Intermediate Digital Production: Mitigation Video

3 Credits.

In this course, you will produce a 7–10 minute mitigation video to be used in a Maryland resentencing hearing as part of the state’s Decarceration Initiative. Working in a two-person Maysles-style camera/mic unit ideally one film student and one social science student as a team, you will collaborate with Maryland Office of the Public Defender attorneys and social workers to interview an incarcerated client inside a correctional facility, document the lives of their family and community members, and craft a character-driven narrative grounded in care, accuracy, and ethical responsibility.The class is designed to conduct an intensive 10-day production outside of class consisting of: 1 day Orientation at the Baltimore City Office of the Public Defender + 2 days on-site pre-production + 4 days Primary filming + 2 days Pick-up shoots + 1 day Community screening for fact-checking and final consent. Throughout the semester, you will complete weekly production assignments, maintain professional communication with stakeholders, and develop a legal, sociological, and human understanding of how individual life histories are shaped by structural forces such as race, class, policing, and incarceration. Students who have completed at least one of the following will be given priority: AS.061.150 , AS.061.152 , AS.100.423 , AS.220.213 , AS.362.204 , AS.362.127, AS.191.365, AS.145.360 , AS.360.111 , AS.060.315, AS.362.115 , AS.362.335 , AS.190.300.