Documentary Filmmaking
Documentary Filmmaking
This 10-week course is designed as both a class for creating your own documentary short film and a historical & conceptual analysis of what defines a “documentary.”
The goals are to become better filmmakers, storytellers and more knowledgeable and critical viewers of the documentary form. This will be accomplished through readings, lectures, hands-on lab filmmaking exercises and labs, screenings and production assignments.
Each student will complete a 5-7 minute documentary short film by the end of the course. In addition to the 10-weeks, students will have two technical training labs scheduled in class. with your instructor.
Each class will have a student screening at the end of the session.
This course is led by Documentary Filmmaker & Activist Tania Romero in person at Austin School of Film. Austin School of Film will provide access to equipment, students, and accessories as needed for students during the duration of this course.
Films completed in this course are eligible to be featured in multiple Austin School of Film student showcases and community screenings. This includes our annual Official SXSW (South by Southwest) Community Film Showcase which takes place during March each year.
INSTRUCTOR: Tania Romero is a Nicaraguan filmmaker, teacher, and scholar, has a degree in Psychology with a Film Studies minor and Masters degrees in Media Studies and Philosophy (Visual Arts). She has worked on several film projects and her credits include editor for a feature documentary “Ya Basta” (2007) which screened at South by Southwest Film Festival, script supervisor for the Cannes Film Festival selected shorts “Sarathi” (2010), “Clay” (2012) and assistant director for “A Perfect Cocktail” (2013). She was also producer/director/editor for the short documentary “Helmets from Heath”(2013) which won Judge’s Choice at the Faces of Austin competition. Her film “Quinceanera” (2015) won a San Francisco Film Award of Merit, was an official selection at the Official Latino Short Film Festival and was screened at the Mexic Arte Museum. Her short “Silla de Ruedas” (2015) was an official selection at the Icaro International Film Festival in Guatemala and the Central American International Film Festival. “Even with their nails”, a documentary short about women filmmakers in Nicaragua, was screened at Cannes, Cine las Americas in Austin, and won an Icaro Award in Guatemala for Best Documentary Short. Last year, her short film "Hakla" won the TAMMI award for Best Texas Short at the Cine Las Americas Film Festival.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: People who want to learn the art of documentary filmmaking, and those working towards their ASoF Digital Video Certificate.
PREREQUISITES: Digital Filmmaking (for adults) or equivalent filmmaking experience. Students must be at least 18 years old to take this class.
CERTIFICATE: ASoF Digital Video Certificate elective class.
PAYMENT PLANS: Payment plans are available to anyone for any class or workshop. We suggest 25% of the tuition price as your “down payment”. The additional balance can then be split in up to 1-4 equal payments over the course of weeks or months. All payment plans are customized, to inquire & get started on a plan, please email classes@austinfilmschool.org.
This course and all ASoF courses are certified with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide Continue Professional Educational (CPE) credits.
