Documentary Cinematography
Shooting real life: documentary modes and the direct cinema tradition, small crews, run-and-gun kit, handheld and gimbal operating, available light, interviews, observational coverage, sound, ethics, consent and E&O under US law, fair use, FAA Part 107 drone rules and delivery.
CINE-320 Year 3 3 credits 12 lessons · 4 h 59 min
Offered by HSM University · Cinematography
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Explain the modes and traditions of documentary and how each shapes camera work, including the Canadian and American observational movements
- Plan small documentary crews, roles, schedules and day budgets, and work effectively as a one-person or two-person team
- Choose cameras, lenses, codecs, media and power for run-and-gun documentary and calculate storage and battery needs
- Operate handheld, shoulder-mounted, gimbal and tripod supports safely and smoothly for long observational days
- Expose and shape available and minimal light, using ND, EV calculations and small portable units without disrupting reality
- Design and shoot single-camera and two-camera interviews with deliberate framing, eyeline, backgrounds and continuity
- Shoot observational sequences with coverage, continuity, cutaways and frame rates that give editors usable material
- Record clean documentary sound with lavalier and boom microphones, correct gain staging and an understanding of distance and level
- Apply documentary ethics, consent, releases, trauma-informed practice and safety planning under Canadian and US law and professional codes
- Use archival and found footage responsibly under fair dealing or fair use, licensing and public domain rules
- Plan drone and specialty capture within Transport Canada or FAA rules and choose time-lapse, macro, low-light and phone techniques appropriately
- Manage documentary data, metadata and delivery to broadcasters, streamers and festivals, and produce a complete shoot plan
Course content
12 lessons · 4 h 59 min total · final exam
- 1 Documentary cinematography: modes and traditions 25 min · quiz
- 2 The documentary camera operator and small crews 25 min · quiz
- 3 Cameras, lenses and kit for run-and-gun 25 min · quiz
- 4 Operating handheld, shoulder rigs and gimbals 25 min · quiz
- 5 Available and minimal light 24 min · quiz
- 6 Shooting interviews 25 min · quiz
- 7 Observational shooting and coverage for the edit 25 min · quiz
- 8 Sound for documentary 24 min · quiz
- 9 Ethics, consent and safety 25 min · quiz
- 10 Archival and found footage: rights and practice 25 min · quiz
- 11 Drones and specialty capture 24 min · quiz
- 12 Workflow, delivery and capstone shoot plan 27 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Shooting real life: documentary modes and the direct cinema tradition, small crews, run-and-gun kit, handheld and gimbal operating, available light, interviews, observational coverage, sound, ethics, consent and E&O under US law, fair use, FAA Part 107 drone rules and delivery.
Part of the Film & Photography stream, typically taken in year 3.