A LEARNING PORTFOLIO - comprises documentary research draft proposal, presentation pitch, evaluative essay (50%) L.O.s 1-4.

A PRODUCTION PORTFOLIO - comprises a finished film/programme production, production documentation and notes, production diary, evaluative report (50%) L.O.s 1-6.

Key Information Set data:
100% coursework

Media Centre facilities
Portable location camera equipment
Sound recording equipment
Editing suite facilities
Library resources
Online eResources
TV/DVD playback facilities
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

Austin, T. (2012) Watching the World, Manchester: MUP.
Ellis, J. (2012) Documentary, London: Routledge.
Lee-Wright, P. (2010) The Documentary Handbook, London: Routledge.
Rabiger, M. (2014) Directing the Documentary, London: Focal.
Thirkell, R. (2010) C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T. An Insider’s Guide to Storytelling in Factual/Reality TV and Film, London: Methuen Drama.

See module handbook for a full listing of reading texts.

This module aims to develop your practical and production skills in the processes involved in creating a documentary film for cinema or television. You will develop the techniques and crafts required to successfully produce a professional programme or film which could be screened to a specific target audience. Firstly you explore the range of possible projects and the resources at your disposal. You will consider the theory and practice of documentary making in more depth and start to apply those principles to whichever medium you decide to work in. Working in small teams (number by negotiation) you will carry out preliminary research into a subject for a documentary and then review what you will need to develop it to a professional standard of production: research of facts, study of examples on which you could model aspects of style and structure, particular technical and directing skills you need to acquire, how to target style and content to the identified audience, scouting locations and potential contributors, sourcing archive material, what permissions you may need to obtain. As part of this process you test your skills and try out ideas by recording and rough editing trial sequences. At the end of this part of the module you will draw together all you have learned to present a pitch to take your film/programme through to production. In the second half you will follow on from preparation you have done in your previous semester and take the project you have developed up to the completion of the pre-production stage and put it into production, post-production and evaluation. At the end of this module your finished work will be shown and discussed along with the work of your peers. This feedback forms a very important part of your learning and will directly inform your written evaluation of your finished product.

The module will contain a series of illustrated lectures which introduce the theory and practice of documentary film/TV making. Working in small groups you will negotiate a practicable brief for specific documentary project and then write a draft proposal thoroughly reviewing what you need to know in order to translate the brief into production. This becomes your learning plan for the remainder of the module, which you carry through independently, with continuing tutorial support, to enable you to
present a fully developed written proposal, including budget and production schedule. When taking the project into production the feedback from this presentation forms the basis for modification of the brief. In the second half you will mainly learn through the experience of producing your programme, supported by group tutorials with your project supervisor. Where applicable you may also be negotiating directly with a client on a professional basis. Throughout the project you are encouraged to keep an individual production diary in which you systematically record your production meetings and your individual learning. This process of reflection on the production process, along with discussion of the finished programme with your peers, informs the individual project evaluation.

Key Information Set data:
19% scheduled L&T activities
81% guided independent learning activities