MD Project
MD 401 Magdalena Kallenberger
Documentary Techniques // TURNING POINT

"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." John Lennon
Documentary Techniques
Turning Point

The course „Turning Point“ is an introduction into documentary film and video production. On the one side we will examine film excerpts throughout the history of documentary films, analyzing different approaches of storytelling and documentary practice. On the other side you will work in groups of 1-3 in the practical on the theme "Turning Point". The particular emphasis is on observing, discussing, analyzing, reflecting, describing "Turning Points" in our personal lifes, in the life of friends, parents, neighbours, people we barely met, the society surrounding us, historical events ... etc. to come up with own ideas on how to document a certain turning point. Throughout this course you will acquire conceptional competence for directing as well as technical skills to write a treatment, to set up, produce, edit and finalize your documentary video project.
Dear Students,
To take part in this course it is obligatory to attend
the LECTURE SERIES "Reflections on..."
Monday 3:30 PM in C3 Room 122
... the films we gonna watch and discuss are relating to our MD Project theme.
04 Final Assignment - Portrait/Turningpoint
03 Assignment - Sound and Images/ Music Video
02 Assignment - documentary without words
01 Assignment // Presentation // Documentary Approaches and History of Documentary Films
NEWS: please download the new credit file. It includes a GUC Logo that works on black background.
How your Credits should look like
Please check out the Final Cut Tutorial Page
MONDAY // 5. Slot // 15:30-17:00/ // LECTURE SERIES// obligatory to attend for everyone
TUESDAY // 3. Slot // 12:30-13:30 // LECTURE & PRACTICAL // obligatory to attend for everyone
TUESDAY // 4. Slot // 13:45-15:15 // PRACTICAL & CMD // obligatory to attend for everyone
Date | Topic | Practical | References | Assignments |
March 08 | Intro | Documentary film @ Wikipedia | Assignment 01 for inspiration have a look at The One Minute | |
March 15 | Fiction and Non-Fiction – EARLY FILMS (Rana Elgohary, Nada Harfoush, Ahmed Belal) | Presentation // Concept: Documentary without Words | 'Actuality' films and the novelty of showing an event
Humans as objects
Travelogue films: A staged story presented as truthful re-enactments of life
Distorting reality or catching the true spirit?
| Please send me your concepts till sunday 20.03. by email |
March 22 | Cinematic Truth and Propaganda | Presentation // Work in Progress: Documentary without Words | Introduction: How to set up a project in Final Cut Pro | |
March 29 | Cinéma-vérité and Cinéma-direct | Presentation // Work in Progress: Documentary without Words | Experimental Video Loops | |
April 05 | Political Cinema (Mina Nader) | FINAL Presentation // Documentary without Words | FC TUTORIAL: Editing The Rough Cut | Assignment 02 - music video |
April 12 | Introduction: The symbiosis of Picture and Music | Videos by Michel Gondry, Julien Reich, Janek JonasChris Cunningham, Spike Jonze, Hammer & Tongs, Ruben Fleischer, Jonathan Glazer, Mark Romanek, Douglas Wilson, Mike Mills, Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, Shynola ... FC TUTORIAL: Overwrite, Insert & Cutaway | 02 Assignment - Sound and Images/ Music Video | |
April 19 | Documentaries without words (Seif Hazem, Mia Ahmed) | Presentation // Work in Progress: Sound and Images/ Music Video | FC TUTORIAL: Trimming, Filters & Transitions | |
April 26 | Presentation // Work in Progress: Sound and Images/ Music Video | |||
May 03 | Docudrama and Dokufiction (Amina Shafik, AlShiemaa Kamel, Miral Ashraf) | Presentation // Work in Progress: Sound and Images/ Music Video | FC TUTORIAL: Titles, Speed Editing & Animation | |
May 10 | AKTIVITY WEEK | no teaching | ||
May 17 | Document, Documentation and Artist's Work | Introduction: Final Assignment: Portrait / Turningpoint | A great source for film and videos by artists and experimental filmmakers UBU.WEB | 04 Final Assignment - Portrait/Turningpoint |
May 24 | Reality film, Doku-Soap and Mocumentary (Mohamed Abo El Wafa, Ali Heraize, Omar Taher) | Work in Progress: Final Assignment: Portrait / Turningpoint | ||
May 31 | 3rd and 5th slot | Work in Progress: Final Assignment: Portrait / Turningpoint | ||
June 08 --- 2nd and 3rd slot!!! | Final Presentation | ... |