Continuing Studies Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Certificate in Documentary Studies

Courses Offered for the Upcoming Term

Current and Past Term Courses

Workshops and Institutes





Past Term Courses






Required Courses

Seminar in Documentary Studies
Dawn Dreyer
Class ID: 9747

This required class is designed for students in the Certificate in Documentary Studies program or those who plan to enroll.

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)

Dawn Dreyer is the Learning Outreach Director at the Center for Documentary Studies. She directs the annual CDS Documentary Happening and facilitates Fresh Docs: Works in Progress, a monthly venue for documentary artists to share their work and receive support and constructive feedback. In addition to her work at CDS, Dawn is Board president of the Southern Documentary Fund. She is a published writer and writing teacher and has recently been exploring documentary sound and photography.

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/27/2005–11/15/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $195



Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 9748

Required for the Certificate in 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 dkdreyer@duke.edu (in the subject line of your e-mail 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 8)

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in eighteen 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 (North Carolina Visions) and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

8 Wednesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/28/2005–11/30/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $215






Moving Forward: The Documentary Process

"Coming Unstuck"—How To Move Your Documentary Project Forward
Joy Salyers
Class ID: 9749

This workshop-style course will provide the encouragement, structure, and accountability you need to move forward in your documentary goals. Whether you're putting off starting your fieldwork, struggling to sift through all the material you've gathered, or wanting help with story-telling or collaboration, our discussions will center on your present needs, providing you with the support, strategies, and new ideas you need to move forward.

This course is suitable for anyone currently engaged in a documentary project, for certificate students and community documentarians. It is ideal for those students who have recently finished the beginning certificate seminar or who are preparing for fieldwork before taking the final seminar. (Limit 12)

Joy M. Salyers has an M.A. in Folklore from UNC-Chapel Hill. She works as a consultant—often with the organization In Our Hands—to help individuals and groups achieve their documentary goals. Her collaborators have included individual documentary workers, after-school programs, community groups such as Orange County 4-H, organizations such as the Ackland Art Museum, and corporate collaborations.

6 Mondays, 6–8:30 p.m. (15 hours)
11/7/2005–12/12/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $195



VideoDocs: Project Planning and Management
Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks
Class ID: 9763

Every true documentary project requires a high tolerance for ambiguity. You think you know what you want to capture, the story you want to tell, but you have to be willing to let the process unfold and let your subjects have their say. Given the somewhat unscripted nature of fieldwork, what are the appropriate expectations in project planning and the day-to-day management of your project? What can you promise your funders and your subjects? How do you budget your time and money? How can you avoid "scope creep"? How do you know when to quit shooting? How do you get to the finish line?

This class will best serve students who are in the process of starting a video documentary, large or small, and who want to think through the various factors involved, including visual style; potential themes and architecture for the piece; target audiences; equipment and personnel; budgeting and production timeline; shoot plans; rights, permissions, and release forms; prospective funders; and promotion/distribution/broadcast. On the first Saturday, we’ll cover these factors, using some of our own projects as examples, good and bad. On the second Saturday each participant will have a chance to share his or her project with the class and instructors who will serve as benevolent critics and brainstormers. (Limit 8)

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 twenty-five years and 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.

2 Saturdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (12 hours)
11/12/2005–12/3/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Course fee: $195





Writing

A World of Words: Writing from a Documentary Perspective
Chris Massenburg
Class ID: 9752

Writing is more than just text on a page, and is as creative and expressive as your imagination. When you think of documentary work, do you think of creative writing? Do you write, work with photos, video, audio, or are you new to documentary work? In this course, we will discuss the different ways writing can be used as a documentary tool. From oral histories and narratives to poetry, this course examines the possibilities of including creative writing and other forms of written expression to convey your ideas. We’ll discuss the development of stories from images and explore a nonlinear approach to storytelling. We will examine how to convey your work to others, from visual presentation to performance. Regardless of your background, you will find new uses for writing in your documentary work. You will also complete work that may be presented individually or included in an ongoing documentary project. (Limit 18)

Chris Massenburg, better known as Dasan Ahanu, is a public speaker, organizer, workshop facilitator, poet, spoken word performer, and writer. He has been a featured performer for many poetry, jazz and cultural events, worked as an organizer on such issues as war, social injustice, workers rights, and sexism, taught with the Center for Documentary Studies after-school and summer programs, and developed and implemented a special documentary arts curriculum for at-risk/court-involved youth.

8 Mondays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/19/2005–11/21/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $195




Audio

One-Day Audio Workshop
Outstanding in the Field: Audio Field Recording Basics
Paul Overton
Class ID: 9767

There is no excuse for bad tape. In most cases, poor recording quality is simply a matter of inexperience. This one-day course is designed to give you the tools necessary to gather high quality audio in the field. In this hands-on intro to field recording, students must bring a microphone, microphone cable, headphones, and a recording device (mini-disc, DAT, tape recorder, etc.) that has an input level control and can be used with an external microphone. Also, please wear appropriate clothing and closed-toed shoes, as we will be spending a portion of the class outside. Topics include equipment selection, microphone technique, setting levels, controlling your environment, room tone, and gathering ambient sound. Students should have a familiarity with equipment controls on the recording device that they plan to use (input levels, volume control, etc.) (Limit 12)

Paul Overton is an independent producer living in Durham with his girlfriend, two dogs, and his tape recorder. He has an MFA in technical theater from the University of Delaware and was a sound designer for many years before entering the world of documentary audio. His work has aired on WZBC in Boston, KVNF in Colorado, WUNC in North Carolina, and KUOW in Seattle. Unfortunately, he also plays the ukulele.

1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (6.5 hours)
10/15/2005–10/15/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $100


Make that Audio Doc: Introduction to Sound Recording and Digital Mixing
Paul Overton
Class ID: 9750

You've got the recorder and the inspiration and now you're ready for some hands-on help. During this course you’ll produce your own short audio documentary using your own recorded sound. You will learn the basics of recording, interviewing, and editing 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 and incorporating sound and music into your piece. You’ll need to come to class with 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.” You will have access to a digital editing studio in which to practice and complete class assignments. (Limit 12)

Paul Overton is an independent producer living in Durham with his girlfriend, two dogs, and his tape recorder. He has an MFA in technical theater from the University of Delaware and was a sound designer for many years before entering the world of documentary audio. His work has aired on WZBC in Boston, KVNF in Colorado, WUNC in North Carolina, and KUOW in Seattle. Unfortunately, he also plays the ukulele.

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/27/2005–11/15/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $230


Audio Postcards
Jennifer Deer
Class ID: 9751

The NPR website describes Audio Postcards this way: "This is sound that is not just ambience. It's the audio equivalent of that four-color photo. It should really make listeners feel they were there." The Audio Postcard is a short format, but a meaty one. Through an elegant layering of voices and ambient and natural sound, the postcard allows audio documentary to do what it does best: place the listener smack in the middle of the sights, sounds, smells, and mood of a place or an event. Learn to work in this exciting, sound-rich medium. Through this course, you will learn to collect the right sound for a postcard, develop a script, and use multi-track layering for optimal effect.

There will be six-class sessions, plus one four-hour Saturday open lab. Students should have completed the introductory course “Make that Audio Doc” or have experience working with ProTools or similar digital audio editing software. Students should also have access to their own recording equipment. (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 session at the Center for Documentary Studies. She holds a degree in theater from UNC-Chapel Hill.

7 Wednesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/28/2005–11/9/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $230




Video

ONE- AND TWO-DAY VIDEO WORKSHOPS

The First 8 Minutes: Final Cut Express Basics
Erika Simon
Class ID: 9764

Learn how to capture video footage into the computer for editing and how to assemble a sequence of clips in the order in which you want them to appear. Add titles and credits, dissolve to black, and output your edited piece to mini-DV. This packed, demonstration-driven workshop cuts to the chase and prepares you to edit your shooting assignments with confidence for video classes offered at the Center for Documentary Studies. Comfort with basic computer skills is required. (Limit 12)

NOTE: Students must bring a camcorder with DV in/out capability, power cord, and instruction booklet; portable Mac-formatted FireWire hard drive (7200 rpm, 8 mb cache, FireWire 400 required), and two FireWire (IEEE 1394) cables (one 6-pin-to-6-pin for the hard drive and one 6-pin-to-4-pin for the camera); a mini-DV tape with 4 minutes of footage, and a blank mini-DV tape (for outputting edited work).

Erika Simon has been teaching Final Cut to beginners at the CDS since 2003. She was an editor for Carlyle Poteat and David Kasper’s Gatewood: Facing the White Canvas (www.empowermentproject.org/gatewood.html). She produced and edited Levante: Theater for Social Change for Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) and edited a PSA in Spanish that aired on Univisión. She is a recipient of the Martha Nell Hardy Award for Outstanding Teaching, UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned an M.A. in Communication Studies.

Session One:
1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (6 hours)
9/17/2005–9/17/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $150

Session Two:
1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (6 hours)
10/8/2005–10/8/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $150



VideoDocs: Project Planning and Management
Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks
Class ID: 9763

Every true documentary project requires a high tolerance for ambiguity. You think you know what you want to capture, the story you want to tell, but you have to be willing to let the process unfold and let your subjects have their say. Given the somewhat unscripted nature of fieldwork, what are the appropriate expectations in project planning and the day-to-day management of your project? What can you promise your funders and your subjects? How do you budget your time and money? How can you avoid "scope creep"? How do you know when to quit shooting? How do you get to the finish line?

This class will best serve students who are in the process of starting a video documentary, large or small, and who want to think through the various factors involved, including visual style; potential themes and architecture for the piece; target audiences; equipment and personnel; budgeting and production timeline; shoot plans; rights, permissions, and release forms; prospective funders; and promotion/distribution/broadcast. On the first Saturday, we’ll cover these factors, using some of our own projects as examples, good and bad. On the second Saturday each participant will have a chance to share his or her project with the class and instructors who will serve as benevolent critics and brainstormers. (Limit 8)

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 twenty-five years and 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.

2 Saturdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (12 hours)
11/12/2005–12/3/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Course fee: $195



Documentary Video Editing with iMovie
Vivian Bowman Edwards
Class ID: 9768

Learn how to edit your documentary video project on Apple's easy-to-use iMovie and avoid the cost of other editing programs. Have fun editing in this one-day, hands-on, experiential workshop where you will learn the basics of what you need to know to finish your video project and get professional-looking results. No prior experience required. (Limit 12)

Vivian Bowman Edwards is an independent documentary filmmaker, producer, and director. Her first documentary, Searching, was made for Nancy Kalow’s Visual Storytelling class at CDS. Searching was screened at numerous film festivals, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the Lussas Film Festival near Paris, France; at the Carolina Filmmakers Showcase; and on cable television. More recently, Edwards was a field producer for MSNBC for a one-hour television documentary, The Battle for America’s Schools: How the Children Won and Lost, which aired in May 2004.

1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (6.5 hours)
11/5/2005–11/5/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $100



Finding Structure and Creating a Story
Vivian Bowman Edwards
Class ID: 9766

Like music, poetry, and writing, documentary films need a structure that will carry the story forward from beginning to a resolution. In this one-day workshop, you will learn how to define, organize, and focus the story of your documentary and develop your creative thinking to find new and interesting ways to convey your themes. We will watch a short documentary film to analyze its structure and use hands-on exercises (storyboarding, "paper-tile" editing) to bust through the creative block that has your project stalled. Whether your film is in the idea stage or languishing in the editing room, this class will help you see your project with fresh eyes and give you the skills to get to that final edit. (Limit 12)

Students may bring clips from works-in-progress that will be screened as time allows. No prior experience required.
Vivian Bowman Edwards is an independent documentary filmmaker, producer, and director. Her first documentary, Searching, was made for Nancy Kalow’s Visual Storytelling class at CDS. Searching was screened at numerous film festivals, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the Lussas Film Festival near Paris, France; at the Carolina Filmmakers Showcase; and on cable television. More recently, Edwards was a field producer for MSNBC for a one-hour television documentary, The Battle for America’s Schools: How the Children Won and Lost, which aired in May 2004.

1 Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (7 hours)
10/1/2005–10/1/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $105



MULTI-WEEK COURSES

Visual Storytelling: The Camcorder Documentary
Nancy Kalow
Class ID: 9757

This is an introductory documentary video class for students who have basic familiarity with, and access to, a camcorder and a computer-editing program (such as Final Cut Pro, iMovie, etc.). The course emphasizes fieldwork and "shooting to edit." We will start with the whys and hows of documentary expression and ethics, and teach the basics of composition and location audio using camcorders. Expect a heavy workload, with weekly short assignments and a longer final project. We view and discuss our work during class, in addition to watching relevant excerpts of films by Les Blank, Wim Wenders, the Maysles Brothers, Jon Else, Terry Zwigoff, and Barbara Kopple, among others. (Limit 12)

Suggested Prerequisite: The First 8 Minutes: Final Cut Express Basics.

There will be no class on 10/13.

Nancy Kalow is a folklorist, filmmaker, and documentarian of communities and cultural expression. Some of her video work can be viewed for free at Folkstreams, the website for films on American vernacular and folk culture (http://www.folkstreams.net/film,89).

8 Thursday, 7 p.m.–9 p.m.
9/22/2005–11/17/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (due at beginning of class; exact amount please)
Course fee: $230



Intermediate Documentary Video Editing
Simone Keith
Class ID: 9760

Learn and discuss video editing techniques using the advanced features in Final Cut Pro. Find out what makes a smooth cut, understand the proper use of effects and transitions, and explore sound mixing while editing your next documentary project. Film screenings and print materials will be used to fuel creativity. You will be encouraged to share your weekly editing assignments in class and provide constructive feedback to your peers. Basic Final Cut Pro skills required. (Limit 12)

NOTE: Students must have use of a portable FireWire hard drive.

Simone Keith's short documentary Heavier Than Air has screened at numerous festivals and aired on UNC-TV. A native of Brazil, she has been making documentaries and video essays since arriving in North Carolina ten years ago. Keith has earned two Telly Awards and has collaborated on The Wonder of It All, a UNC-TV documentary about the life of George Beverly Shea, which was nominated for a regional Emmy. Keith currently works at North Carolina State University, where she is the videographer and editor for “In the Garden with Bryce Lane.”

8 Mondays, 6:30–9 p.m. (20 hours)
9/19/2005–11/14/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $320



Directing Your Documentary Film: Making Choices
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 9759

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 the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in eighteen 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 (North Carolina Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/27/2005 –11/15/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $195



Documentary Video Production: Planning the Project, Getting the Shots
Chris Potter
Class ID: 9758

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 12)

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 more than twenty-five years. His current projects include a series of videos on the historical ecology of southeastern Burgundy and a documentary video on a New Deal resettlement community in northeastern North Carolina.

6 Wednesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m. (18 hours)
10/26/2005–12/7/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $215



Super 8 in the Digital Age
Jim Haverkamp
Class ID: 9761

Thanks to the digital video revolution, documentarians have more high-quality production tools at their disposal than ever. Often overlooked as a production choice is the home movie format from the pre-VHS era: Super 8 film. By far the cheapest way to shoot film (about $25 per three-minute cartridge), Super 8 offers a unique look and feel that expands the visual palette of digital video. In this class we'll explore the history and technical details of Super 8, the differences between film and video, lighting for film, the how-to's of transferring film to video, and much more. Production exercises will allow students to gain experience shooting film and practice incorporating it into a digital video production. (Limit 12)

Requirements: Students MUST have their own digital video camera and are highly encouraged to provide their own Super 8 camera. Some Super 8 cameras will be available on a very limited basis for checkout.

Jim Haverkamp is an award-winning filmmaker and editor based in Durham. His credits include the documentaries Monster Road (co-producer, co-editor) and Armor of God (co-director), both collaborations with Brett Ingram. His other documentary and fiction films have shown in festivals across the country, and he was awarded a Filmmaking Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council in 2000. He is a former organizer of the Flicker Film Festival in Chapel Hill.

8 Thursdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
10/13/2005–12/8/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $20 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $195



Advanced Video Project Workshop
Jim Haverkamp
Class ID: 9762

This advanced workshop is for students currently working on a documentary video that would like instructor and peer support to move to the next level of their project. Students will be required to show excerpts from their work-in-progress, and the course will be designed around the specific needs of the participants. With the instructor, you will explore narrative strategies and receive technical and creative guidance.

This course will be offered by different filmmakers each term to provide the opportunity for receiving multiple perspectives on students’ work. This course may be taken more than once for credit toward the Certificate in Documentary Studies and is appropriate for anyone working in short- or long-form video documentary. (Limit 6)

Jim Haverkamp is an award-winning filmmaker and editor based in Durham. His credits include the documentaries Monster Road (co-producer, co-editor) and Armor of God (co-director), both collaborations with Brett Ingram. His other documentary and fiction films have shown in festivals across the country, and he was awarded a Filmmaking Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council in 2000. He is a former organizer of the Flicker Film Festival in Chapel Hill.

8 Mondays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
9/12/2005–11/7/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $320




Photography

Fundamentals of Documentary Photography
Ava Johnson
Class ID: 9753

Beginners to more experienced photographers will benefit from this exploration of darkroom techniques. We will address camera basics for those who need an introduction, but we will spend the majority of class time in the darkroom printing our photographs. Learn about film developing, darkroom etiquette, how to mix chemicals, different paper types (fiber and resin-coated), and how to select a series of prints. Our goal is to begin a documentary project and complete five to ten finished prints by the end of the course. The spirit of the class is to take risks, explore, and have fun. (Limit 15)

There is a $45 darkroom fee and a $5 materials fee.

Ava Johnson is a performer, artist, and activist living in Durham. She received her BFA in photography from The Savannah College of Art and Design, her MFA in studio art from UNC-Chapel Hill, and graduated from the school of hard knocks while braving the cold winds of Chicago before returning to her home state. When not questioning mainstream thinking or making up funny songs, she is the proud co-parent of Barnaby, the wonder dog; public information coordinator at CDS; and one of the founding performers of the Cuntry Kings drag/performance group.

6 Saturdays, 12–3 p.m. (18 hours)
11/5/2005–12/17/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $50 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $215

Text: Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual, by Henry Hornstein



Photographing the Beautiful, the Strange, the Familiar—Our Family and Friends
Leah Sobsey
Class ID: 9755

This course will explore what is most familiar and compelling to us: our families, friends, and surroundings in order to capture the essence of these people and places. Often what is most familiar inspires the most honest work. We will expand on the use of the "snapshot" and how it can be transformed into a visual narrative document. Class time will be devoted to slide presentations, critiques, and weekly assignments. (Limit 12)

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely, and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, The Maine Photographic Workshops, and currently teaches at UNC-Greensboro.

6 Wednesdays, 6–8 p.m. (12 hours)
9/7/2005–10/19/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $175



Documentary Photography as Fine Art
G. Douglas Vuncannon
Class ID: 9803

Where do documentary photography and fine art converge? When does the documentarian’s work verge upon the world of fine art, and how is it that a "fine artist" may produce works of documentary? And how does one come to terms with the statement “every photograph is a self-portrait”? Going beyond the realm of composition and craft, class discussions will strive to identify the elements of still photography that have the power to transcend the simple recording of images. We will explore such themes, and encourage each participant to develop a personal thesis on documentary photography’s relationship to "fine art." Through presentations and discussions, students will become familiar with the approaches of such photographers as Dorothea Lange, Eugene Smith, Walker Evans, Andre Kertész, and Mary Ellen Mark. You will develop your own photographic vision through weekly assignments and have the opportunity to share your work during classroom critiques.

During the fifth week of class, students will meet with the instructor in individually scheduled meetings.

G. Douglas Vuncannon is a visual artist and composer who has worked as a freelance photographer and writer since 1995. His short documentary films have screened at numerous film festival in the United States and Canada. In 2000, the Durham Arts Council awarded him an Emerging Artist Grant. His photography and writings have appeared in the Independent Weekly, and he is currently working on a documentary project made possible by a grant from Duke University’s Freewater Productions.

6 Thursdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
9/15/2005–10/20/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials Fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $215



Alternative Processing
Leah Sobsey
Class ID: 9754

This course will explore a variety of historical and contemporary photographic processes. We will discuss Platinum Palladium printing, Vandyke printing, Albumen printing, and more, and we will do hands-on printing with negatives that students bring to class. The hands-on techniques will be devoted to Cyanotype printing (blueprint), Polaroid Transfers and Lifts as well as Liquid Emulsion printing, which can be painted onto any surface, including paper, canvas, tile, and stone. Step outside of the traditional silver gelatin print and explore the endless possibilities with alternative processes. You will need to bring your black-and-white negatives and color slides to the first class. (Limit 12)

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely, and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, The Maine Photographic Workshops, and currently teaches at UNC-Greensboro.

2 Saturdays, 12–4 p.m. (8 hours)
9/10/2005–9/17/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $30 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $125



Advanced Photography Project Workshop
Christopher Sims
Class ID: 9756

This advanced workshop is intended to deepen a student’s engagement with specific projects or specific photographic techniques. This course will be offered by different photographers each term to provide the opportunity to receive multiple perspectives on a student’s work. A focus of this term’s course will be learning what it takes to exhibit photography work in commercial galleries, alternative spaces, museums, and not-for-profit spaces; understanding which grants, fellowships, scholarships, and artist’s residencies are most relevant for your work and how to streamline the time it takes to apply for such opportunities; and whether an internship and/or graduate school is right for you at this time. This course may be taken more than once for credit toward the Certificate in Documentary Studies. (Limit 6)

Christopher Sims, currently the CDS Web designer, has also coordinated the exhibitions and awards programs at CDS and worked as a photo archivist at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He has a master’s degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill and is currently a candidate for an MFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art. His photography project on Durham-based U.S. Army recruiters received a national fellowship from the Houston Center for Photography, was selected for PDN’s Photography Annual "Best Photography of the Year" in 2003, and was featured in the book American Photography 20, a collection edited by Kathy Ryan of the New York Times Magazine.

6 Mondays, 6:30–9 p.m. (15 hours)
11/7/2005–12/12/2005
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $300

Spring/Summer 2005

Winter 2005

Fall 2004

Spring/Summer 2004

Winter 2004

Fall 2003

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Untitled, from the series Raising Helana. Photograph by Lissa Gotwals, from her project for the continuing studies course Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies. Gotwals's work from this series was published in issue 03 of Blueeyes Magazine.