52653 Creating Documentary
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 52652 Drama Production AND 52651 Exploring Media Arts
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 54031 Composing the Real AND 58115 Composing the Real
Description
This subject explores conceptual and production approaches to documentary. Students are introduced to the theory, skills and techniques used to make and critically understand documentary productions. In addition, they examine alternate forms such as hybrid, animation, and emerging non-fiction forms. Activities include practical sound and moving image exercises and the production of short documentaries. Throughout the subject, students investigate ethical issues associated with documentary and expand their understandings of how to work with the creative treatment of actuality.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Analyse documentaries critically |
|---|---|
| b. | Describe and apply different techniques, approaches and forms of the documentary |
| c. | Create and reflect on documentary work demonstrating creative and professional production skills |
| d. | Evaluate ethical issues in relation to documentary production |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Act in a professional manner appropriate to communication industries (1.1)
- Apply theoretically informed understandings of communication industries to independent and collaborative projects across a range of media (1.2)
- Act as reflexive critical thinkers and innovative creative practitioners who evaluate their own and others' work (2.2)
- Analyse and act ethically in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society (5.1)
- Exemplify effective and appropriate communication in different communication industry contexts (6.1)
- Utilise digital literacy and production skills across a range of media (6.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject is delivered through engagement with online pre-class preparation materials, campus seminars, workshops and collaborative group activities. The online content provides theoretical, conceptual and practical contexts to enhance and support learning outcomes of seminar and activity-based work. The seminars are the venue for discussion, critique, short presentations and in-class exercises used to develop craft skills and strategies for working effectively in small collaborative groups. Students receive formative feedback from the class lecturer and peers on in-class exercises and concept presentations relating to assessment items. The subject has three workshops facilitated by MediaLab which introduce new technical and software skills.
Content (topics)
This subject provides students with practice-based opportunities to explore the fundamentals of documentary production in the Media Arts. Documentary theory and practice is addressed through the examination of documentary history, modes, ethics and relevant case studies. Professional production skills covered in this subject include documentary development and planning processes; and the role of the director, producer and crew in preproduction, production and postproduction. Essential documentary production techniques covered include the art of the interview, location sound recording, camera coverage and effective collaboration.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Archival Documentary Essay Film
| Objective(s): | a, b and c | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 5 minute essay film 250-word written statement | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Short Documentary Project
| Objective(s): | b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 7-minute film 500-word written statement | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Students are required to submit documentation to an online approvals system for Media Arts & Production student projects in which they confirm they have acquired the appropriate approvals (locations, crew and cast) necessary to undertake the work that they propose. In addition, students must identify any and all safety risks that the production of their student project reasonably presents and provide evidence of how they will mitigate those risks while adhering to industry-standard safe work practices. These tasks address the various legal, safety and ethical requirements of screen production. Failure to provide tutors with the required documentation before published deadlines will result in the student crew not being authorised to collect the equipment required from FASS MediaLab to complete their projects.
Required texts
There are no required texts for this subject. Recommended readings will be available via UTS Library and through the subject site.
References
See Canvas reading list