Overview
Aims
to make students able to present „the elements of the story”
to make students able to develop a story from simple to more complex
to make students understand the complexity of the portrait documentaries
Course contents
I
n this course, students will learn about plot—the elements that provide it with cohesion—and the construction of complex plots (drawing from literature), through the lens of James Scott Bell. We will also examine the elements of the story, the trigger incident, the crisis and the equilibrium, the composition, the construction of the acts , and the "principle of antagonism”, as defined by Robert McKee. The course then shifts focus to documentary film, presenting its structural elements as outlined by Sheila Curran Bernard. Toward the end of the semester, we will discuss the portrait documentary, analyzing the film ”Martha” (R. J. Cutler, 2024).
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- construct simple plots and subsequently develop them into increasingly complex narratives;
- discuss the meaning of terms as elements of the story, trigger incidents, the structure of acts, and the "principle of antagonism," while providing examples from their own experience or from films they have watched;
- outline how a documentary film can be structured;
- present a personal synopsis project for a portrait -documentary.
Assessment
oral examination, personal project