MU4009 Short Film Development Syllabus:

MU4009 Short Film Development Syllabus – Anna University PG Syllabus Regulation 2021

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

 To understand step by step procedure in making a documentary on any topic.
 Able to handle post production work
 At the end of the course, students will produce a documentary as part of their assessment.
 The students will be able to ensure the exhibition of their films for reviews.
 To learn the process of production and direction of an individually or group authored documentary film.

UNIT I GRAMMAR OF DOCUMENTARIES

Origins and History of Documentary Films – Introduction to Narrative and Non-narrative Filmmaking – Elements of documentaries – Aesthetics & Authorship – Documentary theory & Issue of representation, types of documentaries – Approaches in Science – Nature filmmaking – Ethnographic Documentary filmmaking – Creative approaches – Case Studies.

UNIT II DEVELOPING THE STORY – PREPRODUCTION

Understanding story, story basics, finding the story – Developing story ideas, story structure, time on screen, researching for documentaries, kinds of information, finding people as sources, information management, choosing a subject – Visual scope and visual evidence, permissions, funding, pitching your ideas – Proposals, elements of proposals, resources for writing proposals, attracting funding – Ethics in documentary filmmaking.

UNIT III SHOOTING THE STORY – PRODUCTION

Treatment, unscripted and scripted documentaries, planning, and collecting the material – adapting the script, ways to tell a story – Interviews, recce, use of talents, re-enactments, reconstruction & docudrama. Choosing the team, bringing together right people, working together, getting the right camera & equipments, camerawork, producing, directing, directing the crew. Shooting, lighting, location sound, problems & issues.

UNIT IV BUILDING THE STORY – POST PRODUCTION

Building the story in the editing table, working with an editor – Crafting the story, Finding your style – The paper edit, reviewing the footage, assembling of rushes, editing the footages, applying effects, transition – Adding sound effects and music, special effects dubbing, rerecording – Narration – Voiceover, using Music, titles and graphics – Colour exposure and colour correction – Credits & acknowledgements.

UNIT V PROJECT – PRACTICE & SCREENING

Project involving the production and direction of an individually or group authored documentary film, accompanied by a research dossier, a proposal and a treatment. The students will also ensure the exhibition of their films for reviews

TOTAL: 45 PERIODS

PRACTICALS: 30

1. Powerpoint presentation on Current public issues topics.
2. Song mixing using Adobe Audition.
3. Creating new sound effects and voice over for the short film using Adobe Audition.
4. Creating graphics for titles using Adobe illustrator.
5. Implementing various transition animations using Unity.
6. Editing short films using Adobe Premiere Pro.
7. Creating Lighting effects using Adobe LightRoom.
8. Working on color correction and color exposure using Photoshop.
9. Preparing shooting script and Editing Script.
10. Develop a short film based on current public issues as a mini project.

COURSE OUTCOMES:

CO1:Understands the basic skills of developing the documentary.
CO2:At the end of the course, students will be able to gain adequate skills about pre production.
CO3:Students will be able to apply principles of factual program production in their future productions
CO4:Apply various tools and software for lighting and sound to uphold the professional and social obligation
CO5:Understands the steps involved in post production and screening.

TOTAL:75 PERIODS

REFERENCES:

1. Alan Rosenthal. Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Film, SIU Press,4th Edition 2007.
2. Andy Glynne. Documentaries and How to Make Them, Kamera Books, Harpenden, Herts, 2012.
3. Barry Hampe. Making Documentary Films and Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries, Henry Holt and Company, 2007.
4. Clifford Thurlow. Making Short Films: The Complete Guide from Script to Screen (2nd Edition), Oxford International Publishers, 2008.
5. Genevieve Jolliffe and Andrew Zinnes. The Documentary Film Makers Handbook: A Guerilla , Second Edition, Bloomsbury Publishing India Private Limited, 2012
6. James R. Martin. Create Documentary Films, Videos, and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Nonfiction Projects (Films Cinema), Real Deal Press, 2010.
7. Louise Spence and Vinicius Navarro. Crafting Truth: Documentary Form and Meaning, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, N.J., 2011.
8. Michael Rabiger. Directing the Documentary, Focal Press, 2004.