Making a Short Documentary

AFTER THIS CLASS YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:

• Figure out what your story is and create a story arc or narrative.
• Perform extensive research and gather background information.
• Prepare for, conduct, and edit an interview.
• Use B-roll footage to round out your story.
• Master the post-production process and create a polished finished piece.
• Find partners and funders through pitching and trailers.

ABOUT ED AND JULIE’S CLASS:

Documentary film is an incredibly powerful way to tell a story, but it can also be a daunting project to undertake. How do you figure out your story, theme, and vision? What’s the best way to interact with your subject? What about all the technical aspects—from lighting to audio to editing? And of course, how will you get the funds to complete your film?

If all these uncertainties are causing you to rethink your idea of making documentaries, then this class is a must for you. Award winning documentarians and photojournalists Ed Kashi and Julie Winokur will give you all the information and inspiration you need to tackle your project and see it through to the finish.

In this class, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify a great subject and define your vision.
• Research your subject thoroughly and find other work that’s been done on it.
• Choose and gather the equipment you’ll need.
• Prepare for your interview, including formulating the right questions.
• Conduct an interview, including setting up your lights and capturing the audio.
• Create a post-production workflow.
• Write a compelling pitch and create a trailer to gain funding and support.
• Generate a variety of end products, including videos for social media and still photos.

Whether you’re looking to create shareable videos on social platforms or hoping to gather funding to produce a bigger project, this class will help you simplify the process and begin creating documentaries for clients or to fulfill your own artistic vision.

WHO THIS CLASS IS FOR:

• Photojournalists and photographers wanting to get into video to expand their capabilities and explore new ways of telling stories.
• Budding filmmakers who need the knowledge and inspiration to get started on their project.
• Those who want more technical information and skills on how to develop and produce video and film

• Class Introduction
• How Did We Start Making Documentaries?
• Universal Themes Through First-Person Storytelling
• Use Visual Language to Tackle a Theme
• Issue Driven & Non-English Story Development
• Translate a Theme Into a Film **Warning: This lesson contains scenes of graphic violence**
• Turn Failures Into Lessons
• Finding Your Subjects
• What is Your Motivation?
• Follow Your Passion & Invest in Yourself
• Client Work Vs Legacy Work
• Translate the Idea to Reality
• Create Multiple Products from One Idea
• Pre-Production Plan
• You Just Have to Dive In
• Time & Cost for Projects
• Writing a Strong Pitch
• Develop a Fundraising Trailer
• Identify & Approach Partners
• Define Your Desired Impact
• Introduction to Working in the Field
• Shoot: Interview Set Up
• Shoot: The Interview
• Different Types of Interviews
• Shoot: Capturing B-Roll
• Shoot: Detail Shots
• Shoot: Capturing a Scene
• Shoot: A Set Up Shot
• What Video to Keep in The Edit?
• Identify Strongest Audio as Starting Point for Edit
• Use Audio to Guide Narrative
• Transform Raw Content Into Finished Piece
• Building Scenes in Your Edit
• Short Doc Created from Pre Shoot: Resonant
• Final Thoughts