The School of Visual Arts is offering an intensive documentary residency for participants interested in sharpening their documentary directing skills, learn professional techniques for camera, light, and sound, and better understand the mechanics of editing scenes to make the greatest impact. Participants will create two interview-based short documentaries during the program, and conduct thoughtful evocative interviews.
Workshops with filmmakers working at the top of the documentary field and hands-on labs on the streets of the city complement independent work. Together these elements form an intense program encouraging creativity, learning and progress. Work-in-progress screenings allow for filmmakers to receive critique from faculty and their peers. Guest filmmakers will show their documentaries and give in-depth answers during the Q&A sessions, which are designed to give further insight into the experiences of working filmmakers. The program concludes with a public screening event of each participant’s best film.
Filmmakers will work within the MFA Social Documentary Film Department and have access to equipment, including industry-level HD or 4K cameras, microphones, recorders and lighting. Filmmakers will be provided access to edit suites and software, as well the department voice over booth. Facilities are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Staff technicians are available for assistance and technical support.
Faculty is scheduled to include director Deborah Dickson (Oscar nominee Lalee’s Kin); cinematographer Tom Hurwitz, ASC (Sundance winner Queen of Versailles); and editor Ann Collins (Netflix’s Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold), among others.
More details can be found on SVA’s website here.
