programs documentary perspectives
Documentary Perspectives
Multimedia critique in the red room (classroom for Perspectives).
DOCUMENTARY PERSPECTIVES »

"Salt is THE place to learn the art of storytelling. It's about pushing yourself, leaving no stone unturned, trying things differently, editing until the wee hours, collaborating until your head spins, and learning to tell THE BEST AND MOST HONEST STORY YOU'RE CAPABLE OF. But be forewarned: We will push you hard, because that is what becoming a Saltie is all about.

{ Jen Smith-Mayo // Documentary Perspectives Instructor }

THE MISSION »
Students from all tracks come together in this class to explore documentary work from many perspectives, from the past and present, from the point of view of the creator as writer, radio producer, photographer, multimedia producer, filmmaker, and more. We will discuss some of the ethical dilemmas you may experience in your work and reflect on the psychological, social, and cultural contexts of your subjects' stories. Also, we will consider what the future offers for documentarians. What are the opportunities? What is the creative market looking for? What is it missing?

Documentary Perspectives
Sam (radio) and Ted (writing) hit the streets for the first assignment: Miniethnography.
THE COURSEWORK »
This course introduces students to the central techniques and issues of documentary fieldwork. Students acquire critical perspective and practical experience by attending lectures, engaging their skills through field and in-class exercises, reading and responding to a selection of articles and books, viewing documentary work, and participating in class discussions. Students explore the intellectual, moral, and creative challenges that research relationships pose as they develop the techniques of participant observation, collecting and interpreting information, in-depth interviewing, and production of work.

STUDENT WORK »
During the course, students will work on a variety of projects such as keeping journals, completing an immersion collaboration, making blog entries, conducting research in the Salt Archives, writing an archives response paper, and creating a multimedia promo for the student show opening. Student work to come!