Senate Bill 1011-14
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
UAC
Date:
May 9, 2011
REVISION OF THE DOCOUMENTARY STUDY PROGRAM
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
1. That the following revision to the Documentary Study Program be approved by
the Senate.
2. That this takes effect for the Fall 2012 semester.
3. That this proposal be forwarded to President George M. Philip for approval.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 2 of 29
University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and Sciences
Course and Program Action
Form
Proposal No.
11-023
Please check one:
Course Proposal
X
Program Proposal
Please mark all that apply:
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
Cross-Listing
Title
Prerequisites
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate/Activate Course (boldface & underline as
appropriate)
X
Other (specify):
Documentary Studies
Program Revision
Department:
Documentary Studies Program
Effective Semester, Year: Fall 2012
Course Number
Current:
New:
Credits:
Course Title:
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
See attached documents:
1) Justification and explanation of revision of the Documentary Studies Program
2) Outline of revised program
3) Course action forms
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the course, check
here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e., CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
We are proposing revision of the Documentary Studies Program as described in the attached
documents -- to address issues raised by course changes in the five affiliated departments that
make up the Program and to improve access to 200-300 level courses.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified that this proposal does
not overlap their offering:
Chair of Proposing Department
Date
Gerald Zahavi, Documentary Studies Program (History Department) 3-28-
2011
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments having cross-listed
course(s) [Copy of e-mail approval on following page.]
Date
Dean of College
Date
Gregory Stevens
4/8/11
Chair of Academic Programs Committee
Date
Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies
Date
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 3 of 29
Janna Harton
4/7/11
Revision of the Faculty Initiated
Interdisciplinary Program in Documentary Studies
JUSTIFICATION AND EXPLANATION
Gerald Zahavi, Director & Sheila Curran Bernard, Associate Director
March 28, 2011
Overview
Documentary Studies was first offered as a major and minor in the fall semester, 2006. As a
faculty-initiated, interdisciplinary program (Art, Communication, History, Journalism, Music – and
most recently, participation by Women’s Studies faculty), the program is unique at UAlbany in
serving a variety of student constituencies. Not only do our courses provide a strong foundation
for our majors and minors, but they also support other majors and minors in related disciplines.
We are a center for information and resources needed to support media components of
coursework in photojournalism and social documentary photography (Journalism, Art);
transmedia and digital storytelling (History, Women’s Studies); composition and electronic music
and media (Music); and oral history and public history (History). The Documentary Studies
Program, faculty, and resources are also essential to the success of the new (Fall 2009) History &
Media concentration in the History M.A. program. Because of its wide pedagogical reach, it would
be misleading to simply measure the program strictly by the numbers of majors or intended
majors (43) it currently has; in any case, program growth is steady, as increasing numbers of
students learn about the program and what it offers.
Two assistant professors (Ray Sapirstein and Sheila Curran Bernard) and one professor (Gerald
Zahavi) are jointly appointed (half time each) to Documentary Studies and History. Otherwise, the
program faculty are all drawn from elsewhere: History (Amy Murrell Taylor), Art (Adam Frelin,
Phyllis Galembo, Daniel Goodwin), Music (Robert Gluck), Communication (Teresa Harrison,
William Husson), and Journalism (William Rainbolt).
Defining Documentary Studies
Documentary Studies is a broad term, most generally applied to the study and practice (utilizing
any of several available media formats) of non-fiction, extended, and creative treatments of
subject matter drawn from real life: social, scientific, political, economic, and cultural. A curriculum
in documentary studies prepares students for careers that depend on the ability to research and
shape content in a range of media. The major offers a theoretical and practical foundation of
contemporary and archival research, writing, and storytelling, stressing cultural and media literacy
and the ethical and effective use of media for civic engagement. Students may go on to careers in
public history, public affairs, broadcasting or journalism, or they may go on to higher degrees in a
range of disciplines, from education and the law to the arts.
Documentary expression is generally less encumbered than is journalism by the need for
timeliness (i.e., reporting on a story as it happens). In addition, rather than report on events,
documentary tends to blend journalism and art in a more finely-considered and crafted synthesis
of evidence and analysis over time. Whether the work is achieved in film or video, audio, print, or
on the web, a documentary project is more likely to be used (viewed, read, visited) for an
extended period of time and to bear the mark of authorship. It’s this authorship, most notably,
that stands documentary expression apart from most forms of journalism and from “reality”
television, simple documentation or recording of events, or media created for the purposes of
advocacy or advertising.
The Relation of Documentary Studies to the History Department
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 4 of 29
While documentary studies broadly encompasses all content areas, the University at Albany’s
positioning of the Documentary Studies Program reflects the strengths of its core faculty – all
affiliated with the History Department, the significance of documentary media to the study as well
as presentation of historical content, and the growing role of media, particularly digital media, in
preserving, organizing, and presenting content to current and future generations. The majority of
Documentary Studies courses, for this reason, are cross-listed with History. In addition, the
recent creation of the MA concentration in History and Media has created opportunities for more
efficient and effective use of Documentary Studies faculty to service both an undergraduate and
graduate curriculum, again in courses that serve multiple users.
The Present Documentary Studies Major/Minor and new Challenges
As approved by CAS and the University, the Documentary Studies Program grounds students in
the academic and theoretical literature of a broad range of documentary work, enhanced by
intensive research and fieldwork. Majors are expected to concentrate in at least two forms of
documentary expression out of five currently offered: film/video; audio/radio; digital/web; print;
and still photography. Our ability to offer a range of coursework was built on the program’s
interdisciplinary nature.
As noted, we cross list many courses with History, and are also cross listing with Women’s
Studies. In other departments, faculty hold seats for Documentary Studies students in courses
otherwise restricted. This arrangement has been working well, and we frequently get
compliments on the quality of the students we send their way. For example, the Communication
Department is holding seats for Documentary Studies students in its fall 2011 offerings of
COM370, 374, 375, and 386Z, all of which also serve our majors.
But time has revealed that some approved topics courses are not reliable in their content, other
courses are no longer taught – or will soon be taught less often, and severe competition for a
number of courses offered by affiliated departments often limit access to courses by Documentary
Studies majors and minors. Notably, the program has shared resources and faculty with the
Journalism Program (established as a regular major in 2006, but built on a minor created in 1973)
and the Fall 2011 plans to restructure Journalism will significantly reduce our possible offerings,
an issue compounded by anticipated reduction of full-time Documentary Studies faculty from
three to two half-time appointments (Bernard, Zahavi). Our proposed changes to the
Documentary Studies major and minor address these issues.
MOVING FORWARD
To accommodate changes within all of its affiliated department and programs while maintaining a
rigorous and popular major, and in consultation with the five original collaborating departments
that make up the Documentary Studies Program, we propose to:
•
Eliminate the existing five concentrations in favor of a single track that allows students to
more easily build a comprehensive set of interrelated production skills drawn from a more varied
group of courses. Reducing our dependency on offerings from any one affiliated department
makes the Program less vulnerable and reduces the frustrations of our students. We have also
begun discussions with collaborating department chairs about cross-listing more of their courses
– and our courses – in order to broaden access of certain classes to students in multiple majors
and minors.
•
Replace a range of smaller classes with a more deliberate mix of larger lecture and
smaller workshop courses. Increasing the size of the introductory courses will permit us to retain
the small size of our production classes – necessary for effective pedagogy in hands-on courses.
Enlarging the introductory and topic/theory classes will better balance our teaching loads. We
have already begun this process by boosting the size of both DOC/HIS 251 (Introduction to
Documentary Studies) and DOC/HIS 405 (History and Theory of the Documentary Film) to
around 50 students (beginning in the fall of 2011). New 200-level courses are also planned for
larger enrollments.
•
Designate several previously approved topics courses, formerly used to fulfill “theory” and
“concentration” requirements, as electives. Since some of the topics courses on our list of
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 5 of 29
courses (offered by affiliated departments) have changed title and content, and others are so
rarely offered, it makes more logical and programmatic sense to shift them to the “elective”
category.
•
Hire adjunct faculty to teach foundational and some production courses and allow senior
faculty to offer higher level instruction (and also meet their obligations to the History Department
and its programs). This will also address our anticipated loss of one Doc. Studies assistant
professor. It will also address loss of access to production courses in other departments due to
program shrinkage and high demand by their own majors and minors.
We can begin to move toward these changes in 2011-12 without affecting the curriculum as
approved. There will be enough courses offered in the five existing concentrations (under the old
program organization) for existing students to complete the major on the old plan. New students
and transfer students can come in under the new program curriculum once approved. It will be far
easier for them to complete the major (and minor) without the constraints of the present narrow
concentration requirements; students will be able to choose from a broader list of courses.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 6 of 29
[Proposed Revision]
Program in Documentary Studies
Director
Gerald Zahavi, Ph.D., Professor (History, Documentary Studies)
Syracuse University
Associate Director
Sheila Curran Bernard, M.F.A., Assistant Professor (History, Documentary Studies)
Goddard College
Special Projects Coordinator
Susan L. McCormick, M.A. Adjunct Faculty (History, Documentary Studies)
University at Albany
Professors
Phyllis Galembo, M.F.A. (Art)
University of Wisconsin at Madison
Teresa M. Harrison, Ph.D. (Communication)
Bowling Green State University
Associate Professors
Daniel S. Goodwin, M.F.A. (Art)
Hunter College
Vivien Ng, Ph.D. (Women's Studies)
University of Hawaii
William Rainbolt, Ph.D. (Journalism)
University at Albany
Amy Murrell Taylor, Ph.D. (History)
University of Virginia
Assistant Professors
Adam Frelin, M.F.A. (Art)
University of California, San Diego
Robert Gluck, M.H.L., M.S.W., M.F.A. (Music)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Ray Sapirstein Ph.D. (History, Documentary Studies)
University of Texas at Austin
Visiting Assistant Professor
William Husson, Ph.D. (Communication)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Program Associate
Paul A. Miller, B.A. (UAlbany TV); Director of Programming & Production
Roosevelt University
________________________________________
Curriculum
This interdisciplinary program offers students an opportunity to explore diverse approaches to
documentary work in video/film, radio, hypermedia/multimedia, photography, and nonfiction
writing and print journalism. The curriculum combines a solid grounding in the academic and
theoretical literature of documentary media with intensive research and fieldwork, arming
students not only with production skills but also the ability to critically analyze media in terms of
both content and craft. The minor in documentary studies permits interested students to combine
a course of study in a traditional major in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities with a sub-
concentration in documentary studies. The Honors curriculum allows students to take on a
program that is especially intellectually rigorous and that yields a final project more substantial
than that required of non-Honors students.
Careers for Documentary Studies Majors
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 7 of 29
An understanding of documentary media in its many forms prepares students to more effectively
engage in the media-infused global marketplace as citizens, consumers, educators, scholars, and
practitioners. The major prepares students for employment in fields that require research and
writing skills, including historical and archival research; the ability to analyze, critique, and
produce visual and aural communications, such as for entertainment, education, or advocacy;
and a broad understanding of fact-based communication that can be applied in a range of
corporate, educational, service, or government settings. The major also prepares students for
advanced study in journalism, history, media production, global studies, and education.
Degree Requirements for the Faculty-Initiated Interdisciplinary Major with a Concentration in
Documentary Studies
General Program B.A.: A minimum of 36 credits, distributed in the following way:
Required Core Course
A DOC/A HIS 251 Introduction to Documentary Studies (3 credits)
Theory and Foundation Courses
Two courses, chosen from the following. Most of the courses listed below are offered every year.
DOC/HIS 376: A Cultural History of American Photography
DOC/HIS 401: History of American Documentary Media
DOC/HIS 405: History & Theory of the Documentary Film
ARH 265: History of Photography
ARH 266: Photography, 1970 to the Present
ARH 368: The Documentary Film
COM 370: Theories of Mass Media
COM 374: Radio and the Public Imagination
COM 386/Z: Persuasion and Film
JRL 420: Media in the Digital Age
JRL 468: Literary Journalism
Documentary Studies Fieldwork Seminar
(4 credits; Honors students should also enroll in A DOC 451 for an extra credit):
A DOC 450 Senior Seminar and Practicum in Documentary Studies
A DOC 451 Senior Seminar and Practicum in Documentary Studies
Skills Courses
(4 courses; a minimum of 12 credits)
ART 344: Intermediate Photography & Digital Imaging (ART 244 is a prerequisite)
ART 350: Intermediate Digital Imaging (ART 250 is a prerequisite)
ART 444: Advanced Photography & Digital Imaging (ART 344 is a prerequisite)
ART 450: Advanced Digital Imaging (ART 350 is a prerequisite)
ART 447: Advanced Film Production (ART 250 is a prerequisite)
COM 430: Communication on the Internet
DOC 323: Foundations of Documentary Film Production
DOC 324: Foundations of Documentary Photography
DOC 330: Foundations of Digital/Web Production
DOC/HIS 404: Readings & Practicum in Aural History & Audio Doc Production
DOC/HIS 406: Practicum in Historical Documentary Filmmaking
DOC/HIS 407: Readings & Practicum in Digital History and Hypermedia
DOC 412: Readings and Practicum in Nonfiction Film Storytelling
DOC/WWS 442: Transmedia Storytelling
HIS 394: Workshop in Oral History
MUS 426: Studio Work in Electronic Music and Media (MUS 325 is a prerequisite)
MUS 428: Sound Design and Multimedia (MUS 426 is a prerequisite)
JRL 490Z: Digital Publication
JRL 308Z: Narrative Journalism
JRL 380: Photojournalism
JRL 385Y: Broadcast Journalism
JRL 390: Digital Media Workshop I: Web Publishing
JRL 392: Digital Media Workshop II: Desk-Top Publishing
Electives
The remainder of the required 36 credits may be fulfilled by taking any of the below courses. Also,
any course which appears above, under “Theory and Foundation” or “Skill” courses, and is not be
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 8 of 29
listed below, may also be taken as an elective if not used to fulfill any other of the Program’s
major or minor requirements.
Topics Courses (when content is relevant and approved by the Director or Associate Director of
the Documentary Studies Program)
ART 446: Topics in Photography
COM 378: Studies in Public Persuasion
COM 465: Studies in Communication Theory
JRL 475: Topics in Journalism
Art:
Art 244: Beginning Photography
Art 250: Introduction to Digital Imaging
Art 281: Hist & Pract Video Art II
Art 346: Introductory Film Production
Art 348: Color Photography
Art History:
Arh 261: Independent Cinema
Communication:
Com 238: Introduction to Mass Communication
Com 370: Theories of Mass Media
Documentary Studies/History
DOC 224: Documentary Film Storytelling
DOC 499: Special Projects and Internships in Documentary Studies
HIS 499: Special Projects in History and Media
Journalism:
JRL 225: Media Law and Ethics
JRL 230: The Mass Media and War in U.S. History
JRL 340: Global Perspectives on the News
JRL 364: Visual Culture
JRL 410: Images of Journalism in Film
JRL 420: Media in the Digital Age
JRL 468: Literary Journalism
JRL 490Z: Digital Publication
JRL 308Z: Narrative Journalism
JRL 380: Photojournalism
JRL 385Y: Broadcast Journalism
JRL 390: Digital Media Workshop I: Web Publishing
JRL 392: Digital Media Workshop II: Desk-Top Publishing
Music:
MUS 295: Audio Recording Fundamentals
MUS 325: Introduction to Electronic Music
Additional courses offered intermittently may be very appropriate for documentary work and will
be counted towards the major or minor if so determined by the Director or Associate Director of
the Documentary Studies Program.
Supporting Topical Academic Courses
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 9 of 29
Students are strongly encouraged to select minors and supplementary courses supportive of their
topical or subject areas of documentary interest. Those students who are attracted to
international documentary work should consider history, foreign language, anthropology,
globalization, political science, and sociology courses. Those interested in science and
technology as a subject area of future documentary work should take science and technology
courses supportive of this concentration. Those drawn to biography and humanities topics should
look at the offerings of the English and History departments. All students should discuss their
topical interests with their advisers and build a substantive base in one or more disciplines.
Degree Requirements for the Honors Curriculum in Documentary Studies
The Honors Curriculum in Documentary Studies allows students to take on a program that is
especially rigorous and that yields a final project more substantial than that required of non-
Honors students. Special 1-credit supplementary sections provide students in the Honors
Program with deeper, broader, and more challenging opportunities to probe the diverse
approaches to documentary production—in this country and abroad. They encourage a high level
of student-faculty interaction and the cultivation of an honors community.
Requirements
Students in the honors program are required to complete a minimum of 40 credits, meeting the
core 36-credit course distribution requirements of the major, plus an additional 4 credits satisfied
in the following manner:
1) DOC 451 (for one credit);
2) THREE (3) DOC 400 1-credit tutorials (DOC 400 may be repeated for credit). DOC 400 is
designed to supplement 300-level and above courses outlined under Documentary Studies
“Theory and Foundation” or “Elective” courses (listed earlier), and provides Honors students with
opportunities for more advanced and challenging work in these courses. The tutorial will permit
Honors students to work one-on-one with their instructors and will normally include extra reading,
writing, and project assignments.
Maintenance of a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25. For graduation with an
“Honors in Documentary Studies,” students must also have achieved a grade point average of
3.50 or above in their major.
All students enrolled in the Honors Program will take (in addition to the required A DOC 251 and A
DOC 450) A DOC 451, Honors Seminar and Practicum in Documentary Studies (1 credit).
Students in the Honors Curriculum in Documentary Studies will be expected to produce a more
substantial final project in A DOC 450 than non-Honors students enrolled in that course. A DOC
451, the supplementary 1-credit course paralleling A DOC 450, will provide them with the
opportunity and guidance to expand their projects accordingly.
Honors students must present their final projects at a public seminar.
Honors Curriculum Admission
Majors should discuss admission to the Honors Curriculum in Documentary Studies with the
Documentary Studies Director at any time during their first or second year or at the beginning of
their third year. Transfer students should apply upon their admission to the University. The
requirements for admission include:
Overall cumulative grade point average of 3.25.
Completion of at least 12 credits required for the Documentary Studies major.
A grade point average of 3.50 in courses required for the Documentary Studies major.
Advisement
The Director of the Faculty-Initiated Major and Minor in Documentary Studies is the initial and
primary adviser for enrolled students. The Director will help students identify faculty members in
the participating departments closest to their documentary area(s) of interest for more intensive
and focused advisement.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 10 of 29
March 28, 2011
As Chair of the History department, I have reviewed the program revision in Documentary Studies
and approve them.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Hamm
Professor of History and Public Policy
Chair, History Department
University at Albany, SUNY
Social Science 145
518 442 5305; fax 518 442 5301
hamm@albany.edu
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 11 of 29
University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and
Sciences
Course and Program Action
Form
Proposal No.
11-023A
Please check
one:
X
Course
Proposal
Program
Proposal
Please mark all that apply:
x
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
Cross-Listing
Title
Prerequisit
es
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate/Activate Course (boldface & underline
as appropriate)
Other
(specify):
Departme
nt:
Documentary Studies
Program
Effective Semester,
Year:
Fall 2012
Course
Number
Curre
nt:
New
:
DOC 224
Credit
s:
3
Course
Title:
Documentary Film Storytelling
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
Through the lens of documentary media, this course introduces students to the principles and
practice of narrative nonfiction on screen—using the tools of the storyteller to convey academic
content to the general public. Over the course of the semester, students will watch (outside of
class), read about, write about, and discuss a range of works. This course is for anyone
seeking to enhance their overall media literacy and their ability to analyze and create stronger
nonfiction media. The specific documentary focus (history, science, social issue, etc.) may vary
depending on the interests and expertise of the instructor.
Prerequisite: None.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
None.
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the
course, check here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e.,
CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course is one of the core courses for the Documentary Studies Program – training
undergraduates in the sophisticated tools of visual and aural research and
composition/presentation. This course has evolved from courses taught as HIS 390. It’s a
workshop, with a maximum of 25 students.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified
that this proposal does not overlap their offering:
None.
Chair of Proposing Department
Date
Gerald Zahavi, Documentary Studies Program (History Department) 3-28-
2011
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments
having cross-listed course(s) [Copy of
Date
Dean of College
Date
Gregory Stevens
4/8/11
Chair of Academic Programs
Date
Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate
Date
Janna Harton
4/7/11
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 12 of 29
ADOC 224:
Documentary Film Storytelling
Preliminary syllabus
Description: Through the lens of documentary media, this course introduces students to
the principles and practice of narrative nonfiction on screen—using the tools of the
storyteller to convey academic content to the general public. Over the course of the
semester, students will watch (outside of class), read about, write about, and discuss a
range of works. This course is for anyone seeking to enhance their overall media literacy
and their ability to analyze and create stronger nonfiction media. The specific
documentary focus (history, science, social issue, etc.) may vary depending on the
interests and expertise of the instructor.
Prerequisite: None.
Goals: By the end of the semester, students will:
Have developed the skills needed to critically evaluate works for creative as well
as academic rigor;
Be able to identify and discuss a filmmaker’s use (and at times, misuse) of factual
evidence (both textual and audio-visual);
Be able to describe and evaluate the current marketplace for nonfiction media
and its affect on content and quality;
Understand issues related to the accessibility and affordability of third-party
materials (such as music, archival footage, and photographs);
Be able to outline a film’s underlying structure and describe its approach to
storytelling;
Be able to take a secondary source (such as an article on an academic topic) and
recognize potential approaches for effectively structuring the work as a film;
Be able to formulate an argument about intellectual property issues including fair
use, the public domain, the extension of copyright law, and the impact of the Web.
Coordination: All course materials and all emails will be coordinated through the course
Blackboard site (BLS).
Plagiarism: Your work must be original to you and to this course. Detailed information
about plagiarism is can be found at http://library.albany.edu/usered/plagiarism/. The
history department offers this definition: “Plagiarism is taking (which includes
purchasing) the words and ideas of another and passing them off as one’s own work. If in
a formal paper a student quotes someone, that student must use quotation marks and give
a citation. Paraphrased or borrowed ideas are to be identified by proper citations.
Plagiarism will result, at the minimum, in a failing grade for the assignment.”
PRELIMINARY OUTLINE
Much of the course will be conducted via Blackboard, with numerous articles and
excerpts of books related to course content. Media will be streamed online, but students
will also be encouraged to purchase DVDs (or to use Netflix or other online vendors) for
better viewing quality.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 13 of 29
A course reader will include excerpts from a variety of books in the field of documentary,
narrative storytelling, and the subject focus for the semester.
Unit 1: Introduction
What is documentary?
The nonfiction marketplace
The making of a documentary
Unit 2: Understanding narrative
Beginning, middle, and end
Point of view
Characters and goals
The importance of structure
Playing with time on screen
Building complexity
Unit 3: Challenges of narrative
Finding stories within subjects
Engaging audiences
Identifying the storyteller(s)
Expanding points of view (global documentary)
Unit 4: Using evidence
Bias and balance
Persuasion, propaganda, and advocacy
Using facts to lie
Building an ethical film argument
Unit 5: Challenges
The First Amendment and “Fair Use”
Cultural heritage and the shrinking public
domain
Ethics of documentary narrative
An argument for enhanced media literacy
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 14 of 29
University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and
Sciences
Course and Program Action
Form
Proposal No.
11-023B
Please check
one:
X
Course
Proposal
Program
Proposal
Please mark all that apply:
x
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
Cross-Listing
Title
Prerequisit
es
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate/Activate Course (boldface & underline
as appropriate)
Other
(specify):
Departme
nt:
Documentary Studies
Program
Effective Semester,
Year:
Fall 2012
Course
Number
Curre
nt:
New
:
DOC 323
Credit
s:
3
Course
Title:
Foundations of Documentary Filmmaking
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
This course will ground students in the fundamentals of researching, planning, shooting and
editing digital video. Students will work individually and in teams on exercises assigned by the
instructor. The course offers a comprehensive introduction to the basics of documentary film
production, and as such provides a foundation for all students interested in documentary
media, including those who go on to work in historical and non-historical content areas such as
social issue, ethnographic, scientific, or political documentary. Students will develop a solid
hands-on understanding of the basic tools of media storytelling and choices involved, thus
enhancing their overall media literacy. Note: emphasis on specific documentary genres will vary
depending on the instructor’s area of expertise and interest.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
Restricted to Documentary Studies majors and minors; all others only with permission of the
instructor.
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the
course, check here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e.,
CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course is one of the core courses for the Documentary Studies Program – training
undergraduates in the sophisticated tools of visual and aural research and
composition/presentation.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified
that this proposal does not overlap their offering:
None.
Chair of Proposing Department
Date
Gerald Zahavi, Documentary Studies Program (History Department) 3-28-
2011
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments
having cross-listed course(s) [Copy of
Date
Dean of College
Date
Gregory Stevens
4/8/11
Chair of Academic Programs
Date
Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate
Date
Janna Harton
4/7/11
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 15 of 29
(Preliminary draft syllabus)
ADOC 323: Foundations of Documentary Filmmaking
Description: This course will ground students in the fundamentals of researching,
planning, shooting and editing digital video. Students will work individually and in
teams on exercises assigned by the instructor. The course offers a comprehensive
introduction to the basics of documentary film production, and as such provides a
foundation for all students interested in documentary media, including those who go on to
work in historical and non-historical content areas such as social issue, ethnographic,
scientific, or political documentary. Students will develop a solid hands-on understanding
of the basic tools of media storytelling and choices involved, thus enhancing their overall
media literacy. Emphasis on specific documentary genres will vary depending on the
instructor’s area of expertise and interest.
Prerequisite: Unless cross-listed with History, this course is restricted to Documentary
Studies majors and minors only; others by permission of instructor.
Planning ahead: This course is a prerequisite for:
DOC/HIS 406, Practicum in Historical Documentary
DOC 450, for students whose senior project will be a documentary film
Equipment: The Documentary Studies program can provide audio, video, and editing
equipment necessary for this course. Students must purchase a portable hard drive with
at least 500 GB of memory to store their individual and team work.
Goals: By the end of this semester, students should have acquired:
The ability to analyze a produced work and discuss the ways in which specific
choices made during production and editing (camera angles, shot frames, lighting,
sound, added music or effects, etc.) alter an audience’s emotional and intellectual
response to content.
The ability to plan and produce these choices through mastery of basic skills in
lighting, shooting, audio recording, and editing, as evidenced by class exercises
The ability for formulate a series of questions about a media work’s academic
and/or creative integrity based on classroom discussion of and activities involving
content research and selection for the purpose of storytelling
The ability to articulate a plan for creating a longer work in the future based on an
understanding of the steps of documentary production and the framework of
technical, budgetary, legal and ethical issues involved.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 16 of 29
PRELIMINARY OUTLINE
A course reader will be prepared, and will include brief excerpts from works such as:
Aufderheide, P. Documentary: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University
Press, 2007)
Bernard, SC and Rabin, K. Archival Storytelling (Focal Press, 2008).
Bernard, SC. Documentary Storytelling, 3rd edition (Focal Press, 2010).
Edgerton, G. Television Histories: Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age
(University Press of Kentucky, 2003)
Rabiger, M. Directing the Documentary, 5th edition (Focal Press, 2009).
Rollins, PC et. al. Lights, Camera, History: Portraying the Past in Film (UTexas,
2007)
Students will also be expected to watch, analyze, and come to class prepared to discuss
historical documentaries, notably including those presented on the current season of the
PBS series American Experience.
Unit 1: Turning a topic into a story
Research (working with primary and
secondary sources, research interviews, web
research)
Finding a storyline
“Casting” a film
Creating budgets and schedules
Writing the shooting outline
Unit 2: Visualizing content
Locations and sets
Lighting
Interview set ups and techniques
Framing the shot, finding the camera angle
Strategies for directing
Unit 3: Recording sound
Interview techniques
Strategies for audio recording
Natural sound and sound effects
Unit 4: Editing
Organizing the edit
Evaluating footage, making choices
Strategies for editing
Using editing software
Tips and tricks
Storytelling in the editing room
Ethics of documentary editing
Unit 5: Finishing
Strategies for effective narration
Fact checking
Understanding rights issues
Considering the audience
Considering the venue
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 17 of 29
University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and
Sciences
Course and Program Action
Form
Proposal No.
11-023C
Please check
one:
X
Course
Proposal
Program
Proposal
Please mark all that apply:
x
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
Cross-Listing
Title
Prerequisit
es
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate/Activate Course (boldface & underline
as appropriate)
Other
(specify):
Departme
nt:
Documentary Studies
Program
Effective Semester,
Year:
Fall 2012
Course
Number
Curre
nt:
New
:
DOC 324
Credit
s:
3
Course
Title:
Introduction to Documentary Photography
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
From Mathew Brady’s Civil War photographs, to the work of photographers of the U.S. Farm
Security Administration in the 1930s, and through the stunning and emotive images of
contemporary social, ethnographic, scientific, and war photographers, documentary
photography has experienced a long and vigorous development. In this basic introductory
course, students will examine the long heritage of documentary photography as well as the
practical lessons to be learned from renowned practitioners. The course explores the use of still
photographs to record various aspects of social, political, and cultural life and events. Students
will develop their visual storytelling skills through a series of research and fieldwork hands-on
projects involving the documentation of various aspects of contemporary life. Students should
be familiar with the basics of digital camera operation.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
Restricted to Documentary Studies Program majors and minors. Others may be admitted
space permitting, and with permission from the instructor.
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the
course, check here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e.,
CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course is one of the core courses for the Documentary Studies Program – training
undergraduates in the sophisticated tools of visual and aural research and
composition/presentation.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified
that this proposal does not overlap their offering:
None.
Chair of Proposing Department
Date
Gerald Zahavi, Documentary Studies Program (History Department) 3-28-
2011
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments
having cross-listed course(s) [Copy of
Date
Dean of College
Date
Gregory Stevens
4/8/11
Chair of Academic Programs
Date
Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate
Date
Janna Harton
4/7/11
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 18 of 29
(Preliminary draft syllabus)
DOC 324: Foundations of Documentary Photography
This is a basic, introductory theory and practicum course in documentary
photography. It explores the use of still photographs to record various aspects of social,
political, and cultural life and events. From Mathew Brady’s Civil War photographs, to
the work of photographers of the U.S. Farm Security Administration in the 1930s, and
through the stunning and emotive images of contemporary social, ethnographic,
scientific, and war photographers, documentary photography has experienced a long and
vigorous development. Documentary photographers combines science and art, reality
and deception in their work; we’ll unravel all of these elements in readings and practical
exercises.
We’ll begin by surveying the 19th and early 20th century roots of documentary
photography, and read some of the key theoretical “manifestoes” related to the social and
transformative impact of photographs. We’ll view the work of past and present
documentary photographers -- and explore the range of subjects and approaches that are
represented in their works.
In examining the long heritage of documentary photography, we’ll identify
practical lessons to be learned from renowned practitioners. Students will develop their
visual storytelling skills through a series of research and fieldwork hands-on projects
involving the documentation of various aspects of contemporary life – drawing on
subjects in the Capital Region. Students should be familiar with the basics of digital
camera operation.
Course Goals:
Students will become familiar with the history and traditions of documentary
photography
Students will learn real and substantial photographic skills, including lens and
filter selection and settings, color and light principles, and basic image framing
principles
Student will learn to tell compelling visual stories that reveal important aspects
about historical and contemporary social, political, and cultural life
Students will learn to make images that express ideas
Readings
( selections
from)
:
Alan Trachthenberg, Reading American Photographs : Images As
History-Mathew Brady to Walker Evans (Hill & Wang, 1990).
Maren Stange, Symbols of Ideal Life: Social Documentary
Photography in America 1890-1950 (Cambridge University Press reprint
Edition, 1992).
James Nachtwey, War Photographer
selections from Phaidon 55 documentary photographers series, including
Dorothea Lange, W. Eugene Smith, Eugene Richards, and Mary Ellen
Mark.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 19 of 29
The Photo Book (Phaidon)
Ken Kobre, Photojournalism (Focal Press, 2008).
Susan Sontag, On Photography
Sabastio Salgado, Migrations and Workers
Grazia Neri, "Ethics and Photography," The Digital Journalist 101 (Dec.
2006): http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0101/neri.htm
Ken Light, Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary
Photographers (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000).
Robert Coles, Doing Documentary Work, 146-252
Photo Ethics and Law. Here's an excellent guide on photo ethics and law
from North Carolina State Uneversity:
http://www.ncsu.edu/sma/staff/photostaffmanual/photoethics.htm.
Guide to the Holdings of the Still Picture Branch of the National
Archives and Records Administration:
http://www.archives.gov/research/formats/still-pictures-guide.html.
Liz Wells, "Surveyors and Surveyed," in Photography: A Critical
Introduction. [Electronic reserve].
Thomas W. Kavanagh, Reading Historic Photographs.
http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu/~tkavanag/phothana.html. "Historic
photographs of American Indians."
Notes on Photoanalysis: http://www.photherel.net/notes .
More on Dorothea Lange: http://www.dorothea-
lange.org/Resources/AboutLange.htm
Out of One, Many: Regionalism in FSA Photography [An excellent U.
of Virginia on-line project]:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG99/brady/intro.html
Lincoln Kirstein, "Photographs of America: Walker Evans," in Walker
Evans American Photographs (Museum of Modern Art, 1938; 1988).
Web Site: “Making Sense of Documentary Photography” at:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/Photos; also available as a
downloadable PDF file at:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/photos/photos.pdf
Web exhibits:
1) Roger Fenton's Documentary Photographs of the Crimean War:
[http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/251_fen.html];
2) Matthew Brady Documenting the Civil War:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html;
3) Photographs of Lewis Hine
[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/nclchtml/nclcabt.html];
4) Photographs of Walker Evans
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fachap04.html];
5) Photographs of Dorothea Lange
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fachap03.html];
6) Photographs of Jacob Riis
[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/davis/photography/images/riisph
otos/slideshow1.html]
EXAMPLES OF ASSIGNMENTS:
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 20 of 29
1) Examine the work of any one of the photographers listed below and compare it to that
of any of the photographers listed above. Discuss subject matter; point-of-view;
composition/pose; perspective; light, color, and contrast; and any other elements that
strike you as important. Use some of the pointers suggested in the Web site "Making
Sense of Documentary Photography" above to analyze the photographs. [Note: I have
linked to some useful Web site for SOME of the below photographs, but not all. Search
on Google or look them up in the library. Some are poorly represented on on-line sources
-- or their work is widely scattered among multiple sites -- and you may have much better
luck in the library].
* Berenice Abbott: [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?
col_id=160];
* Ansel Adams: [<http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/];
* Robert Adams: [http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/adams/index.html;
* Manuel Alvarez Bravo: [http://zonezero.com/magazine/articles/mraz/alvarezb.html];
* Eugene Atget: http://www.geh.org/fm/atget/htmlsrc/ATGET_SLD00001.HTML;
* E. J. Bellocq;
* Karl Blossfeldt;
* Margaret Bourke-White;
* Bill Brandt;
* Roy DeCarava [http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/decarava_roy.php];
* Robert Doisneau;
* William Eggleston;
* Emmet Gowin;
* John Gutmann;
* Theodore Horydczak[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/horydczak/index.html];
* William Klein;
* Josef Koudelka;
* Jacques-Henri Lartigue;
* Clarence John Laughlin;
* Russell Lee;
* Helen Levitt;
* Lisette Model;
* Tina Modotti;
* Eadweard Muybridge [http://americanhistory.si.edu/muybridge/];
* Arnold Newman;
* Timothy O'Sullivan [Sample some of his photographs at:
http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/indians/index.html and
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=1928.]
* Gordon Parks;
* Alexander Rodchenko;
* Milton Rogovin [http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/238_rogo-pop.html];
* Edward Rothstein;
* Sebastiao Salgado;
* Ben Shahn
[http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/shahn/servlet/webpublisher.WebCommunication?
ia=tr&ic=pt&t=xhtml&x=introthemes];
* W. Eugene Smith
* Edward Steichen [http://www.thecityreview.com/steichen.html];
* Alfred Stieglitz;
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 21 of 29
* Paul Strand [http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=1899];
* William Henry Fox Talbot;
* Doris Ullman,
* Marion Post Walcott:
http://www.oldstatehouse.com/exhibits/virtual/hard_times/marion_post/post_gallery.asp].
* Carleton E. Watkins [http://www.carletonwatkins.org/];
* Minor White.
2) Utilizing what you learned from your examination of the photographers in the last
assignment, produce a short photo essay of 6-12 photographs that replicate any ONE
photographer’s style as closely as possible. Be prepared to talk about how you went about
accomplishing this.
3) Semester-long project: each student will be required to plan and carryout a
documentary photo project based on subjects drawn from the Capital Region. These
might include:
* life and people in a local Laundromat, bar, etc.
* street life in Albany (pick ONE street)
* profile of a day/week in the life of a scientist/state legislator or senator
* an organizational photo profile
The finished project should consist of 15-30 photographs, and 6-8 pages of text. The text
and photographs should, together, present the uninitiated with an understandable,
engaging, ‘picture’ of your subject, but the writing and the photos should each stand on
their own.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Week 1 – Introduction to the course, course materials, and subject. Discussion of
slides/photo exhibits/discussion of Documentary Photo Project.
Week 2 – Review and workshop on basics of light, cameras, color and b/w photography
Week 3 – Workshop on lenses and filters / discussion of readings
Week 4 – Project 1discussion; Workshop in framing and point of view
Week 5 – Workshop in telephoto and macro-photographic documentary work / project
proposals due.
Week 6 – Workshop on photo essays
Week 7 – Project 2 due – discussion of readings.
Week 8 – Workshop in photo research
Week 9 – Workshop in photo analysis / discussion of readings
Week 10 – Fieldwork trip
Week 11 – Initial digital contact sheets and discussion of project due.
Week 12 – Discussion of readings
Week 13 – Presentation of final projects.
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 22 of 29
University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and Sciences
Course and Program Action
Form
Proposal No.
11-023D
Please check one:
X
Course Proposal
Program Proposal
Please mark all that apply:
x
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
Cross-Listing
Title
Prerequisites
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate/Activate Course (boldface & underline as
appropriate)
Other (specify):
Department:
Documentary Studies Program
Effective Semester, Year: Fall 2012
Course Number
Current:
New: DOC 330
Credits: 3
Course Title:
Foundations of Documentary Web/Hypermedia Production
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
Web-based or digital multimedia documentaries utilize a variety of hypermedia digital
elements to construct compelling, interactive, linear and nonlinear “stories” on a
variety of non-fiction topics. This course will cover the basic skills needed to produce
Web/hypermedia documentaries, including project design, research, content selection
(and evaluation), and digital authoring. Students will master fundamentals of Web site
and digital multimedia composition through assigned short projects on nonfiction
topics, with the specific focus area(s) -- such as social issues, science, history – to be
determined by the instructor’s area of expertise and interest.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
Restricted to Documentary Studies majors and minors; all others with permission of
instructor.
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the course, check
here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e., CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course is one of the core courses for the Documentary Studies Program – training
undergraduates in the sophisticated tools of visual and aural research and
composition/presentation.
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified that this proposal does
not overlap their offering:
None.
Chair of Proposing Department
Date
Gerald Zahavi, Documentary Studies Program (History Department) 3-28-
2011
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments having cross-listed
course(s) [Copy of e-mail approval on following page.]
Date
Dean of College
Date
Gregory Stevens
4/8/11
Chair of Academic Programs Committee
Date
Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies
Date
Janna Harton
4/7/11
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 23 of 29
(Preliminary draft syllabus)
DOC 330: Foundations of Documentary Web/Hypermedia
Production
This is a basic introductory class in digital hypermedia/multimedia authoring of digital
interactive documentaries. It covers project design, research, content selection (and
evaluation), and digital authoring. Examining production of a variety of documentary
projects, contemporary and historical, students will work to master fundamentals of Web
site and digital multimedia composition through assigned short projects.
Web-based or digital, multimedia documentaries differ from traditional documentary
forms – audio, photography, film/video – in their application of a greater variety of
hypermedia and interactive digital elements. The interactive potential of computer,
DVD/Blue Ray, mobile device, and Internet platforms permits documentarians to explore
nonfiction storytelling in a more complex, non-linear, and interactive fashion – producing
media productions that combine text, original graphics, photography, audio, video, and
animation.
Students will learn the basic tools needed to produce and disseminate digital multimedia
documentary work. We will examine a variety of converging media formats, to learn
design and content selection strategies; then we will move on to hands-on exercises.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
The following statement of policy is required by the University at Albany: It is assumed
that your intellectual labor is your own. If there is any evidence of academic dishonesty,
including plagiarism, the minimum penalty will be an automatic failing grade for that
piece of work. Plagiarism is taking (which includes purchasing) the words and ideas of
another and passing them off as one’s own work. If another person’s work is quoted
directly in a formal paper, this must be indicated with quotation marks and a citation.
Paraphrased or borrowed ideas are to be identified by proper citations.
GRADING:
Grades will be based on:
* Projects (60%) –
1. WEB SITE ANALYSIS AND REVIEW
2. SHORT ON-LINE DOCUMENTARY VIDEO
3. FINAL PROJECT TREATMENT
4. STORY BOARD PROJECT
5. SCRIPTING PROJECT
6. ROUGH CUT (of final project)
* Class attendance and participation (10%).
* Final documentary project (30%)
READINGS (assignments will be drawn from chapters in the following):
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 24 of 29
Roland De Wolk, Introduction to On-Line Journalism.
[http://www.abacon.com/dewolk/]
Daniel J. Cohen and Roy Rosenzweig, Digital History (Univ. of Pennsylvania
Press, 2005) [http://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/]
Carolyn Handler Miller, Digital Storytelling
Adobe Team, Dreamweaver Classroom in a Book
Katrin Eismann, Steve Simmons, Photoshop Restoration and Retouching (3rd
ed.)
Edward Tufte, Visual Explanations
Robin Williams, Non-Designers Web Book (3rd ed.)
Charles Wyke-Smith, Stylin’ with CSS
Steven Krug, Don’t Make Me Think (2nd ed.)
On-line tutorials in XTML, HTML, and CSS
Web Site Resources:
Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu
MediaStorm
(Sponsored by Washingtonpost.com. In-depth documentaries and
personal essays; multimedia site: photography, sound, animation, film/video).
Attica Revisited
http://www.talkinghistory.org/attica/
September 11 Digital Archive
http://911digitalarchive.org/
The Triangle Factory Fire
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/
Crossing the Blvd.
http://www.crossingtheblvd.org
360 Degrees: http://360degrees.org/
Picture-projects
http://www.picture-projects.com
http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey
-- HotWired's outstanding site for learning
Web building.
http://www.buider.com
-- CNET's excellent site for people learning how to build
Web sites.
http://www.kaiwan.com/~lucknow/horus/horuslinks.html
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/etext/ETC.html
http://www.msstate.edu:80/Archives/History/USA/usa.html
http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/amhome.html
http://www.ucsc.edu/civil-war-letters/home.html
http://www.history.rochester.edu
http://neal.ctstateu.edu/history/world_history/world_history.html
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/journals/EH/EH.html
http://white.nosc.mil/museum.html
http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/archive/other/museums.html
http://history.cc.ukans.edu/history/WWW_history_main.html
http://english-server.hss.cmu.edu/History.html
http://miavx1.acs.muohio.edu/~ArchivesList/index.html
http://www.onramp.net:80/~hbarker/
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 25 of 29
http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/ww2.html
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/
http://cobweb.utcc.utk.edu/~hoemann/warweb.html
http://latino.sscnet.ucla.edu:80/murals/dunitz/Street-G.html
http://www.ionet.net/~uheller/vnbktoc.shtml
http://www.tntech.edu/www/acad/hist/resources.html
http://www.directnet.com/history
http://web.syr.edu/~laroux/ http://h-net.msu.edu/
http://www.georgetown.edu/crossroads/crossroads.html
http://muse.jhu.edu/inde
http://scarlett.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/neworld.html
Journey to the End of Coal
— http://www.honkytonk.fr/index.php/webdoc/ [an
interactive Web documentary that examines the living conditions of Chinese coal
miners].
Next Exit History
, - a Florida project that makes historic podcasts that can be
accessed on iPhone apps.
http://hypercities.com/
. The Hypercities project.
Additional Web documentaries: Out My Window —available at
NFB/Interactive. This is a National Film Board of Canada collaborative
documentary that examines 13 interactive views from high rise apartments;
Welcome to Pine Point — a National Film Board of Canada web
documentary exploring the memories of residents from the former community
of Pine Point, Northwest Territories; Prison Valley — Prison Valley is a web
documentary by David Dufresne and Philippe Brault on the prison industry in
the recession-hit United States. A journey into what the future might hold;
New York Minute — A 6-part miniseries riding through the five boroughs
and a web-based, collaborative and multilingual encyclopedia about New
York's culture; Saving Papa New Guinea’s Forests — Extensive web
documentary about forest conservation in times of climate change in Papua
New Guinea; Becoming Human — "Paleoanthropology, Evolution, and
Human Origins;” Gift of a Lifetime — Audio slideshow storytelling
complemented by interactive historical timeline and an interactive human
body; Interactive Narratives — A collection of web documentary content
from various sources; Water's Journey: Everglades — six audio slideshows,
and interactive map, an interactive historical timeline and film/animation
clips; Hometown Baghdad — A series chronicling the lives of three Iraqi 20-
somethings in Baghdad; The Iron Curtain Diaries (1989-2009) — web
documentary by Matteo Scanni about the fall of the Iron Curtain; One World
Journeys Expeditions — A collection of environment and conservation
themed web documentaries created between 2000 and 2002; Canto do Brazil
— web documentary about Brazil by a documentary photographer;
Thanatorama — A journey into the arcane world of the funeral.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week 1: Introduction and Overview
Week 2: Digitizing stills
Week 3: Digitizing sound and music
Week 4: Digitizing films/video
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 26 of 29
Week 5: Treatments and Scripting
Week 6: Basic HTML/CSS, I
Week 7: Basic HTML/CSS, II
Week 8: Story Boarding for the Web and Digital Platforms
Week 9: Virtual storytelling: putting it all together
Week 10: Story and Place: Telling stories with virtual tours
Week 11: Historical Web Documentaries
Week 12: Social Issues Web Documentaries
Week 13: Final project presentations
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 27 of 29
University at Albany – State University of New York
College of Arts and Sciences
Course and Program Action
Form
Proposal No.
11-023E
Please check one:
X
Course Proposal
Program Proposal
Please mark all that apply:
x
New Course
Revision of:
Number
Description
Cross-Listing
Title
Prerequisites
Shared-Resources Course
Credits
Deactivate/Activate Course (boldface & underline as
appropriate)
Other (specify):
Department:
Documentary Studies Program
Effective Semester, Year: Fall 2012
Course Number
Current:
New: DOC 412
Credits: 3
Course Title:
Readings & Practicum in Historical Media Storytelling
Course Description to appear in Bulletin:
This is an advanced course that helps students use the tools of good writing to
understand, evaluate, and create historical media intended for use in museums, on
the Web, and on television, with an emphasis on story and story structure. This is not
a production course; works will be researched and written only.
Prerequisites statement to be appended to description in Bulletin:
Restricted to Documentary Studies Program and History Department majors and minors. Others may be admitted
space permitting, and with permission from the instructor.
If S/U is to be designated as the only grading system in the course, check
here:
This course is (will be) cross listed with (i.e., CAS ###):
This course is (will be) a shared-resources course with (i.e., CAS ###):
Explanation of proposal:
This course is one of the core courses for the Documentary Studies Program and will also be a welcome
addition to the History Department’s growing offerings in new media and history, enhancing
undergraduate’s understanding of the ethical and effective communication of historical content to the
public, and in doing so enhancing their overall media literacy. (A version of this course has been offered
as HIS 390, with students writing 20-25 page treatments of films suitable for the PBS series American
Experience. One of these won the Reedy Award for best undergraduate history paper in 2008.)
Other departments or schools which offer similar or related courses and which have certified that this proposal does
not overlap their offering:
None.
Chair of Proposing Department
Date
Gerald Zahavi, Documentary Studies Program (History Department) 3-28-
2011
Approved by Chair(s) of Departments having cross-listed
course(s) [Copy of e-mail approval on following page.]
Date
Dean of College
Date
Gregory Stevens
4/8/11
Chair of Academic Programs Committee
Date
Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies
Date
Janna Harton
4/7/11
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 28 of 29
ADOC 412:
Readings and Practicum in Nonfiction Film Storytelling
Preliminary syllabus
[This course has evolved from courses taught as HIS 390 and HIS 602. It’s a
workshop, maximum 25 students. A previous student won the Reedy Award for
Best Undergraduate History Paper for her documentary film treatment.]
Description: This is an advanced course that helps students use the tools of
good writing to understand, evaluate, and create nonfiction media intended for
use in museums, on the Web, on television, and in theaters, with an emphasis on
story and story structure. This is not a production course. As a final project,
students will conduct primary and secondary source research to write (but not
shoot) a 20-25 page narrative treatment for a high-quality documentary film
suitable for broadcast. The content focus (science, history, social issues, etc.) in
a specific semester may vary depending on the instructor’s interest and
expertise.
Prerequisite: DOC 224, or permission of the instructor. This course is restricted
to Documentary Studies majors and minors; all others with permission of
instructor.
Goals: By the end of the semester, students will:
Have developed the skills needed to critically evaluate works for creative as well
as academic rigor;
Be able to outline a film’s underlying structure and describe its approach to
storytelling;
Be able to apply what they’ve learned as research (using primary as well as
secondary sources) and write a documentary treatment;
Be able to anticipate challenges of producing the film they envision, in terms of
rights, costs, the marketplace, access, and more.
Coordination: All course materials and all emails will be coordinated through the
course Blackboard site (BLS).
Plagiarism: Your work must be original to you and to this course. Detailed
information about plagiarism is can be found at
http://library.albany.edu/usered/plagiarism/. The history department offers this
definition: “Plagiarism is taking (which includes purchasing) the words and ideas
of another and passing them off as one’s own work. If in a formal paper a
student quotes someone, that student must use quotation marks and give a
citation. Paraphrased or borrowed ideas are to be identified by proper citations.
Plagiarism will result, at the minimum, in a failing grade for the assignment.”
Assignments: Students will be expected to conduct a rigorous exploration of
the documentary arena, including assigned viewing each week of films relevant
to the course’s content focus (science, history, etc.) and of varying lengths. Short
written analyses of these works, an exploration of the critical response to the
777c32baa87094132080ce60f811985d.docx
Page 29 of 29
works (by credentialed reviewers), and readings about issues in the documentary
arena will augment the students’ ongoing work on their semester-long projects.
PRELIMINARY OUTLINE
Much of the course will be conducted via Blackboard, with numerous articles and
excerpts of books related to course content. Media will be streamed online, but
students will also be encouraged to purchase DVDs (or to use Netflix or other
online vendors) for better viewing quality. Required texts might include:
Bernard, SC. Documentary Storytelling: Creative Nonfiction on Screen, 3rd
edition (Focal Press, 2010).
Unit 1: Introduction
Review: What is documentary?
The making of a documentary
Seeing the bones of a film
Unit 2: Research
Finding stories within subjects
Prioritizing sources
Creating outlines
Conducting research interviews
The research process
Unit 3: Building stories
Playing with structure
Creating a chronology
Expanding the research
Thinking like a dramatist
Making ethical choices
Unit 4: An evidence-based argument
Identifying a film’s spine
Building an argument
Making choices
Visualizing ideas
Considering budgets and markets
Unit 5: Revisions
Review and revisions
Fact checking
Ensuring ethical storytelling
Considering the marketplace
Anticipating next steps
