This document outlines the topics that will be covered in Seminar Two at Hunter College, focusing on documentary filmmaking. It discusses developing a story, conducting interviews, structuring a documentary, incorporating art and music, project management and roles, editing in iMovie, and testing equipment. Students are encouraged to think about the story they want to tell, necessary resources, interview techniques, ethics, distribution, and modeling their work after other short documentaries. A timeline and roles for the project are also addressed.

1. Seminar Two | Hunter College
Karen Gregory
Instructional Technology Fellow

2.  What story do you want to tell?
 Why?
 What resources do you have? Research,
photos, videos, access to interviews?
 What resources do you need? Equipment,
access, more research?

3.  Again, what story are you trying to tell?
 How would you write out this story?
 Storyboarding (template via Pages)
 How does the footage you have (or may be
able to collect) inform the structure or vice
versa?

4.  Techniques for interviews:
 Develop questions in advance, revise questions
 Try out the questions on other people first
 Sound checks, video checks (is this thing on?)
 Consider the interview location (will there be wind?
Children, cars, etc?)
 How much time do you need? Longer than you think.
 Building Trust. Your job is to make the personal feel
comfortable. Camera &Mic are forms of power. Wield
them wisely.

5.  How can we tell a “truthful” story?
 What are the ethical concerns this question
brings up?
 How does a camera/mic alter the dynamics
between people?

6.  Where will this doc “live”?
 Who will see it?
 Who do you want to see it?
 Can a documentary have a public impact?

7.  Do some research to find other short docs
and films?
 Can you model your work on them? Or
borrow techniques?
 How did they make the doc? Camera set ups?
Use of art? Use of music? Use of titles?
 See This American Life or The Moth (KG also
bringing in examples)

8.  When you think about structuring and editing
the doc, where might art & music be used to
tell the story?
 Consider here “Group Roles”– is someone in
your group “the artist” or “composer”?
 Free Royalty Footage
 Creative Commons Search

9.  When will you wander/collect B-Roll?
 When will you script/storyboard
 When will you interview?
 When will you review footage?
 When will you revise the storyboard?
 When will edit? Who & how?
 When will you revise the edits?

10.  Roles to consider: Teams will structure the project
 Director
 Producer
 Co-creators
 Editor
 Music Supervisor/Composer
 Art
 Project Manager! The person who has everyone's information
and the schedule is okay
 Cinematographer
 Sound recording
 Reporters/Interviewers
 Animation

11.  Everything that shows up in the final film is a
result of a choice.
 We will cover the basics of iMovie in class

12.  TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT (even your iPhone)
 Sound issues (cars, wind, etc)
 Use a tripod
 Wander and take still photos as B-roll footage
 Establishing shots
 Signage
 Details that might be useful

13.  What are you going to use (and why?)
http://macaulay.cuny.edu/community/doit/av-
equipment/
 Be comfortable with your camera! Discuss
with Karen or Pam what cameras to use or
select.