This document outlines the course structure and topics for a documentary production class at City University Hong Kong. The course covers various aspects of documentary filmmaking over 15 weeks, including documentary forms, treatment writing, interview techniques, editing, and post-production. Students will develop a documentary project proposal and treatment, shoot footage, do a final screening, and submit their work by the end of the term. The course aims to teach students the creative process of documenting real stories and exploring diverse approaches to the documentary genre.

1. DOCUMENTARY
PRODUCTION
THE ART OF TRUTH, INTUITION, FEAR & FAILURE
Week 1
SHANNON WALSH / SM2229/ FALL 2014
SCHOOL OF CREATIVE MEDIA, CITY UNIVERSITY HONG KONG

2. ALL
YOU
NEED
TO
KNOW!
http://documentaryproductionhk.wordpress.com

3. LECTURES
Topic Date
Introduction Sep 3
Documentary Form & Choosing your Subject Sept 10
Treatment Writing for Documentary Sept 17
The Interview: Establishing Relationships Sept 24
Phases of Production & Work Flow Oct 8
Political & POV Docs Oct 15
Ethical Questions Oct 22
Dealing with Time: History & Archives Oct 29
Post Production: Editing & Sound Nov 5
Rough Cut & Assembly Screenings Nov 12
Experimental Approaches in Documentary Nov 19
Final Screenings & Crit Nov 29 & Dec 3

4. ASSIGNMENTS
& GRADES
Assignment Weight Deadline
Screening Discussion & Critique 10% Ongoing
Production Plan & Reflection 15% Sept 17
Project Treatment 25% Oct 8
Shooting Report & Footage 20% Nov 12
Final Screening 30% Nov 26
Final Submission Dec 10

5. IT STARTS WITH YOU
What do you bring?
What would you like to learn?
Trust yourself!
Don’t be afraid to try!
All learning comes from failures
Look at the world around you
everyday

6. COURSE
STRUCTURE
Part I is THINKING! Researching, planning & writing
Part II is DOING! Filming, interviewing, editing, organizing
Always WATCHING! Commenting, critiquing

7. HOW HAS LIFE MARKED YOU?
Start looking by looking
around you.
What stories move you?
What excites you?
What do you want to tell?
What do you want to
preserve?
What is close to you?
Doing “Self-Inventory” or finding creative voice, from “Directing Documentary” Michael Rabiger

8. “Modern documentary avoids telling us what to feel
or think. Instead it exposes us to contradictory,
provocative evidence that moves us to inner debate
and realization.”

9. DOCUMENTARY
IS…
Documentary is the “creative treatment of actuality” – John Greison
Who does it? Artists; Filmmakers; Professional Journalists;
Activists; Ethnographers
What do you need? Engaging characters; narrative tension;
something to say about the world around us.

10. FORM
The way in which the story is presented …

11. SUBJECTIVE/ OBJECTIVE?
“Since you must subjectively choose everything you show, your
documentary can never be objective truth. Instead, it is a
construct by which you convey the spirit of truth.”

12. “Act of Killing” Josh Oppenheimer “Fog of War” Errol Morris
DIVERSITY IS THE RULE,
NOT THE EXCEPTION!

13. P.O.V. & POLITICAL
“Roger & Me” Michael Moore
“Better this World” Kelly Duane, Katie Galloway

14. “Let the Fire Burn” Jason Osder
ARCHIVAL

15. “Capturing the Friedmans” Andrew Jarecki

16. CINEMA DIRECT
“Up the Yangtze” Yung Chang

17. Petition (2009) Zhao Liang

18. “Century of the Self” Adam Curtis
ESSAY

19. SCIENCE & NATURE
“March of the Penguins”

20. “Sans Soleil” Chris Marker
EXPERIMENTAL

21. TRUTH? “The Thin Blue Line” Errol Morris