POV3112 Visual DocumentaryBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs FILM AND TELEVISIONGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
FILM AND TELEVISION
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
POV3112 Visual Documentary Spring 2 2 3 5
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Face to face
Course Coordinator : Instructor HALUK ÇOBANOĞLU
Course Lecturer(s): Dr. Öğr. Üyesi ELENI VARMAZI
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: It is aimed that through screenings, students will get acquinted with landmark documentaries, which they will then analyze and criticize. They will also get familiarized with contemporary documentary films which use different cinematic languages and styles in their making.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1. Illustrate a knowledge of the history of documentary film.
2. Analyze, criticize and evaluate documentary films.
3. Recognize different documentary genres and to interprete the theoretical backgroud behind them.
4. Demonstrate ability to compare and contrast different documentary styles.
5. Apply basic documentary techniques in personal projects.

Course Content

The course aims to examine the history of documentary film as well as its different genres. It will start examining documentary films from the begining of film history, emphasizing the non-fictional aspects of film. It will continue its research within the development of documentary film-making in recent years in different genres such as ethnographic film, biography, animated documetary etc.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) The Beginnings: American popular anthropology, Soviet political indoctrination and European experimentalism.
2) The instituionalization of documentary before and during the World War II. Weekly readings will be assigned.
3) Postwar documentary and documentary for television. Weekly readings will be assigned.
4) British Free Cinema, Direct Cinema vs Cinema Verité. Weekly readings will be assigned.
5) Documentary in the 70’s and 80’s, the arrival of video. Weekly readings will be assigned.
6) Documentary in the 90’s, Reality Bites. Weekly readings will be assigned.
7) Student presentations. Assignment 1
8) Exploring diferent documentary styles (ethnographic, biographic, animated documentary etc.). Working on the assignments.
9) Exploring diferent documentary styles (ethnographic, biographic, animated documentary etc.). Working on the assignments.
10) Exploring diferent documentary styles (ethnographic, biographic, animated documentary etc.). Working on the assignments.
11) Exploring diferent documentary styles (ethnographic, biographic, animated documentary etc.). Working on the assignments.
12) Exploring diferent documentary styles (ethnographic, biographic, animated documentary etc.). Working on the assignments.
13) Contemporary Turkish documentary. Working on the final project.
14) Contemporary Turkish documentary. Final Project

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: 1. Aufderheide, P. (2007). Documentary film : a very short introduction. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press.
2. Barnouw, E. (1993). Documentary : a history of the non-fiction film. New York: Oxford University Press.
3. Ellis, J. & McLane, B. (2005). A new history of documentary film. New York: Continuum.
References:

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 14 % 10
Homework Assignments 1 % 30
Presentation 1 % 20
Final 1 % 40
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 14 4 56
Study Hours Out of Class 13 5 65
Presentations / Seminar 1 1 1
Homework Assignments 1 25 25
Final 1 1 1
Total Workload 148

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Being familiar to the main concepts and methods of the social sciences and the fine arts devoted to understanding the world and the society 4
2) Having comprehensive knowledge regarding different media and branches of art 3
3) Knowing the historical background of audio-visual moving images in the world and in Turkey and keeping pace with the new developments in the area 1
4) Having a good command of the language and the aesthetics of audio-visual moving images in the world and in Turkey 1
5) Being able to create a narrative that could be used in a fiction or a non-fiction audio-visual moving image product 2
6) Being able to write a script ready to be shot 2
7) Having the skills to produce the photoboard of a script in hand and to shoot the film using the camera, the lights and other necessary equipment
8) Being able to transfer the footage of a film to the digital medium, to edit and do other post-production operations
9) Being able to create a documentary audio visual moving image from the preliminary sketch stage to shooting, editing and post-production stages
10) Being able to produce an audio visual moving image for television and audio products for radio from preliminary stages through shooting and editing to the post-production stage
11) Being culturally and theoretically equipped to make sense of an audio-visual moving image, to approach it critically with regard to its language and narration and being able to express his/her approach in black and white 3
12) Having ethical values and a sense of social responsibility 5