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Film & TV · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Animated Documentaries

How do you film a memory? This course explores the powerful genre of the animated documentary. Students will learn how to use animation to depict un-filmable events, protect the identity of vulnerable subjects, and visualize internal emotional states. Analyzing films like Flee and Waltz with Bashir, students will combine authentic audio interviews with metaphorical imagery to tell true stories.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Analyze the "Truth Contract" in non-fiction animation
  2. Conduct audio interviews and edit "Radio Cuts" for narrative flow
  3. Use visual metaphor to represent abstract concepts or trauma
  4. Master stylistic techniques: Rotoscoping, collage, and sketches
  5. Navigate the ethics of representation and subject anonymity
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The History of Anidocs: From Winsor McCay to Netflix
  2. 02Ethics of Representation: Real People, Drawn Faces
  3. 03The Interview: Recording Audio Techniques
  4. 04Editing the "Radio Cut": Story Structure
  5. 05Sound Design: Foley & Atmosphere
  6. 06Visual Style I: The Sketchbook Aesthetic
  7. 07Visual Style II: The Realistic Aesthetic
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Visualizing the Invisible: Metaphor
  10. 10Anonymity: Protecting Whistleblowers
  11. 11Historical Reenactment in Animation
  12. 12Rotoscoping: Capturing Reality
  13. 13Mixed Media: Photos & Drawings
  14. 14Abstract Documentary: Visualizing Data
  15. 15The Voiceover: Narrator vs. Subject
  16. 16Final Project: The 2-Minute Animated Doc

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The 2-Minute Animated Doc

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Animated Documentary by Annabelle Honess Roe
  2. Documentary Animation: Reality in the Frame (Compilation)
  3. Acting for Animators (for understanding vocal performance) by Ed Hooks
  4. In the Blink of an Eye (Editing Theory) by Walter Murch
  5. Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos by Barry Hampe
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