construct a 6-12-minute documentary. Please have your audio in hand before the first class. You'll get help and guidance as you decide how to structure and script your piece and as you mix it on ProTools. This course is open only to students who have completed the intro course, "Make That Audio Doc" or have experience working with ProTools or similar digital audio software. In addition to the class time you will have self-directed lab time and one hour of individual time (in computer lab or discussing your project) with the instructor. (Limit 6)

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

5 Mondays, 7 - 9:30 PM (12.5 hours)
February 2 - March 8 (No class on February 16)
Center for Documentary Studies
$180

Make that Audio Doc: Introduction to Sound Recording and Digital Mixing
Jennifer Deer
Class ID: 8248

You've got the recorder and the inspiration and now you're ready for some hands-on help. In this course you’ll produce your own short audio documentary using your own recorded sound. We'll learn the basics of recording, interviewing and editing using digital editing software, covering 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 and incorporating sound and music into your piece. You’ll need your own recorder (mini-disc, DAT, cassette), microphone, headphones and tapes/discs. For great advice on equipment, go to transom.org and look under ‘tools’. We’ll also go over equipment during the first class, and if you’re starting from scratch, you can get everything you need for under $100. You will have access to a digital editing studio in which to practice and complete class assignments. (Limit 12)

Jennifer Deer is an independent radio producer. In 2001 she helped to create "ArtVoice," a weekly arts and culture program on Atlanta's NPR affiliate, WABE, which she also hosted. She served as a producer on "The State of Things" for WUNC public radio, was Assistant Technical Director for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and presented her sound art in a "Fresh Docs: Works in Progress" at the Center for Documentary Studies. She holds a degree in theater from UNC-Chapel Hill.

8 Wednesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
February 11 - March 31
Center for Documentary Studies
$230

Telling Your Story: Placing Yourself in the Documentary Film Tradition
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 8044

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 start of class (exact amount please)
9 Thursdays, 7 - 9 PM (18 hours)
February 5 - April 1
Center for Documentary Studies
$215

The Art of the Interview
Georgann Eubanks and Donna Campbell
Class ID: 8252

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 Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9 PM (15 hours)
February 4 - March 10 (No class on November 27)
Center for Documentary Studies
$185

Video Editing for Beginners: Edit Your Doc on Final Cut Pro
Erika Simon
Class ID: 8247

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 start of class (exact amount please)

8 Monday, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
Optional drop-by tutorials: Mondays, 6-7 PM.
February 2 - March 29 no class on March 15.
Center for Documentary Studies
$320

Video Editing, Level 2: Final Cut Pro Secrets, Tricks, and Time Savers
John Bollenbacher
Class ID: 8251

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 class for beginners (at left). 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: $10, due at start of class (exact amount please)

7 Thursdays, 6:30 - 9:30 PM (21 hours)
February 5 - March 18
Center for Documentary Studies
$320

Text: (Recommended ff you don't 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.

Video Production: Planning the Project, Getting the Shots
Chris Potter
Class ID: 8249

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.

Materials fee: $5, due at start of class (exact amount please)

8 Tuesdays, 7 - 9 PM (16 hours)
February 17 - April 6
Center for Documentary Studies
$195

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