Continuing Studies Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Certificate in Documentary Studies

Courses Offered for the Upcoming Term

Current and Past Term Courses

Workshops and Institutes





Past Term Courses


Fall 2007

To register for courses, contact Duke Continuing Studies by calling (919) 684-6259 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit their Web site at:
http://www.learnmore.duke.edu/weekend/courses


Free Information Session and Equipment Orientation
Dawn Dreyer & April Walton
Tuesday, August 28, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Prospective and existing students welcome! Come and ask questions about courses at CDS, meet instructors, and learn about the Certificate in Documentary Studies. NEW: Whatever your experience level, join us for a crash course in audio, video, and photo equipment.
Center for Documentary Studies, 1317 West Pettigrew Street, Durham
Course ID: 11183

Please register on-line for this free session at
www.learnmore.duke.edu/documentarystudies or call 919-684-6259.

REQUIRED COURSES

Seminar in Documentary Studies
Section 1: Joy Salyers
Section 2: Michelle Lanier
This required class is designed for students in the Certificate in Documentary Studies program or those who plan to enroll. Photography, video, oral history, writing, ethnography, and community partnerships—Documentary Studies is interdisciplinary and multifaceted in nature, encompassing many genres and numerous means of interacting with the world and its peoples. Through short readings, close examination of several documentary projects, and guest speakers who will present their projects and perspectives on the documentary experience, you will gain a broad introduction to the diverse fields that comprise Documentary Studies. We emphasize not only methodologies but also philosophies and ethics of fieldwork in different settings. Throughout the term, students will explore examples of fieldwork and, at the final meeting, will present preliminary projects of their own. These projects may be the beginning of long-term documentary initiatives or simply a means for helping to decide directions for future projects. (Limit 18)

Section 1
Joy Salyers
Wednesdays, September 5–October 24
6:30–9 p.m. (20 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235 (Enroll by 8/22: $215)
Course ID: 11184

Section 2
Michelle Lanier
Tuesdays, September 18–November 13
No class on October 30.
6:30–9 p.m. (20 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235 (Enroll by 9/4: $215)
Course ID: 11185

Joy M. G. Salyers is a folklorist, writer, and anti-racism educator. She consults with individuals and groups on a variety of topics—her specialties include using oral history, experiential learning, and creativity to bridge community divisions, develop identity, and combat prejudice. She is trained to use stories and writing to connect and to heal. Her personal fieldwork includes documenting personal life histories, writing poetry from family stories, and collaborating with members of a modern performance community.

Michelle Lanier is a folklorist and oral historian with roots in the Carolinas and wings that have taken her throughout the African Diaspora. As Curator of Cultural History with North Carolina's State Historic Sites, she works statewide to promote the histories of people of color. Particular passions include the ethics of collaborative, community-based work and the sacred/transformative nature of shared stories—concepts that inform her pedagogy as an instructor with the Center for Documentary Studies. Dancing in the midst of her professional identities are also her ever-present roles as artist, spiritual activist, and mother.



Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies
Randy Benson

Note: This class is available to Certificate students and by approval only.

The seminar will consist of group discussions about each student’s project and progress toward completion, along with guided planning on taking projects to their intended audiences.

Participants who successfully complete their project during this course will be awarded the Certificate in Documentary Studies.

Students who have met all other requirements and who have done substantial work toward their intended final projects are encouraged to request admission to this seminar by an e-mail to katie.strobush@duke.edu (subject line “CDS Final Seminar”). Prior to approval, CDS will be in contact with students to discuss their final project. Approved participants will be notified and given registration instructions.

Note: The deadline to request admission into the course is September 26. (Limit 8)

Mondays, October 8–December 3
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
No class on November 26; Certificate graduation presentations on December 7.
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $265

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in eighteen film festivals in seven countries and has garnered numerous awards, most notably a Gold Medal in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards. His work has been featured on the Bravo Network, the Independent Film Channel (Split Screen), WTTW-Chicago, UNC-TV (NC Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

ADVANCED PROJECTS SEMINARS IN AUDIO, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND VIDEO

Advanced Projects Seminars in Audio, Photography, and Video
The Advanced Audio, Photography, and Video Projects courses provide documentary artists with the opportunity to work with award-winning professionals in small group settings. Each term, CDS invites three established artists to teach the Advanced Projects Seminars, designed for individuals who are working on projects and are seeking creative guidance to move forward. This is an opportunity for students in the Certificate program to refine their work before applying for the Final Seminar. Participants are required to share excerpts from their works-in-progress, and the courses are designed around the specific needs of participants. The seminars will be taught by different artists each term, giving students the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on their work. Students may take the course for credit more than once. This is also an ideal course for students who have completed the Certificate in Documentary Studies and are looking for professional advice to move forward in their careers, including information on finding resources (grants, artist residencies) to support their work.



Advanced Projects Seminar: Audio
Amy Nelson

Mondays, September 24–October 29
6:30–8:30 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $315 (Enroll by 9/10: $295)
Course ID: 11204

Amy Nelson is a Durham-based independent radio producer and educator. She spent eight years anchoring and reporting for NPR-affiliate station WUNC. While at WUNC, she collected sounds of the world and wove them into personal audio narratives, features, postcards, and interviews. Through her work, listeners became acquainted with underground midwives, maritime archeologists, unemployed computer programmers, historians, ferry boat men, and refugees. Her work has been recognized by the Radio Television News Directors Association, American Women in Radio & Television, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, and Columbia University.



Advanced Projects Seminar: Photography
Leah Sobsey

Mondays, October 15–November 19
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $315 (Enroll by 10/1: $295)
Course ID: 11216

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, and the Maine Photographic Workshops. She currently teaches at UNC–Greensboro.



Advanced Projects Seminar: Video
Cynthia Hill and Michael Davey

Tuesdays, October 2–November 6
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $315 (Enroll by 9/18: $295)
Course ID: 11217

Cynthia Hill began working on her own films in 1997, traveling from New York to North Carolina to search out the farmers who would become the focus of her first feature-length documentary, Tobacco Money Feeds My Family (Producer/Director/Co-Editor). Her next feature-length project, The Guestworker (Co-Producer/Director/Co-Editor) grew out of her work on Tobacco Money Feeds My Family, telling the story of the Mexican farmworkers whose labor is now essential to the agricultural economy of North Carolina. Her other documentary film projects include February One (Co-Producer) and Grace and the New Rules (Editor). Hill’s work has broadcast nationally on PBS and the Sundance Channel and been featured in festivals around the globe. She is a 2003 Indie Arts Award recipient and the co-founder of the Southern Documentary Fund.

Michael Davey, a painter and editor living in Durham, is co-editor of Tobacco Money Feeds My Family and The Guestworker. He has worked in the production business for almost twenty years and during that time has edited a wide variety of projects, including documentaries for PBS, Discovery, Learning Channel, Discovery Health, and Animal Planet.

GENERAL INTEREST


Public Art and the Documentary Process
Janet Kagan & Barbara Lau

What do we mean by public art? How can/does public art intersect with the documentary process? How can communities and community stories, histories, and architectures be a part of the conceptualization and creation of public art? In this class we will learn about public art as a tradition, as a means of community building, and as a creative practice. We will explore case studies of projects initiated by communities and those initiated by artists. Special guest speakers involved with public art projects in Triangle communities will share their experiences; these will include participants in Face Up: Telling Stories of Community Life, a project planned for spring 2008 in Southwest Central Durham with artist Brett Cook. Get involved, expand your horizon—you are invited to be a part of the collaboration. (Limit 50)

Tuesdays, October 2–November 6
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $180 (Enroll by 9/4: $165)
Course ID: 11188

Janet Kagan is a founding Principal of the Percent for Art Collaborative, an interdisciplinary research and consulting group that brings together artists, government representatives, public art administrators, urban planners, historians, architects, and landscape designers to initiate and refine percent-for-art policies, projects, and programs. She is Vice Chair of the Public Art Network of Americans for the Arts and has served on the board of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission. She has more than thirty years of professional experience in communications, marketing, strategic planning, and project management collaborating with design teams and communities. She has held positions in city government, local and statewide nonprofit organizations, and architectural and interpretive design firms. She holds an M.B.A. from Simmons College School of Management and an M.A. in philosophy of art from Duke University.

Barbara Lau is the Community Documentary Projects Director at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. A folklorist, oral historian, teacher, curator, radio producer, and arts consultant, she has more than twenty years of professional experience in the creation and coordination of cultural programs for public presentation. Lau earned a B.A. in sociology/urban studies from Washington University in St. Louis (1980) and an M.A. in folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2000). Her recent projects include serving as co-chair of the History Committee of the Parrish Street Advocacy Group, curating the Durham Civil Rights Heritage Project traveling exhibition, and guest curating the collaborative exhibition From Cambodia to Greensboro: Tracing the Journeys of New North Carolinians for the Greensboro Historical Museum and the Levine Museum of the New South.



Whose Story Is It Anyway? An Expedition Through the Often Challenging, Always Surprising World of Documentary Ethics
Alison Jones and Erica Rothman

Your project is progressing, your planning has paid off, and you are getting great footage, tape, or photos. Then in the middle of the project, an issue comes up that throws you for a loop. Perhaps a “subject” to whom you’ve become close asks to borrow money. Or you are torn between the desire to be honest and the wish to protect your subjects. You may find yourself getting lost in feelings about your topic and wonder if you are losing your ethical center.

This six-week course will give students an opportunity to explore the ethical dilemmas that inevitably arise in documentary projects, with a particular focus on relationships. How do you balance the different responsibilities to the “subject,” to the audience, and to yourself? We’ll view and discuss selected readings, photos, and video and audio clips that exemplify different ethical challenges, and have the opportunity to explore these issues with a visiting filmmaker. Whether you’re an experienced documentarian or a beginner contemplating your first project, this workshop offers an unusual opportunity: the chance to hone your own ethical compass and to launch your next documentary expedition prepared with sharper, well-considered questions.

Thursdays, September 27–November 1
10 a.m.–12 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235 (Enroll by 9/13: $215)
Course ID: 11192

While serving as a community member on the UNC Hospitals Ethics Committee, Erica Rothman was able to weave her interests in narrative, art, and bioethics into producing two award-winning teaching videos on ethical issues at the end of life. A former psychotherapist in Chapel Hill, Rothman now owns Nightlight Productions, LLC, and produces documentaries, medical and patient education, and collaborative videos with nonprofits for fundraising and community engagement. On these projects, she has worked with TROSA, Duke Health Systems, North Carolina Arts for Health, and the City of Durham Human Relations Department, among other organizations. Rothman completed her Certificate in Documentary Studies in 2005.

Alison Jones is an independent radio and video producer with many years of experience in print journalism. Her work has appeared on WUNC-FM and National Public Radio and in a variety of publications, including the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun. She has also directed videos for nonprofit organizations. Jones is a former staff writer with the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.



Fundamentals of Oral History Interviewing
Barbara Lau

Alessandro Portelli in his book chapter “What Makes Oral History Different” helps us to understand that “oral sources tell us not just what people did, but what they wanted to do, what they believed they were doing, and what they now think they did.” The oral history interview is a powerful tool for documentarians trying to understand the past and the present. Conducting an excellent interview is truly an art. In this course we will learn to prepare for interviews, practice interviewing, and read and think about memory and the cultural dimensions of interviewing. Sharing our fieldwork experiences we will develop a critical framework for analyzing what we hear and learn from our interviews. (Limit 15)

Wednesdays, September 19–November 7
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $219 (Enroll by 9/5: $195)
Course ID: 11193

Barbara Lau is the Community Documentary Projects Director at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. A folklorist, oral historian, teacher, curator, radio producer, and arts consultant, she has more than twenty years of professional experience in the creation and coordination of cultural programs for public presentation. Lau earned a B.A. in sociology/urban studies from Washington University in St. Louis (1980) and an M.A. in folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2000). Her recent projects include serving as co-chair of the History Committee of the Parrish Street Advocacy Group, curating the Durham Civil Rights Heritage Project traveling exhibition, and guest curating the collaborative exhibition From Cambodia to Greensboro: Tracing the Journeys of New North Carolinians for the Greensboro Historical Museum and the Levine Museum of the New South.



ONE- OR TWO-DAY COURSES

Capturing Speech, Honoring Stories
Joy Salyers

Do you want to include text in your upcoming photo exhibit, prepare a family history, or plan to write a novel based on oral history interviews? Do you have interviews on tape that you’re not sure how to handle? This two-day workshop will help you translate the stories, memories, and historical narratives found in conversations with others into engaging written form. Day One will provide an introduction, lots of examples, guided interviewing tips geared toward your needs, and time to practice. On Day Two, you will bring part of an interview to discuss in class. This course will provide a valuable experience for anyone who wants to bring stories to life on the printed page; it is also wonderful for teachers looking for meaningful, community-building activities for students. The will be a one-hour break; please bring a bag lunch.

Joy M. G. Salyers is a folklorist, writer, and anti-racism educator. She consults with individuals and groups on a variety of topics—her specialties include using oral history, experiential learning, and creativity to bridge community divisions, develop identity, and combat prejudice. She is trained to use stories and writing to connect and to heal. Her personal fieldwork includes documenting personal life histories, writing poetry from family stories, and collaborating with members of a modern performance community.

Saturdays, November 3 & November 10
10 a.m.–5 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $180 (Enroll by 10/19: $165)
Course ID: 11194



Creating a Working Artist’s Journal
Bryant Holsenbeck

Documenting the process of documentary work can be essential to the final product. In this workshop, environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck will teach you how to create a large, functional journal out of recycled materials culled from Durham’s Scrap Exchange (www.scrapexchange.org). When you are finished, you will have a book to use every day, one that will hold images—drawings and photographs—and your growing thoughts and ideas. You will learn the Coptic stitch, a beautiful and serviceable mode of bookbinding that can also be used as a way to present your documentary projects. (Limit 20)

Saturday, October 13
10 a.m.–4 p.m. (5 hours)
Please bring a bag lunch.
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $105 (Enroll by 9/28: $95)
Course ID: 11195

Bryant Holsenbeck began her arts career as a basket maker. Since that time she has evolved into an environmental artist who makes large-scale installations that document the waste stream of our society. She has shown her work and taught throughout the United States. She has been the recipient of two North Carolina Arts Council Fellowships, a Project Grant and an NEA Arts and Learning Grant that she worked on in collaboration with the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission. She is a community artist who likes to work with groups of people to make large-scale installations using the “stuff” of our society. She is also an independent studio artist who makes books, birds, and sculptures out of recycled materials. Please go to her Web site http://www.bryantholsenbeck.com/ to learn more about her work.



Documenting the Self
Ava Johnson

This two-day workshop will explore how personal narrative can assist in telling an even bigger story. Using lecture, visuals, and hands-on demonstrations as preparation, students will create pieces that tell their own stories. Literal as well as conceptual interpretation is encouraged. The format for this class will be open to photo, video, and audio. Prior experience with these applications is preferred but not required. (Limit 12)

Saturdays, November 10 & November 17
12–4 p.m. (8 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course Fee: $135 (Enroll by: 10/19 $120)
Course ID: 11200

Ava Johnson is a performer, artist, and activist living in Durham. She received her B.F.A. in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design and her M.F.A. in studio art from UNC–Chapel Hill. When not questioning mainstream thinking or making up funny songs, she is the public information coordinator at the Center for Documentary Studies and one of the founding performers of the Cuntry Kings drag/performance group.



The Art of the Interview
Georgann Eubanks and Donna Campbell

Explore a range of interviewing techniques and polish your listening and observation skills. We'll consider the variables involved when you are interviewing a subject for print, radio, or video, and consider questions such as: How much homework on your subject should you do in advance? How far can you veer from prepared questions? How can you put your subjects at ease and inspire trust? How can you get the most out of an interview when the time allowed is very short? We’ll also discuss release forms, the ethics of editing, and the role of the interviewer in framing the final story or documentation. The goal of the class is to help each participant become a more experienced and confident interviewer. (Limit 20)

Saturday, November 3
9 a.m.–4 p.m. (6 hours)
Please bring a bag lunch.
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $105 (Enroll by 10/19: $95)
Course ID: 11201

Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks are the Managing Partners of Minnow Media, LLC, a full-service multimedia production company based in Carrboro, North Carolina. Eubanks has written profiles and promotional materials for the last twenty-five years and hosted a local radio program for three years. Early in her career, Campbell founded Lake Norman Magazine near Charlotte, became Knight Ridder's first female publisher, and then moved into documentary production for public television, for which she has won numerous awards. Between them, they have interviewed a range of "famous" subjects including Michael Jordan, William Styron, Mother Theresa, Maya Angelou, Ruth and Billy Graham, and Walter Cronkite, but their favorite subjects are usually the result of serendipity—the folks they often meet in their travels throughout rural North Carolina. For more information, see www.minnowmedia.net.

AUDIO


Make That Audio Doc: Introduction to Sound Recording and Digital Mixing
John Blythe

Produce your own short audio work using sound provided by you! Students will learn how to "get good sound" in the field, interview techniques, and how to edit and mix a sound-rich piece using ProTools digital editing software.

Note: Students will need to provide their own recorder, microphone, headphones, and portable FireWire hard drive. Please contact instructor with questions about purchasing equipment.

Wednesdays, September 26–November 14
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course Fee: $ 250 (Enroll by 9/12: $230)
Course ID: 11203

John Blythe is a Chapel Hill-based audio producer and journalist. His radio career has included stints as a producer/director at North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC) and as a producer/reporter in New York (WFUV), where his work won a Golden Reel award, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award and a PRNDI award. In addition to the stations mentioned above, Blythe's reports have aired on NPR's Justice Talking and on several British radio networks. Blythe has also worked as a newspaper reporter, Web editor, and magazine researcher.

Advanced Projects Seminar: Audio
Amy Nelson

Advanced Projects Seminars in Audio, Photography, and Video
The Advanced Audio, Photography, and Video Projects courses provide documentary artists with the opportunity to work with award-winning professionals in small group settings. Each term, CDS invites three established artists to teach the Advanced Projects Seminars, designed for individuals who are working on projects and are seeking creative guidance to move forward. This is an opportunity for students in the Certificate program to refine their work before applying for the Final Seminar. Participants are required to share excerpts from their works-in-progress, and the courses are designed around the specific needs of participants. The seminars will be taught by different artists each term, giving students the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on their work. Students may take the course for credit more than once. This is also an ideal course for students who have completed the Certificate in Documentary Studies and are looking for professional advice to move forward in their careers, including information on finding resources (grants, artist residencies) to support their work.

Mondays, September 24–October 29
6:30–8:30 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $315 (Enroll by 9/10 $295)
Course ID: 11204

Amy Nelson is a Durham-based independent radio producer and educator. She spent eight years anchoring and reporting for NPR-affiliate station WUNC. While at WUNC, she collected sounds of the world and wove them into personal audio narratives, features, postcards, and interviews. Through her work, listeners became acquainted with underground midwives, maritime archeologists, unemployed computer programmers, historians, ferry boat men, and refugees. Her work has been recognized by the Radio Television News Directors Association, American Women in Radio & Television, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, and Columbia University.

VIDEO

Telling Your Story: Placing Yourself in the Documentary Film Tradition
Randolph Benson

There are an infinite number of ways to tell your nonfiction story in film: cinema vérité, archival footage, photos, interviews, and re-creations are only a few examples. Will your film be a personal doc? A portrait, experimental, or propaganda? We will study documentary filmmaking through the screening of films and clips, class discussion, readings, and presentations. Outside of class, each student will be encouraged to keep a film journal in response to films screened, readings, and/or other researched materials. Surveying the tradition, history, and conventions of nonfiction filmmaking, you will have a firm foundation from which to choose how to fulfill your documentary vision. You will also be encouraged to share ideas about your projects. (Limit 20)

Wednesdays, September 12–October 31
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due in class)
Course fee: $210 (Enroll by 8/28: $195)
Course ID: 11223

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in eighteen film festivals in seven countries and has garnered numerous awards, most notably a Gold Medal in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards. His work has been featured on the Bravo Network, the Independent Film Channel (Split Screen), WTTW-Chicago, UNC-TV (NC Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.



NEW TO DOCUMENTARY VIDEO PRODUCTION?
Register with payment for Introduction to the Art of Documentary Video Editing (ID: 11224) and Introduction to Documentary Video Production (ID: 11230) at the same time and save $90 on the combined “regular” course fees. (Discount is not used in combination with the early enrollment course fee.)



Introduction to the Art of Documentary Video Editing
Erika Simon

How do you craft footage into a story—and better yet, your story? We’ll analyze documentaries to learn basic editing conventions and study the effects of certain stylistic choices. Through weekly homework assignments, students will learn to use Final Cut Pro and share their work in class. Each student will edit supplied footage to create their own take on the “same” story, burn a sample DVD, and output their edited work onto mini-DV tape. NOTE: Must bring a camcorder to class on two specified dates. No experience necessary, but basic computer skills required. Homework assignments require use of CDS facilities between classes. Text: In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch. (Limit 12)

Thursdays, October 4–November 29 (No class November 22)
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250 (Enroll by: 9/6 $230)
With ID 11230: $205
Course ID: 11224

Erika Simon has been teaching Final Cut to beginners at CDS since 2003. She was an editor for Gatewood: Facing the White Canvas and directed and edited SAF’s Levante: Theater for Social Change and a PSA that aired on Univisión. Her short doc, Gemini World, recently won the Carrboro Film Festival Audience Award. She is a recipient of the Martha Nell Hardy Award for Outstanding Teaching, UNC–Chapel Hill.



Introduction to Documentary Video Production
Chris Potter

This introduction to documentary video production will give you the basic skills you need to go out and shoot. Learn the difference between being a “tourist” or shooting a family gathering and making sure you have the footage you need when you sit down to edit. We will talk about planning and organizing a project, and learn some basic camera, lighting, and audio techniques that don’t require expensive equipment. NOTE: Any video camera will work for this introductory course. Please contact instructor (chrispotter@nc.rr.com) with any questions about purchasing equipment. (Limit 18)

Tuesdays, November 6–December 18
6:30–9 p.m. (17.5 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250 (Enroll by 10/22: $230)
With ID 11224: $205
Course ID: 11230

Chris Potter studied documentary film and video techniques at the Rice University Media Center. He has produced and directed commercial, industrial, and public service videos at Southern Media Design & Production for more than twenty-five years. His current projects include a series of videos on the historical ecology of southeastern Burgundy and a documentary video on a New Deal resettlement community in northeastern North Carolina.



Intermediate Documentary Video Editing with Final Cut Pro
Simone Keith

Learn and discuss video editing techniques using the advanced features in Final Cut Pro. Find out what makes a smooth cut, understand the proper use of effects and transitions, and explore sound mixing while editing your next documentary project. Basic Final Cut Pro skills are required and access to a portable FireWire hard drive is desirable. Text: In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch; recommended: Final Cut Pro HD for Dummies. (Limit 12)

Mondays, October 29–December 17
6:30–9 p.m. (20 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $285 (Enroll by 10/15: $265)
Course ID: 11231

Simone Keith’s short documentary Heavier Than Air has screened at numerous festivals and aired on UNC-TV. A native of Brazil, she has been making documentaries and video essays since arriving in North Carolina ten years ago. Keith has earned two Telly Awards and has collaborated on The Wonder of It All, a UNC-TV documentary about the life of George Beverly Shea, which was nominated for a regional Emmy. She currently works at North Carolina State University, where she is the videographer and editor for In the Garden with Bryce Lane.



Advanced Projects Seminar: Video
Cynthia Hill

Advanced Projects Seminars in Audio, Photography, and Video
The Advanced Audio, Photography, and Video Projects courses provide documentary artists with the opportunity to work with award-winning professionals in small group settings. Each term, CDS invites three established artists to teach the Advanced Projects Seminars, designed for individuals who are working on projects and are seeking creative guidance to move forward. This is an opportunity for students in the Certificate program to refine their work before applying for the Final Seminar. Participants are required to share excerpts from their works-in-progress, and the courses are designed around the specific needs of participants. The seminars will be taught by different artists each term, giving students the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on their work. Students may take the course for credit more than once. This is also an ideal course for students who have completed the Certificate in Documentary Studies and are looking for professional advice to move forward in their careers, including information on finding resources (grants, artist residencies) to support their work.

Date: Tuesdays, October 2–November 6
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $315 (Enroll by: 9/18 $295)
Course ID: 11217

Cynthia Hill began working on her own films in 1997, traveling from New York to North Carolina to search out the farmers who would become the focus of her first feature-length documentary, Tobacco Money Feeds My Family (Producer/Director/Co-Editor). Her next feature-length project, The Guestworker (Co-Producer/Director/Co-Editor) grew out of her work on Tobacco Money Feeds My Family, telling the story of the Mexican farmworkers whose labor is now essential to the agricultural economy of North Carolina. Her other documentary film projects include February One (Co-Producer) and Grace and the New Rules (Editor). Hill’s work has broadcast nationally on PBS and the Sundance Channel and been featured in festivals around the globe. She is a 2003 Indie Arts Award recipient and the co-founder of the Southern Documentary Fund.

Michael Davey, a painter and editor living in Durham, is co-editor of Tobacco Money Feeds My Family and The Guestworker. He has worked in the production business for almost twenty years and during that time has edited a wide variety of projects, including documentaries for PBS, Discovery, Learning Channel, Discovery Health, and Animal Planet.



Beginning Motion Graphics for Documentary Filmmakers
John Vananman

Your film is almost finished. What you have left is an opening title sequence, some statistical information, maybe a few key names, and of course, credits. The only question is, “How do I use them effectively in my film?” Maybe you have seen a movie title with beautifully animated type or cutting-edge graphic design elements moving through 3-D space and wondered how it was done. What are motion graphics? How can they enhance my film? How do I create them? Whether you have a current project or want to learn new skills during your down time, this class will give you an introduction into the software and techniques used by some of the leaders in the motion graphics industry. You will study examples and also get hands-on experience with a series of projects intended to lay the foundation you
need to make your documentary stand out. (Limit 12)

Tuesdays, September 25–October 9
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250 (Enroll by 9/11: $230)
Course ID: 11232

John Vananman is an animator and motion graphics designer with eight years’ experience in the industry. He currently works at North Carolina State University on a variety of projects from video production with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to creating graphics for UNC-TV's In the Garden with Bryce Lane. He also works as a freelancer with several leading advertising agencies in the area and has produced award-winning work for documentary film, television, and corporate video.



REGISTER with payment for Part I (ID 11233) and Part II (ID 11234) of Documenting in the Digital Age at the same time and save $45 on the combined “regular” course fees! (Discount is not used in combination with the early enrollment course fee.)



Documentary in the Digital Age Part 1: Publishing Your Video Documentary on the Web
Carol Thomson

You have your short video doc finished and you want it to be seen. The Internet is one way to reach an unlimited audience, but you are not a Webmaster and you don’t know where to start. Learn the basics of preparing video for the Web, loading video on a Web page, and establishing a low-cost and easy Web presence by creating your own Blog. We'll also explore other options including YouTube. On Day One, we will discuss video compression and how to create a Blog. Video formats covered include QuickTime and an introduction to Flash video. On Day Two, you will bring in a short video clip on an external drive (six minutes or less, ready to import in Final Cut) and will then compress the video and publish it on your Blog. Experience with Final Cut (any version) required.

Saturdays, September 15–September 22
1–4 p.m. (6 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $130 (Enroll by 9/14: $115)
With ID 11234: $100
Course ID: 11233

Carol Thomson has been creating Web sites and multimedia works since 2000 when she began her documentary studies in Australia. She completed her Certificate in Documentary Studies at the Center for Documentary Studies in 2005. She is working on a multimedia documentary, Bridging Rails to Trails: Stories of the American Tobacco Trail, which will be published on the Web and as a CD-ROM. A work-in-progress version can be seen at http://bridgingrailstotrails.com. Thomson’s Web and multimedia company, FireStream Media, LLC, is located in downtown Durham.



Documenting in the Digital Age Part 2: Publishing Your Photography Project on the Web
Christopher Sims

In this workshop, we will explore ideas for presenting your photographs on-line, whether you have an existing site or whether you have just begun thinking about publishing your work on the Web. We’ll review principles of good site design, talk about how to streamline your workflow in Photoshop, and dissect what makes other photography-related Web sites work well. We will also review the software program Soundslides, an inexpensive and easy-to-use way to build on-line slide shows with audio tracks. (Limit 8)

Saturday, October 13
1–4 p.m. (3 hours)
Course fee: $75 (Enroll by 9/28: $65)
With ID 11233: $60
Course ID: 11234

Christopher Sims, who currently designs the CDS Web site, has coordinated the exhibitions and awards programs at CDS as well as worked as a photo archivist at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He has a master’s degree in journalism from UNC–Chapel Hill and is currently a candidate for an M.F.A. in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has received a national fellowship from the Houston Center for Photography, was selected for PDN’s Photography Annual "Best Photography of the Year" in 2007, and was featured in the book American Photography 20, a collection edited by Kathy Ryan of the New York Times Magazine.

PHOTOGRAPHY


Introduction to Darkroom Photography
Lisa Satterwhite

Anyone, from beginning photographers to those who have been working exclusively in digital media, will benefit from this exploration of darkroom techniques. Participants will review camera basics and learn about film developing, darkroom printing, and how to select a series of prints. The goal is to begin a documentary project and complete five finished prints by the end of the course. Bring your camera to the first class—we’ll supply your first roll of film, and you’ll jump right in to making images. The spirit of the class is to take risks, explore, and have fun!

Access to darkroom and photo chemicals are included in the cost of the course; you must buy your own fiber-based black-and-white photographic paper and rolls of films. Text: Black-and-White Photography: A Basic Manual by Henry Hornstein. (Limit 12)

Mondays, September 17–November 5
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235 (Enroll by 9/3: $215)
Course ID: 11215

Lisa Satterwhite is a photographer, teacher, and scientist at Duke University Medical Center whose current research focuses on the molecular genetics of heart disease. Born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, she earned a B.A. in fine art and art history from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in cell biology from Johns Hopkins University. At Princeton, she studied advanced photography in the Program for Visual Arts, focusing on medium and large format, alternative process, and the history of photography. For more than twenty years, she has taught numerous art and biology courses at the high school and university levels. She is interested in the links between environmental philosophy, conservation biology, and the spiritual aspects of creating art, and between environmental policy and human health. Satterwhite’s current photographic work examines family, intimacy, and ties to the land.



Advanced Projects Seminar: Photography
Leah Sobsey

Advanced Projects Seminars in Audio, Photography, and Video
The Advanced Audio, Photography, and Video Projects courses provide documentary artists with the opportunity to work with award-winning professionals in small group settings. Each term, CDS invites three established artists to teach the Advanced Projects Seminars, designed for individuals who are working on projects and are seeking creative guidance to move forward. This is an opportunity for students in the Certificate program to refine their work before applying for the Final Seminar. Participants are required to share excerpts from their works-in-progress, and the courses are designed around the specific needs of participants. The seminars will be taught by different artists each term, giving students the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on their work. Students may take the course for credit more than once. This is also an ideal course for students who have completed the Certificate in Documentary Studies and are looking for professional advice to move forward in their careers, including information on finding resources (grants, artist residencies) to support their work.

Mondays, October 15–November 19
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $315 (Enroll by 10/1: $295)
Course ID: 11216

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, and the Maine Photographic Workshops. She currently teaches at UNC–Greensboro.



Documentary Photography as Fine Art
G. Douglas Vuncannon

Where do documentary photography and “fine art” converge? And how does one come to terms with the statement “every photograph is a self-portrait”? Going beyond the realm of composition and craft, class discussions will strive to identify elements of still photography that have the power to transcend the simple recording of images. We will explore these themes and encourage each participant to develop a personal thesis on documentary photography’s relationship to fine art. Through presentations and discussions, students will become familiar with the approaches of such photographers as Dorothea Lange, W. Eugene Smith, Walker Evans, Andre Kertész, and Mary Ellen Mark. Students will develop their own photographic vision through weekly assignments and have the opportunity to share their work during classroom critiques. During the sixth week of class, students will meet with the instructor in individually scheduled meetings.

Saturdays, October 27–December 8
1–3:30 p.m. (17.5 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $255 (Enroll by 10/12: $235)
Course ID: 11218

G. Douglas Vuncannon is a visual artist and composer who has worked as a freelance photographer and writer since 1995. His short documentary films have screened at numerous film festivals in the United States and Canada. In 2000, the Durham Arts Council awarded him an Emerging Artist Grant. His photography and writing have appeared in the Independent Weekly, and he is currently working on a documentary project made possible by a grant from Duke University’s Freewater Productions.



The Traveling Camera
Larry Siegel

How can you learn to travel and photograph in a comfortable, compact way, and how do you arrive in a new place and start photographing? Students will be assigned to photograph their own neighborhoods, and then swap neighborhoods with their classmates and photograph anew. Whether your passion is travel, photography, or both, learn how to return home with more than the average “tourist” photos. This class is also valuable for people photographing close to home who seek to gain confidence in their ability to interact with and photograph their environment. (Limit 12)

Wednesdays, September 12–October 31
6–8 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210 (Enroll by: 8/29 $195)
Course ID: 11219

For most of Larry Siegel’s life he has been involved with still photography, as a photographer, teacher, and gallery director. His work has been shown in the United States and abroad, in Canada, Mexico (he worked as photographer for the 1968 Olympic Games), and Italy; and his photographs have appeared in many publications. His work is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, among others. He has also received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York and New Jersey State Arts Councils. Siegel taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City for eleven years as well as in Mexico, Italy, and Spain. He founded the Midtown “Y” Gallery in New York City, which he directed for ten years, and in 1959 he founded and directed the Image Gallery, the only photography gallery in New York City at the time.



ONE-DAY CLASSES

Exposure 101: How I Learned to Love Using a Light Meter
MJ Sharp

The problem with modern cameras is not in getting a proper exposure, but in getting nothing but proper exposures. Oftentimes, the truly dramatic or expressive shot is not the one your camera would automatically take. This introduction to metering will cover what your camera is thinking as it makes automatic exposures. More importantly, we will explore the benefits of overriding that control and using light meters—either the camera’s built-in one or separate handheld ones—to construct our own exposures to creative effect. All skill levels welcome. One-hour break for lunch. (Limit 12)

Saturday, October 20
10 a.m.–4 p.m. (5 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $105 (Enroll by 10/5: $95)
Course ID: 11220

MJ Sharp was the staff photographer at the Independent Weekly for most of the 1990s and has also freelanced both nationally and locally. In recent years, she's been working on a long-term project of night landscapes, which she shoots almost exclusively on 4x5 and 8x10 cameras. Currently, her idea of a "short" exposure is one that lasts six minutes. Samples of her work are on-line at www.mjsharp.com.



Ready, Set, Show!
Larry Siegel

How do you know if you’re ready to take your photographs public? Is it better to have a solo show, participate in a group show, or collaborate with one or two other artists to show your work? Larry Siegel, whose experience includes founding and directing the Midtown “Y” Gallery and the Image Gallery, both in New York City, will help you think through such details as how to work with the press and invitations, catalogues, and posters. He’ll also give you important feedback on pricing and selling prints, limited editions, and how to deal with critics
and reviews. (Limit 12)

Saturday, September 15
1–4 p.m. (3 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $75 (Enroll by 8/31: $65)
Course ID: 11221

For most of Larry Siegel’s life he has been involved with still photography, as a photographer, teacher, and gallery director. His work has been shown in the United States and abroad, in Canada, Mexico (he worked as photographer for the 1968 Olympic Games), and Italy; and his photographs have appeared in many publications. His work is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, among others. He has also received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York and New Jersey State Arts Councils. Siegel taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City for eleven years as well as in Mexico, Italy, and Spain. He founded the Midtown “Y” Gallery in New York City, which he directed for ten years, and in 1959 he founded and directed the Image Gallery, the only photography gallery in New York City at the time.



Legal Issues for Photographers
Daniel Ellison

This course will provide an introduction to copyright issues specifically of concern to photographers. Who owns the rights to your photographs? Who owns the rights to archival and other old photographs? The class will also discuss “rights of publicity” and “rights of privacy.” A variety of release forms and other contracts will be reviewed. Students will be expected to bring in samples of their own photographs for discussion of their work and their work process. (Limit 24)

Saturday, November 3
9 a.m.–12 p.m. (3 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $75 (Enroll by: 10/19 $65)
Course ID: 11222

Daniel Ellison is an attorney in private practice in Durham. He has been working with artists and nonprofit arts organizations for more than twenty years. A longtime supporter of the Center for Documentary Studies, he is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of arts law issues. He is a past president and executive director of the North Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and former chair of the North Carolina State Bar Association’s Arts Law Committee. He developed Durham Arts Place, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary of providing affordable artist studio spaces.

Fall 2006

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Winter 2006

Fall 2005

Spring/Summer 2005

Winter 2005

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Untitled, from the series Raising Helana. Photograph by Lissa Gotwals, from her project for the continuing studies course Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies. Gotwals's work from this series was published in issue 03 of Blueeyes Magazine.