The Nonfiction Imagination, or otherwise known as nonfiction studio:
The Nonfiction Studio for MFA Film students provides a laboratory for examining representational media in relation to the changing social and technical context of moving images. Representations of authority and authenticity will be considered in the face of technological developments, political events, and personal experience.
Through the production of several nonfiction projects, required viewings of short and feature length films, readings and discussion, this course will invite students to explore the role and impact of nonfiction film at different historical moments with the aim of yielding critical media producers for our contemporary world. Concepts explored will include truth vs. authority; authorial voice; mode/tone; interviews and testimonies; macrocosmic and personal explorations; performance and reenactment; essay films; interactive documentary; and uses of archival and found footage, among others. Invited guests will engage with a variety of nonfiction forms that range from theatrical to performative to installation to internet-based work. We will cultivate documentary skills including research, project development, structuring an interview, paper editing, narration, legality and release forms, and will build upon the technical education of complementary MFA Film studio courses. Critical thinking, research, written and verbal communication will be emphasized throughout, as well as creativity, risk-taking and questioning of formal conceits.