New ethnography film-making module at UCL: watch the video

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UCL Anthropology is running a new masters degree module in practical ethnographic and documentary film-making.

This will be a practical course in hands-on documentary filmmaking for credit as part of a masters degree in the University of London.  It will be an optional half module with preference given to students taking the 'History of Ethnographic Film' and the 'Critical Visual Culture' modules at UCL. Places are also available for outside students to participate. 

Students from the University of London can take the course for credit depending on their department's agreement.  Non-university students are also encouraged to take the course and will receive a stand-alone UCL certificate on completion.

This course provides training in the use of digital media, cameras and Final Cut Pro editing, and will teach students broadcast quality filmmaking by anthropologists who are also award-winning professional documentarists. The course will develop the students' critical skills of film analysis through practical hands-on work and the experience of creating a 15-minute video project. 

This UCL initiative is a response to the growing need among anthropologists to use digital media as a research tool and as a method of presenting research outcomes.  It aims to teach students practical digital filmmaking skills and contribute to their formation as anthropologists. It will demystify the process of filmmaking, and open new ways of reading and understanding visual ethnographies.

The course will run in Term Two, 12th Jan-27th March 2009, and will consist of 4 hours of lectures and seminars every week for 9 weeks, and 60 hours of hands-on camera and editing exercises to produce a final 15 minute video. The final video must be completed by the beginning of the summer term.  Assessment will be 80 per cent on the video project and 20 per cent on an accompanying project diary.

Please apply for the course by the beginning of September by emailing Dr Michael Stewart.

For further course details, either email senior course tutor, Dr Michael Yorke; tel: +44 (0)20-7794-3824 or learn more about the course in the video at the top of the article.