UC Documentary Skills
The Professional Field
Course Supervisor: Frederik Nikolai.
Through interactive lectures by experienced documentary professionals and experts, students acquire complementary knowledge of:
[a] Writing for documentary (storytelling, alternative scripts, pitching),
[b] Fundamentals of budgeting, planning, applying for funding, producing,
[c] Legal questions/issues in documentary (release forms, author's rights, contracts, ownership),
[d] Distribution models.
The course is organised around master classes with group discussions, seminar lectures and screenings, exercises and pitchings. Students are based on their ability to digest the information they receive while attending classes and meeting producers, distributors, legal advisors, etc.
This learning process aims to provide students with further knowledge and practice in the production of independent documentary films. These skills are acquired in preparation for the Master’s Degree Project (semester 4) but will also be useful in the students’ future careers.