Seeing Reality, Crafting Narrative

3 credits

Satisfies one of four elective courses required within the Communication major. This course will examine the intersection of documentary filmmaking and reality TV. Both "nonfiction" mediums have undergone a tumultuous evolution over the last two or three decades as a result of new technology, shifting audience expectations, and new distribution patterns. How are 'snippets of real life" transformed into compelling narratives? What defines objective and subjective filmmaking styles? How is audience trust is established and broken? And what is the source of authority in visual storytelling? The course will take a hands-on approach, with students expected to film and edit their own projects. The overall goal will be to introduce students to the formal techniques of nonfiction storytelling and make them more aware and critical of what is presented as real in contemporary media.