DTC 491

DTC 491 Advanced Digital Cinema – Spring 2023

Course description:

Advanced Digital Cinema is a collaborative-driven course to documentary cinema focused on the study of films for social change that speak to/about intersectional issues of class, nationality, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. In addition to the screening and analysis of documentary films, this class will also unpack various methodological approaches to field research in the production of documentary and demonstrate techniques to define a storyline and to structure its narration through images, find interviewees, and effectively prepare and conduct interviews. The course will conclude with the production of short documentaries for theatrical exhibition.

Course work:
The course consists of 3 modules, each includes in-class film screenings, assigned weekly readings, several in-class exercises, a writing assignment, and one module project.

Module 1: Field research
Module 2: Field recording
Module 3: Montage and editing

Class logistics:
In addition to class conversations and film screenings, this course is centered around three main components: 1) In-class exercises, 2) Module projects, and 3) Mid-term paper. Apart from the midterm paper, all assignments will be developed collectively––in groups formed at the beginning of the semester. Refer to “module project guidelines” for detailed instructions for each assignment and refer to each module for instructions on in-class exercises.

Evaluation criteria:
Grading of In-class exercises and module projects will be based on your ability to collectively develop projects that reflect an understanding of the concepts discussed in class, the ideas presented in the readings and the extent to which digital technology can be used to narrate creatively and artistically. Participation will be assessed based on your contributions to class discussions.

Assignments:
Module 1
Module project 1: field research
Exercise 1: Defining story
Exercise 2: Defining character(s)
Midterm paper
Module 2
Module project 2: field recording
Exercise 3: Planning interview
Module 3
Module project 3: final draft
Exercise 4: Structuring story
Exercise 5: Visual structure

Course bibliography:
- Rony, Fatimah Tobing. The Third Eye: Race, Cinema, and the Ethnographic Spectacle.
- Marcus, Daniel and Kara, Selmin Ed. Contemporary Documentary.
- Bernand, Sheila Curran. Documentary Storytelling: Creative Nonfiction on Screen.
- De León, Jason. The Land of the Open Graves.
- Iglesias-Prieto, Norma. Beautiful Flowers of the Maquiladora.
- Minh-ha, Trinh T. Elsewhere, Within Here: Immigration, Refugeeism and the Boundary Event.
- Anderson, Katryn and Jack, Dana C Ed. The Oral History Reader.
- Isay, Dave Ed. Listening is an act of Love: The Story of StoryCorps.
- Rushdie, Salman. Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991.
- Said, Edward Reflexions on Exile and Other Essays.
- Kaapa, Pietari and Gustafsson, Tommy Ed. Transnational Ecocinema: Film Culture in an Era of Ecological Transformation.
- Jacob, Jose-Rodolfo. Los Braceros: Memories of bracero workers 1942-1964.
- Renov, Michael. The Subject of Documentary.
- de Michiel, Helen and Zimmermann, Partricia R. The Documentary Film Book.
- Rieser, Martin and Zapp, Andrea Ed. New Screen Media: Cinema/Art/Narrative.

Films:
- Nanook of the North, Dir. Robert Flaherty (excerpts)
- A Film Unfinished, Dir. Yael Hersonski
- 5 Broken Cameras, Dir. Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
- Flee, Dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen
- Overseas, Dir. Sung-A Yoon
- A.K.A. Don Bonus, Dir. Sokly Ny and Spencer Nakasako
- Police Brutality at the BLM Protests by Forensic Architecture

Class schedule:

Module 1 Field research

Early ethnographic cinema 1.1 (1/10)
Intro to class, syllabus, and introductions
Objectives and goals of class
1.2 (1/12)
Ethical issues in ethnographic documentary filmmaking
Film:
Nanook of the North, Dir. Robert Flaherty – Streaming on Kanopy – (excerpt screening in class)

Going against history: documentaries that oppose the violence of representation
2.1 (1/17) Screening
Film:
A Film Unfinished, Dir. Yael Hersonski – Streaming on Kanopy – Screening in class: 1h30m
2.2 (1/19) Film analysis
Readings:
- Seeing Anthropology by Fatimah Tobing Rony in The Third Eye: Race, Cinema, and the Ethnographic Spectacle. Pp. 21-43
- The Ethics of appropriation: “Misusing” the Found Document in Suitcase of Love and Shame and A Film Unfinished by Jamie Baron in Contemporary Documentary. Pp. 156-169

Planning the documentary - What is the story?
3.1 (1/24) Class conversation
Readings:
- Ch. 3 Finding the Story by Sheila Curran Bernand in Documentary Storytelling: Creative Nonfiction on Screen. Pp. 37-52
- Prevention Through Deterrence by Jason De León in The Land of the Open Graves. Pp. 23-37
3.2 (1/26) In-class exercise 1: Defining story
What is the topic? Who is going to narrate the documentary? What is its purpose?
Discuss possible topics for the group project. Are there any other documentaries about it?
Write a one-page pitch of why this is something worth being documented.

Conducting research: Pencil interview
4.1 (1/31) Class conversation
Readings:
- Ch. 8 Research by Sheila Curran Bernand in Documentary Storytelling: Creative Nonfiction on Screen. Pp. 123-139
- The Realm of Work by Norma Iglesias Prieto in Beautiful Flowers of the Maquiladora. Pp. 19-29
4.2 (2/2) In-class exercise 1: Defining character(s)
Who can speak about this story? How to engage with Informants? How to be an active observant?
How much can we bend reality to fit the needs of the story?
Write a one-page response to the uses of participant observation in documentary fieldwork.

Militant documentarians: working within decolonial frameworks
5.1 (2/7) Screening
Film:
5 Broken Cameras, Dir. Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi – Streaming on Kanopy – Screening in class: 1h30m
5.2 (2/9) Film analysis
Readings:
- Documentary and Video Activism by Daniel Marcus from Contemporary Documentary. Pp. 187-201
- Foreignness and the new color of fear by Trinh T. Minh-ha from Elsewhere, Within Here: Immigration, Refugeeism and the Boundary Event. Pp. 1-7

Class presentations: module project 1
6.1 (2/14)
6.2 (2/16)

Module 2 Field recording

Planning for an interview - How to prepare an interview?
7.1 (2/21) Class conversation
Readings:
- Learning to listen: Interview Techniques and analyses by Katryn Anderson and Dana C. Jack from The Oral History Reader. Pp. 129-142
- Listening is an act of Love: The Story of StoryCorps. Edited by Dave Isay. Pp. 149-166
7.2 (2/23) In-class exercise 3: Planning interview
How to design interviews for subject(s) of the documentary? What is the repercussion of using sound/video?
What is the importance of the location. Is the interviewer also participating within the doc?
What is the difference between talking heads, voice over, interview in action?
Write a one-page response to these questions in relaiton to your own project.

Intersectional displaced biographies
8.1 (2/28) Screening
Film:
Flee, Dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen (film analysis) streaming on Hulu – Screening in class 1h29m
8.2 (3/2) Film analysis
Readings:
- Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie from Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991. Pp. 9-21
- Reflexions on Exile by Edward Said from Reflexions on Exile and Other Essays. Pp.137-149

Framing subject: Documentarians about the commodification of the body across national boundaries
9.1 (3/7) Screening
Film:
Overseas, Dir. Sung-A Yoon – Streaming on Alexander Street – Screening in class 1h30m
9.2 (3/9) Film analysis
Readings:
- From Fancy High Heels to Useless Clothing: interconnectedness and ecocritical issues in transnational cinema by Kiu-wai Chu, from Transnational Ecocinema: Film Culture in an Era of Ecological Transformation. Pp. 65-85
- Los Braceros: Memories of bracero workers 1942-1964 by Jose-Rodolfo Jacob. Pp. 33-68 (Online access: https://archive.org/details/losbracerosmemor0000jaco/mode/2up)

Structuring story around interview or interview around story
10.1 (3/21) Class conversation
Readings:
- Memo and Lucho by Jason de León from The Land of the Open Graves. Pp. 89-106
10.2 (3/23) In-class exercise 4: Structuring story
How to break down the content of the interview? Listen carefully for things unspoken, unsaid, implied; and read between the lines.
What are the main topics discussed? How is the interview informing a possible structure for the project?
Should this be consulted with interviewees?
Write a one-page reflection on these questions.

Class presentations: module project 2
11.1 (3/28)
11.2 (3/30)

Module 3 Montage and editing

Shared forms of authorship in storytelling
12.1 (4/4) Screening
Film:
A.K.A. Don Bonus, Dir. Sokly Ny and Spencer Nakasako (film analysis) – Streaming on Alexander Street
12.2 (4/6) Film analysis
Readings:
- Domestic ethnography and the construction of the other self by Michael Renov from The Subject of Documentary. Pp. 216-230

Telling the story visually
13.1 (4/11) Editing workshop group 1, 2
13.2 (4/13) Editing workshop group 3, 4

The narrative revolution in digital documentary film: participatory spectatorship
14.1 (4/18) Editing workshop group 5, 6
14.2 (4/20) Interactive documentary
Project:
Police Brutality at the BLM Protests by Forensic Architecture
Readings:
- Documentary as an open space by Helen de Michiel and Partricia R. Zimmermann from The Documentary Film Book. Pp. 355 - 363
- Designed Experiences in Interactive Documentary by Siobhan O’Flynn from Contemporary Documentary. Pp. 72-86

Work week - meeting up with each group to see the last draft before final presentations
15.1 (4/25) Individual meetings with group 1, 2 and 3
15.2 (4/27) Individual meetings with group 4, 5 and 6

Finals week
(5/04) Final screening of documentaries

Module project instructions

Module project 1:
Narrative treatment of the documentary. What is it about? Who is going to be informing your story and who will be speaking? Research background, framing of the documentary. Class presentation should show a comprehensive investigation about the subject matter/topic of the project. This research should be a 10-20-page document.

Midterm paper:
2-page essay about A Film Unfinished or 5 broken cameras sustained using at least 3 of the readings assigned for module 1.

Module project 2:
Sound interview with main character or characters of documentary. Recording should be between 20-30 minutes. No editing. Class presentation should feature a curated excerpt of 8-10 minutes to be discussed in class and a complete interview transcript: Speech to text which should be between 20-30 pages.

Module project 3:
Final draft of 10–15-minute documentary that includes excerpted parts of interview(s) along with b-roll. Class presentation should feature the finished project along with an oral presentation to sustain all formal and narrative decisions and treatment of the story.