Documentary Films

Documentary Film is an Intensive, meaning it happens in a short time span (1 day in NYC, or 2 days on Zoom). The course includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s open to writers of any level. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.

Documentary films are more prevalent than ever—showing up in theaters, streaming, the web—covering every subject imaginable, be it tragic, comic, newsworthy, or outrageous. It’s a versatile form; they can run the length of a mini-series or be as brief as a short film, and they can be made for millions or a few hundred bucks.

A great documentary film takes more than equipment and sweat equity. It must be a carefully crafted piece of nonfiction storytelling. Here you’ll learn how to conceive ideas, structure stories, conduct research and interviews, write narration, adapt your plans to the footage you get, and market your work.

Grab a camera, mic, subject…and start capturing a fascinating true story.

About Documentary Films
Documentary Films

This is a great introduction into the documentary film world. Whether you know nothing, like I did, or if you're currently working on a film, you will undoubtedly get something out of it.

Michael Miglio

project manager

Upcoming Classes

Check back soon. You'll likely see options when we finish our next schedule.

Syllabus

This course gives an overview of the basics of writing/making a documentary film. Course components:
     Brief lectures
     Writing exercises

Topics:
     Finding and Focusing Your Idea
     Playing Producer
     Interviewing
     Creating a Script 
     Funding, Pitching, and Showing

Note: Content may vary among individual classes.