HIS-334 Introduction to Documentary Film

Course Overview

Students will become acquainted with documentary film as a vehicle for exploring history, the human experience, and complex contemporary issues. Students will read about and study groundbreaking documentaries in order to understand the different communication tools used for ethnographic documentation, historical films, personal journey essays, and advocacy.  Through course assignments, hands-on classroom activities, and discussions with documentary filmmakers, students will develop a critical appreciation of documentary film, consider ethical aspects of documentary filmmaking, and gain skills in interviewing techniques, research, and writing.

For the culminating project, students will research topics, identify target audiences, list resources, and develop treatments that outline an approach for conveying factual information in creative, engaging styles.  We will discuss strategies Deaf filmmakers may want to consider when developing and producing documentaries for general audiences.

This course will satisfy the US history elective requirement for history majors.