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COM 321, Documentary Form in Film, Television, & Interactive Media Spring 2016

Viewing Assignment: Occupational Documentary. Due: Feb. 18 Worth: 10% of your course grade

Select a documentary that explores the world of your current or future occupation. Write a brief essay analyzing the documentarist(s)’ treatment of “reality,” using course concepts. Be sure to include: (a) An analysis of how the documentarists have “adapted” reality for their own purposes. (b) A description of how this documentary might have changed your own perceptions of this career path.

Your writeup should be approximately two to three pages in length. The assignment should be typed, double-spaced, easily legible, and free of spelling and grammatical errors. Please hand in a hard copy.

Some Recommendations for Viewing Assignment: Occupational Documentaries

Based on the typical strong interest that documentary students have in film and video occupations, the following career-oriented documentaries are recommended:

Film—General

Amigo, A., Andreu, A., Balsan, H., Edelstein, N., Servan-Schreiber, F., & Staermose, S. (Producers). (1995). Lumiere & company [Motion picture]. France: Cineteve (& others).

*Montgomery, M. (Producer), & Jacobovici, S. (Director). (1998). Hollywood: An empire of their own [Motion picture]. Canada: Associated Productions, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, & Ontario Ltd. [Documentary on contributions of early Jewish Hollywood moguls]

Schmidt, E. (Producer), & Dick, K. (Director). (2006). This film is not yet rated [Motion picture]. United States: Independent Film Channel and Chain Camera. [Documentary on U.S. MPAA rating system]

Photography

Maloof, J., & Siskel, C. (Producers/Directors) (2013). Finding Vivian Maier. United States: Ravine Pictures.

Cinematography

Bahnemann, V., Fauer, J., Hoffman, R., Johnston, J. W., Wieser, F. (Producers), & Fauer, J. (Director). (2006). Cinematographer style [Motion picture]. United States: T-Stop Production.

Blomgren, L., Carlsson, G., Nykvist, C.-G., Nykvist, G., Olofsson, K. (Producers), & Nykvist, C.-G. (Director). (2000). Sven Nykvist: Light keeps me company [Motion picture]. Sweden: Beluga Film AB, Nordisk Film, SVT Drama, Sandrews, Svensk Filmindustri (SF).

Chressanthis, J., et al. (Producers), & Chressanthis, J. (Director). (2008). No subtitles necessary: Laszlo and Vilmos [Motion picture]. United States: NC Motion Pictures. 2

Lawler, T., Nishimuri, Y. (Producers), & Glassman, A., McCarthy T., & Samuels, S. (Directors). (1992). Visions of light: The art of cinematography [Motion picture]. Japan/United States: NHK/American Film Institute.

*McCall, C., McGill, R. (Producers), & McCall, C. (Director). (2010). Cameraman: The life and work of Jack Cardiff [Motion picture]. United Kingdom: Modus Operandi Films.

Editing

Apple, W. et al. (Producers & Director). (2004). The cutting edge: The magic of movie editing [Motion picture]. United States: A.C.E., BBC, NHK Enterprises, TCEP Inc.

Gorges, W., Greene, F. L., Netburn, S., Scotti, D. (Producers), Shapiro, M. J., & Werner, J. (Directors). (2006). Coming attractions: The history of the movie trailer [Motion picture]. United States: The Andrew Kuehn Jr. Foundation.

Directing

Bourke, A. P., Miller, C. (Producers), & Yeager, S. (Director). (2000). In bad taste [Motion picture]. United States: ??. [Documentary on filmmaker John Waters]

Bowser, K. et al. (Producers), & Bowser, K. (Director). (2003). Easy riders, raging bulls: How the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll generation saved Hollywood [Motion picture]. United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation, Cactus Three, The Fremantle Corporation, & Trio Television.

Brown, T., Roller, M., Shepard, D. H., Silke, J. R., Stevens, G. Jr., Taylor, G. (Producers), & Bogdanovich, P. (Director). (1971/2006). Directed by John Ford [Motion picture]. United States: American Film Institute, California Arts Commission, & Turner Classic Movies (restored 2006 version).

Claybourne, D., Doqui, M., Mayfield, L., Roos, F., Zaloom, G. (Producers), Bahr, F., Hickenlooper, G., & Coppola, E. (Directors). (1991). Hearts of darkness: A filmmaker’s apocalypse [Motion picture]. United States: American Zoetrope & Cineplex-Odeon Films. [Documentary on the making of Coppola’s Apocalypse Now]

de Clercq, J., de Clercq, D., Januzczak, W., Kochenrath, H. P., Panitz, H.-J. (Producers), & Muller, R. (Director). (1993). The wonderful, horrible life of Leni Riefenstahl [Motion picture]. Germany: Arte, Channel Four Films, Nomad Films, Omega Film GmbH, Without Walls, & Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.

Denis, D., et al. (Producers), & Pettigrew, D. (Director). (2002). Fellini: I’m a born liar [Motion picture]. France: Portrait & Cie (& others).

Greenberg, L., Leeburg, R. (Producers), & Guenette, R. (Director). (1992). Orson Welles: What went wrong? [Motion picture]. United States: ??.

Mulligan, J., Nelson, S., Schwarz, J., Teigue, T. (Producers), & Schwarz, J. (Director). (2007). Spine tingler! The William Castle story [Motion picture]. United States: Automat Pictures & Spine Tingler.

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*Schickel, R., & Stavis, G. (Producers), & Schickel, R. (Director). (1973). The men who made the movies: Alfred Hitchcock [Motion picture]. United States: The American Cinematheque. Stevens, G. Jr., Vellani, A., Winslow, S. (Producers), & Stevens, G. Jr. (Director). (1984). George Stevens: A filmmaker’s journey [Motion picture]. United States: Creative Film Center.

Varda, A. (Director). (1991). Jacquot de Nantes [Motion picture]. France: Canal+ (& others). [Documentary on filmmaker Jacques Demy]

Producing

Avrich, B., et al. (Producers), & Avrich, B. (Director). (2005). The last mogul: The life and times of Lew Wasserman [Motion picture]. United States: Melbar Entertainment Group & Bravo!

*Beardsley, M., Bodde, M., Brown, T., Scorsese, M., Tillinger, E. (Producers), & Jones, K. (Director). (2007). Val Lewton: The man in the shadows [Motion picture]. United States: Turner Classic Movies, Turner Entertainment, & Sikelia Productions.

Bosch, R., Curtis, A. J., & Darwin, L. (Producers), & Fulton, K., & Pepe, L. (Directors). (2002). Lost in La Mancha [Motion picture]. United Kingdom/United States: Quixote Films, Low Key Pictures, & Eastcroft Productions. [Documentary about director Terry Gilliam’s unsuccessful attempt to film an adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote]

Burstein, N., et al. (Producers), Burstein, N., & Morgen, B. (Directors). (2002). The kid stays in the picture [Motion picture]. United States: Highway Films, Ministry of Propaganda Films, & Woodland Pictures LLC. [Documentary about producer Robert Evans]

Calder, K., et al. (Producers), & Spurlock, M. (Director). (2011). The greatest movie ever sold [Motion picture]. United States: Snoot Entertainment & Warrior Poets. [Documentary about film financing through branding, advertising, and product placement]

*Falcon, J., Juris, M., King, J., Sams, A., Obst, L. (Producers), Springer Berman, S., & Pulcini, R. (Directors). (2002). Hello, he lied & other truths from the Hollywood trenches [Motion picture]. United States: American Movie Classics & Tailslate Pictures.

Pavich, F., Scarlata, S., & Stevens, T. (Producers), & Pavich, F. (Director). (2013). Jodorowsky’s Dune. United States/France: City Film, Caméra One, Endless Picnic, & Snowfort Pictures. [Documentary about director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unsuccessful attempt to film an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune]

Writing *Beauchamp, C. et al. (Producers), & Terry, B. (Director). (2000). Without lying down: Frances Marion and the power of women in Hollywood [Motion picture]. United States: Chaise Lounge Productions LLC & UCLA Film and Television Archive.

*Brown, T., Jundersdorf, E., Schlondorff, V., Wood, B. (Producers), Grischow, G., & Schlondorff, V. (Directors). (2006). Billy Wilder speaks [Motion picture]. Germany: Bioskop Film & Volker Schlondorff.

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D’Avino, R., Hanson, P., Herman, P. R., & Murphy, P. (Producers), & Hanson, P. (Director). (2009). Tales from the script [Motion picture]. United States: Grand River Films & Jade Tiger Productions. [Documentary about Hollywood screenwriters]

Edgren, G., Roberts, L., & Snyder, D. (Producers), & Snyder, D. (Director). (2007). Dreams on spec [Motion picture]. United States: Mercury Productions. [Documentary about Hollywood screenwriting process]

Jalfon, P., MacCabe, C., Robbins, T., Seldis, M. (Producers), & Simon, A. (Director). (1996). The typewriter, the rifle, and the movie camera [Motion picture]. United States/United Kingdom: Independent Film Channel, British Film Institute. [Documentary on writer/director Sam Fuller]

Film Casting Arboleda, I., Donahue, T., Colbert, J., & Lacey, K. (Producers), & Donahue, T. (Director). (2013). Casting by [Motion picture]. United States: Creative Chaos Ventures, HBO Documentary Films, & Tashtego Films.

Film Criticism Berghaus, R., Brookes, S., Fox, K., Geller, A., Poss, E., & Ribera, R. (Producers), & Peary, G. (Director). (2009). For the love of movies: The story of American film criticism [Motion picture]. United States: AG Films.

Voice Acting for Film & TV DiMaggio, J., Reid, T., & Shapiro, L. (Producers), & Shapiro, L. (Director). (2013). I know that voice. [Motion picture]. United States: Dundee Entertainment; Record Farm Industries.

Film Music Bogach, L. (Producer). (1995). The Hollywood soundtrack story [Motion picture]. United States: American Movie Classics. Lieberstein, D., Meister, K., & Mogull, I. (Producers), & Lieberstein, D. (Director). (2007). Lights! Action! Music! [Motion picture]. United States: The Wild Project.

Smilow, M. (Producer), & Waletzky, J. (Director). (1995). Music for the movies: The Hollywood sound [Motion picture]. United States: Alternate Current.

* - Available for viewing at the DVComm Center