Documentary Filmmaking with Soul
What you'll learn
- Plan, shoot, and edit a strong, cinematic documentary with deep storytelling roots.
- Conduct powerful, story-driven interviews.
- Cultivate your ability to see, listen, and feel your way into your stories, so every decision is intentional.
- Compose and light for cinematic images.
- Use audio recording equipment to get high quality sound.
- Use Adobe Premiere pro to edit and refine their footage.
- Develop an eye for location scouting.
- Develop the "Shooting for the Edit" mindset.
- Approach doc filmmaking as a craft.
Requirements
- A dSLR camera, an Adobe Premiere Pro free trial, a tripod, and basic audio recording equipment.
Description
It's time documentaries get a fresh lift. Typically, they are taught with outdated methods which stem from the 90's, with boring talking heads and bad imagery. This class, instead, teaches you how to make modern, cinematic, and story-driven character docs that engage viewers both visually and emotionally.
This class will cover the whole doc making lifecycle, covering how to plan, how to shoot, and how to edit. Part travelogue, part course, all of these lessons are designed to be applicable and get straight-to-the-point. Showing behind-the-scenes footage, they bring you along Dandan's journey of making her beautiful short doc in Tokyo about a female boxer.
All of the lessons are designed to be applicable, get straight-to-the-point, and use minimal equipment.
By the end of this course, you will have all the knowledge and a complete roadmap needed to make your first documentary short.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone who wants to learn how to make a story-driven, cinematic, and engaging documentary.
- No previous experience necessary.
Featured review
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Course content
- Preview01:51
Instructor
- 4.4 Instructor Rating
- 817 Reviews
- 3,362 Students
- 9 Courses
Hi there! I’m Dandan, a documentary filmmaker, creative educator, and monk-at-heart living in the Italian countryside.
As a self-taught filmmaker, I love foraging for unique stories around the world that illuminate the interconnections among us. I started making films while on a 4 year journey living in monasteries around the world. One film led to the next, and after persevering for many years, I found myself working full time on film crews and streaming my films on Roku, Apple TV, museums, trains, and airplanes. I’m passionate about teaching filmmaking, because I believe that everyone can make amazing films without spending thousands of dollars or years in film school. My classes differ from others in that they emphasize an artisanal approach, using minimal, lightweight equipment to craft high quality, resonant films.
When I’m not filmmaking, I love getting my hands messy in diverse mediums such as writing and pottery. For me, creativity is not just a hobby, but the basis for a joyful, meaningful life. I firmly believe that everyone is a creative. We just have to unpeel all the false, outdated layers of ourselves so we can access it. So, my other passion is helping others reconnect with their creativity so they can inhabit an authentic, spark-filled life.
The fun awaits. Check out my courses below!
Cheering you on,
Dandan