J286 History of Documentary

The course covers the evolution of American documentary film from 1920 to the present, with special attention to long-form nonfiction for television and independent documentaries for theaters, broadcast, and the web. We will concentrate on the practical problems of making documentaries in the real world for a mass audience, with special attention to documentary materials, structure, and ethics. The course is prerequisite for graduate students who are considering specializing in documentary.Occasional guest producer/directors may join us, TBA as available, to discuss their work.J-School TV students have priority, then other J-school students, then grad students from other departments, then undergrads.