Shorts & Docs

Students will explore the ins and outs of short films, reports and documentaries in different steps:

• studying documentary & fiction filmmaking through the screening of films, clips, TV documentaries and
• screenwriting on specific
• making a documentary or fiction short film

Learning Outcomes:

• Reading: students will become active readers of short novels and appreciate ambiguity and complexity to articulate their own
• Writing skills: students will be able to write short scripts for both short films and
• Oral communication skills: students will demonstrate the skills needed to act in their own “productions”
• Critical Approach: students will develop the ability to evaluate their own work according to prerequisites and initial

Class Format:

Students will be involved in direct use of the language in participatory, communicative, and interactive classes. Time will mainly be devoted to:

• analyzing material (reading and viewing activities).
• confronting ideas and discussing interpretations, approaches and
• creative writing on specific assignments (introductions, credits, climax, trailers, interviews…).
• meetings for discussing group

Course Content & Material:

• Short films by Martin Scorsese Tim Burton, George Lucas, Adam Davidson, Stephen Daldry, Jim Gillespie, Brian Percival, Christopher Nolan, Simon Ellis, Disney, Pixar Julia Aks, Steve Pinder, …
• Documentaries by Julian Simpson, Michael Moore, Jule & Gedeon Naudet and James Hanlon, Jacques Sarrasin & Joseph

Stiglitz, Andrew Marr, Brett Morgen…

• TV reports by National Geographic, the New York Times, the BBC, CNN…

Evaluation will be based on:

• attendance, quality of class participation and in-class assignments;
• a written test: commenting on a movie or documentary excerpt;
• a group project: participants will make their own short film, documentary or TV