Visual & Media Arts :: Undergraduate: Documentary Production

Documentary Production

This specialization is designed for students interested in telling stories from “real” life. In addition to learning how to produce documentary work, students in this specialization will also gain important perspectives on the history of documentary, the business of making documentary productions, and the debates concerning the legal, ethical and theoretical questions related to representing others.

Credits

B.A.: 44
B.F.A.: 60

Visual and media arts foundations (12 credits)

The Visual and Media Arts Foundations offers the student a broad theoretical, historical and practical introduction to the visual and media arts.

Required Courses

Course Code	Course Information
VM100	History of Media Arts I 4.00 Credits The first of a two-semester course exploring the historical development of the media arts. This course will focus on the development of the film, broadcasting, and sound recording industries until 1950, including the organization, operation, and management of media organizations. The course will investigate the relationship between economics, industrial history, and social and political systems, and the styles and techniques of specific films and broadcast programs. Special attention is given to the diversity of styles of presentation in the media.
VM101	History of Media Arts II 4.00 Credits The second of a two-semester course exploring the historical development of the media arts. This course will focus on the continuing development of the film, broadcasting, and sound recording industries after 1950, as well as the development of video and digital technologies, including the organization, operation, and management of media organizations. The course will investigate the relationship between economics, industrial history, and social and political systems, and the styles and techniques of specific films and videos, broadcast programs, and new media.
VM120	Foundations in Visual and Media Arts Production 4.00 Credits This course combines lectures with hands-on workshops. It examines the relationships among photography, graphics, audio, film, video, and new media within the context of cross-media concepts, theories, and applications. The course traces the creative process from initial conception and writing through production and post-production. Students will proceed through a series of exercises that will lead to completion of a final project, which establishes a foundation for advanced production course work.

Introduction to Disciplines (16 Credits Minimum)

At the Introduction to Disciplines level, students explore one or more of the department’s main discipline areas.

Required Courses

Course Code	Course Information
VM200	Media Criticism and Theory 4.00 Credits This course explores theoretical and critical approaches to the study of photography, film, video, audio, and digital culture. Theories and methods in this course will examine issues relating to production and authorship in the media arts, audience reception and effects, political ideology, ethics, aesthetics, cultural diversity, and schools of thought within the liberal arts. Extensive critical writing and reading in media criticism and theory. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.

Course Code

Course Information

VM200

Media Criticism and Theory

At least one of the following

VM220	Writing the Short Subject 4.00 Credits Participants will study the short subject within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, and experimental concepts and scripts (animation is included in any of these forms). Scripts will range from 3-15 minutes in length and should be suitable for shooting within the budget and time constraints of an Emerson College production class. Students will be expected to complete comprehensive revisions of their work. Prerequisites: VM 101 and VM 120.
VM221	Writing the Feature Film 4.00 Credits Combining lecture, workshop, and screenings, this course examines the fundamentals of writing for narrative feature-length film. The course will examine structure, character, scene writing and dialogue and will take students from ideation through to the development of a detailed outline. Prerequisites: VM 101 and VM 120.
VM222	Writing for Television 4.00 Credits This course will examine how to write for television in a variety of formats, including news magazine, reality TV, and children's television, but with a predominant emphasis on situational comedies, dramas, and movies of the week. Through a series of lectures, screenings, and readings, the elements of each genre will be analyzed. Each student will be challenged and encouraged to find his or her own unique "voice" and to find new and innovative ways to write stories within the confines of each established format. Each student will leave with a professional first draft of either a sitcom or drama, or the first 30 pages of a made-for-TV movie script. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.
VM202	Critical Listening 4.00 Credits This course provides a study of the psychoacoustic perception and analysis of classical and contemporary use of sound in the media. Students will identify and define acoustic variables, comparing past and present recordings in all media.

At least two of the following

VM230	Introduction to Film Production (I) 4.00 Credits An introductory level course in the basics of non-synchronous 16mm filmmaking, including basic camera operation, principles of cinematography and lighting, black-and-white film stock information, introduction to non-sync sound recording and transfers, and picture and sound editing.
VM231	Intermediate Film Production 4.00 Credits An intermediate level 16mm film production class designed to introduce students to the technical, conceptual, and procedural skills necessary to successfully complete a short double system sync-sound film. Students will be introduced to pre-production, production, and post-production procedures and techniques, and will receive detailed hands-on instruction in the operation of sync-sound motion picture production and post-production equipment.
VM240	Introduction to Video Field Production 4.00 Credits An introduction to single-camera video production. Through lectures and hands-on projects, students learn the equipment and techniques used in single-camera field production and post-production. Students write and produce a variety of projects, which are edited in digital non-linear mode and then downloaded for review in class.
VM241	Introduction to Studio Television Production 4.00 Credits An introduction to studio television practice. Through lectures and hands-on laboratories, students learn the principles of pre-production, production, and post-production for the studio as well as control room procedures. Students prepare their own productions, from concept to completion. Each project is shot multi-camera, live-on-tape, in the studio.
VM250	Introduction to Sound Principles & Audio Production 4.00 Credits An introduction to audio physics, sound principles, and the theory and practice of audio recording and mixing. The emphasis is on concept development for sound production; signal routing and the mixer console; analog and digital audio recording and editing techniques. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.
VM251	Audio Field Recording 4.00 Credits An intensive study in the theory and practice of field/location and studio audio recording for film, video, television and documentary formats. The course covers techniques in the use of field/studio recorders and mixers, wireless microphones, shotgun microphones, boom poles & shot blocking. Also covered are tape based, and hard disk digital recorders, and time-code synchronization management. Prerequisite: VM 250.
VM260	Introduction to Digital Media Production 4.00 Credits An introduction to the theory and practice of digital media production. This course will stress the conceptual, aesthetic, and technical concerns of digital media, emphasizing creativity and familiarity with the material. Areas include introductions to Web design and development, animation, interactivity, graphics and imaging, as well as project management, interface design, and user experience. Students will produce creative works based on instruction in the technical aspects of the material. Prerequisite: VM 101 and VM 120.

Specializations

Required Courses

VM402	Seminar in Media Arts Topics 4.00 Credits This course will examine various topics in media arts. Students will be expected to study a variety of issues in seminar fashion. Topics vary from section to section. Course may be repeated for credit if topics vary. Prerequisite: VM 200 and Senior standing (Junior standing with permission of Chair).
VM411	History of Documentary 4.00 Credits This course examines the history and theory of documentary media production, with attention to the economic, technological, ethical, and aesthetic concerns of documentarians. Prerequisite: VM 200.
VM370	Business Concepts for Modern Media 4.00 Credits The course focuses on strategic thinking, planning, organization, and implementation of media projects from conception (pre-production) through release/distribution/exhibition (theatrical, non-theatrical, digital, web). Course content includes acquiring fundamental skills and a working knowledge of: business math, business plans, intellectual property and copyright basics, grant(s) writing and resources, and current trends in advertising, marketing, and press package materials. Students are encouraged to conduct database web research on the industry and festivals, in addition to following current trends in global markets, financing, advertising, and marketing. Prerequisites: VM 230 or VM 240 or VM 241 or VM 250 or VM 260.

At least one of the following

VM377	Documentary Production Workshop 4.00 Credits This is an advanced class in documentary production. Students will build up the skills necessary to produce their own documentary productions in video or film. The class will cover production processes from story-development through all the production phases. The class will balance these more practical considerations with larger theoretical debates concerning the legal and ethical responsibilities of those who document others. This class can be either a capstone class for the BA program with a specialization in documentary or could be a gateway class for students seeking to do a documentary project in the BFA program. Prerequisites: VM 230 or VM 240.
VM465	Documentary Photography 4.00 Credits This course creates the foundation for an intense investigation of an issuecultural, political, ideological, or personal. Technically, it will address developing a deeper competence in negative making and black and white printing, with the emphasis on strongly informative images. Students will learn to use their cameras, lenses and electronic flash with spontaneity and flexibility. Assignments will require the student to discover narrative possibilities while creating strong individual images. The course's technical components will be supplemented by considerations of the history of documentary photography as well as field trips. Prerequisite: VM 365.

VM377

Documentary Production Workshop

VM465

Documentary Photography

Recommended Courses

VM545	Producing for Television and Non-Broadcast Media 4.00 Credits Through lecture and hands-on projects, students learn the organizational and creative skills of producing in the studio and in the field. Topics include program development, pitching, budgeting, hiring, scheduling, and coordinating the production and program evaluation. Prerequisite: VM 240 and VM 241.
VM251	Audio Field Recording 4.00 Credits An intensive study in the theory and practice of field/location and studio audio recording for film, video, television and documentary formats. The course covers techniques in the use of field/studio recorders and mixers, wireless microphones, shotgun microphones, boom poles & shot blocking. Also covered are tape based, and hard disk digital recorders, and time-code synchronization management. Prerequisite: VM 250.
VM375	Interactive Media 4.00 Credits This course is an exploration of interactive media, which will include consideration of conceptual, aesthetic, and technical concerns. Technologies covered include interactive web elements, databases, DVD/CD-ROM production, and an introduction to programming. The emphasis will be on the creation of meaningful work using the materials. Prerequisite: VM 260.
VM424	Interactive Storytelling 4.00 Credits The act of storytelling is one of the richest traditions of humankind. We have told our stories by many means books, art, time-based media, and performance. A recent addition, the ability to tell stories using interactive methods and digital delivery systems, has radically changed the process of making and telling stories. In this production course we will explore recent developments in interactive, digital narratives, performances, documentaries, ethnographic studies, games and installations. Students will produce one large-scale interactive project during the semester. Production teams will need specialists from all media disciplines. Prerequisite: Two courses numbered from VM 220 or VM 221 or VM 222.

Advanced Visual and Media Arts Workshop

Students may apply to take the Advanced Visual and Media Arts Workshop. Two semesters mandatory for B.F.A. Optional for B.A.

For specific course prerequisites, please consult the Undergraduate Catalog.