Course Description
Provides students an experiential learning opportunity by participating in the film production as a crew member. Students and WWII Foundation’s production team will visit important landmarks in WWII history to shoot a documentary film. Also, all participants will complete their own short documentary after the trip.
Athena Title
WWII Documentary Filmmaking
Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to understand the storytelling structure and techniques for documentary films.
- Students will be able to demonstrate the skills and techniques of a documentary film shoot: Directing, camera operation, audio recording, and editing as a production crew member.
- Students will be able to comprehend the documentary film production processes including pre-production, production, and post-production as a creator of a short documentary.
Topical Outline
- Pre-Travel Meetings
1. Orientation: Overview, Itinerary, Introducing WWII Foundation’s summer project
2. Group Session: Organizing group, developing a story, assigning roles
3. Workshop: documentary filmmaking
- Travel and Production
1. Daily Meeting
a. Students are required to participate in the daily meeting in the morning.
b. Before/during breakfast to discuss the daily shooting schedule
c. Students will be assigned specific roles and assignments of the day such as shooting a b-cam for the interview, collecting b-roll footages in the certain area/location, assisting WWII Foundation production crew.
- Shooting as a Crew Member
1. All students will experience documentary field production by shadowing and observing the WWII production. Students also will be assigned with collaboration of the program director to shoot certain footage by the director of the WWII Foundation.
2. Students will perform their roles during the shoot.
3. Students will communicate with the program director and the WWII Foundation production crew to successfully complete their roles.
- Shooting as a Group Member
1. A group of students (3-4 students in each group) will create their own documentary films during the travel. Each group will develop their own story, shoot, and edit a short documentary film (10-15 minutes). Students will utilize the WWII Foundation’s resources – local history, locations, interviewees, logistics and production schedule. Pre-Travel Meeting (Pre-Production).
- Post-Travel Meeting
1. Students will screen and discuss the group project.
2. The program director will give feedback for each project and post-production process.
