H95.1560 001 The Art and Technique of the Documentary
Course LevelUndergraduate
DescriptionThis class is designed to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the many different techniques and styles of the documentary, ranging from historical and political essay films to first person memoir and character study films. Students will view a documentary in each class and the instructor will lead class discussions exploring the creative and technical decisions that were used to make the film: Why did the filmmaker decide upon the particular form to present the subject? What unique challenges did he or she encounter? What were the various techniques used to develop the subject? Screenings will include both contemporary and classical documentaries. The instructor, an Academy Award-winning producer/director, will show several of her own films as well, explaining candidly how she developed the idea, gathered source material and decided upon the appropriate form to be used. Several producer/directors will be invited as guest speakers to share their professional experience and expertise with the class. Each student will have the opportunity to develop an idea for a documentary that will include interview subjects, a pitch and a treatment.
Instructor: Aviva Slesin
Aviva Slesin is an accomplished, award-winning documentary filmmaker. She has produced and directed feature length documentaries including The Ten Year Lunch: The Wit and Legend of the Algonquin Round Table, which won an Academy Award in 1988, Voices in Celebration, a film that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, Directed by William Wyler, a biography of the late Hollywood director which was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding information special – long form in 1988 and, more recently, Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During World War II, which was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Historical Programming – Long Form in 2004. She also produced and directed short films for: Saturday Night Live, HBO’s Real Sex, Children’s Television Workshop’s Sesame Street, John Hockenberry’s Edgewise and HA! for Comedy Central and, most recently, in 2009, Talk About Art, for the National Gallery of Art.
Ms. Slesin began her career as film editor on such films as Making Television Dance, about choreographer Twyla Tharp, and The Rutles, a Beatles satire written and directed by Monty Python’s Eric Idle. A selection of her work, The Long and Short of It, was screened as a special program at The Sundance Film Festival. She has also been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony.
Also Cross-Listed As:
- H95.2060001
Cinema Studies, Film & Television
Tisch School of the Arts
Department Contact(s)
Office of Special Programs
212-998-1500
tisch.special.info@nyu.edu
| Sec # | Type | Dates | Meeting Times | Instructor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Lecture | Jun 29 - Aug 07 | MW06:00 PM - 09:15 PM | 4 |