Direct Your Own Mini-Documentary: Foundations of Visual Storytelling

Course Description

This hands-on course will introduce participants to the basics of visual communication through the opportunity to direct their own mini-documentary.

Students will learn the foundations of storytelling; how to tell a visual story, how to craft a narrative and how they can empower the people who sit in front of the camera through ethical storytelling. This course is rooted in these core beliefs: everyone has a voice, and everyone has a story to tell.

Students will learn how to tell a compelling story while filming with production equipment and using editing software. Participants will learn how to spot a good story, the art of editing and how to ask the types of questions that lead to interesting answers.

This course will focus equally on what goes into a great story and how to make one. Throughout the week participants will have access to mobile shooting kits, editing software and other gear owned by the School of Journalism and Communication. Students will require smartphones since they will be learning how to shoot quality footage on the personal devices. Students are also welcome to bring in their own laptops.

Each day will have dedicated time for students to practice shooting footage in a variety of settings.

The week will culminate with a class screening of the produced mini documentaries. Participants in this course will learn to produce engaging, non-fiction storytelling, a skill that can be applied to content creation, journalism, filmmaking and documentary storytelling.

Key topics covered in this course:

How to tell a visual story
How to use the tools that make a great visual story
How to edit a compelling final product