Summer Film School

Documentary Filmmaking A-Z

A four-week program working with independent documentary filmmakers.

June 4 – July 1, 2012

During the month of June, MassArt offers a unique, intensive, sequential four-week documentary filmmaking program with award-winning filmmakers that is like a mini-film school. Take all four weeks and learn what might take more than a year otherwise. Or take any single class or combination of classes that fits your experience or needs. For students from out of town or interested in focusing only on their class(es), a residential option is available in MassArt's Artists Residence located across the street from studio classrooms and one block from the Museum of Fine Arts.

MassArt is pleased to recognize this year's faculty members – Stephen Maing, David Redmon, and Ashley Sabin – for their selection to participate in this year's Tribeca Film Festival World Documentary Competition, Independent Film Festival of Boston, and Hot Docs with their new films, Hi Tech, Low Life and Downeast.

June 4 – 8: Documentary Video Boot Camp with David Tames
June 11 – 15: The Documentary Camera with Stephen Maing
June 18 – 22:   Editing the Documentary with David Redmon and Ashley Sabin
June 25 – 29: Producing the Documentary with Julie Mallozzi 

Course Descriptions

Documentary Video Boot Camp
The full production experience in fast motion: project definition, project planning, camera, editing, and presentation. All with an introduction to context and history of independent documentary production, all in one week. Open to all levels.

The Documentary Camera
Hand-held camera, sit down interviews, observational, location filming— the camera tells the story. Learn to do more than just capture a moment. Think about how to frame the story through the camera and what that means for how the viewer experiences it. Basic camera knowledge or Documentary Video Boot Camp suggested.

Editing the Documentary
Editing is essentially directing in post-production. Work with experienced editors to explore editing techniques and styles as they relate to documentary production. Even for non-editors, understanding editing is a great way to be better prepared for and do a better job in production. Basic knowledge of digital editing required.

Producing the Documentary
Intensive prep for anyone serious about making their own documentary. Learn how the pros prepare for production: planning, writing, budgeting, fundraising. Open to all levels.

Faculty

David Tames has worked in documentary and narrative film for over 14 years as director, cinematographer, and editor. He is a graduate of MassArt's Dynamic Media Institute and MIT's Media Lab and serves on the Board of Filmmakers Collaborative. He is Studio Manager for the Studio Foundation Program at MassArt. www.kino-eye.com

Steve Maing has worked in documentary and narrative film as director, cinematographer, and editor. His new film, High Tech, Low Life, a documentary about two Chinese citizen journalists, was funded by the Independent Television Service and Sundance Documentary Fund, and was a selection at Tribeca All Access in 2009. The film is premiering and competing in the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival World Documentary Competition, playing in IFFBoston and will have an international premiere at Hot Docs, in Toronto. Steve's other films and projects have won awards and screened in festivals and on public television across the US. www.stephenmaing.com

David Redmon and Ashley Sabin have produced, directed, edited and photographed six feature documentaries: Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005), Kamp Katrina (2007), Intimidad (2008), Invisible Girlfriend (2009), Girl Model (2011) and Downeast (2012). Their films have been featured in festivals (Toronto, Sundance, SXSW, Documenta Madrid, Leeds, Hot Docs, Tribeca...), won awards, played theatrically and broadcast throughout the world. Redmon received his PhD in sociology and is a former Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University. Sabin received her BA in Art History from Pratt Institute and is currently writing her first fictional script. www.carnivalesquefilms.com

Julie Mallozzi is an independent filmmaker whose works have been screened at festivals and in theaters throughout the US and broadcast on PBS, and she has also been a producer for a number of PBS programs. Julie studied filmmaking as an undergraduate at Harvard, where she has also taught, and has an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. www.juliemallozzi.com

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