2-Week Documentary: Documenting the Mississippi Delta

(In addition to the normal class making documentaries in Clarksdale, Barefoot Workshops will be accepting filmmakers for enrollment who will bring their documentary work in progress to the workshop and spend two weeks writing and editing the film.)

The Mississippi Delta is rich in oral history and holds old and new stories waiting to be discovered and shared with the rest of the world. Explore new ideas at the birthplace of blues artists like Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. Walk the fields and film where cotton was king and interview the people who lived and breathed the civil rights movement. Visit endless catfish farms spread across vast cotton fields. Tell stories about factories closing and the importance of preserving local economy. Experience a historical place and meet people waiting to share their personal stories of hardships and triumph.

CONTENT

This 2-week delta workshop is designed for new documentary filmmakers who want to launch their careers in film and television documentaries or for those with experience in some aspects of filmmaking that are looking to expand their skill, understanding and mastery of the whole process. producers, cinematographers, editors and writers with narrative experience who are considering working in non-fiction filmmaking are also encouraged to enroll. This workshop is ideal for working professionals who want to develop important skills, which will allow them to work with other filmmakers.

In this unique workshop, students will explore every aspect of documentary filmmaking. Cinematographer, Chandler Griffin, will help you develop an understanding for the visual structure, style, and production requirements of a wide variety of documentaries along with storytelling and the art of writing and directing. This will include laying a visual foundation by spending many hours exploring how light, composition, and emotion make up the image. Many different lighting techniques and styles will be covered. Chandler will also be covering all editing demos using Final Cut Pro. Using case studies along with student's ideas, the goal of the course is to provide an intense overview of the art of documentary productions. Every student will learn how to evaluate non-fiction ideas, create their own ideas and develop an understanding of documentary film aesthetics and the storytelling process.

THE PROGRAM

The workshop meets formally 6 days each week. There will be lectures, screenings, presentations, technical demos, a review and critique of all dailies, supervised editing sessions, discussion of documentaries, and individual meetings with the Chandler.

The workshop combines lectures and presentations with supervised and formal instruction in production laboratories (camera, lighting, sound, editing), shooting on location, transcribing, screening and discussion of current and classic documentaries, meetings with visiting filmmakers and written assignments. Students will write and develop proposals for future projects.

PRODUCTION

The workshop will break into groups with each group producing a completed 7 to 10 minute piece shot on digital video and edited with Final Cut Pro. Students will meet and scout their subjects and write treatments and outlines to guide their production. from there they will conduct interviews, tape B-roll and coverage for a sequence, record sound and take their material into post-production. There they will be instructed in creating first an edit on paper, then on the computer, where after assembly into a final edit, they will color correct, mix sound and add titles to their finished work. The projects will encompass the diversity of documentary styles and allow the individual the chance to problem-solve by learning to work as a team.

PRESENTATION

On the last night of the workshops the documentaries will be screened for the community to enjoy. The filmmakers are encouraged to invite family and friends. Because of the full support of The Mississippi Film Commission, documentaries produced with Barefoot Images are automatically accepted for a special screening at the Crossroads International Film & Video Festival in Jackson, Mississippi, and students are encouraged to submit to other festivals around the world.

VISITING ARTISTS

Barefoot Workshops invites visiting artists to attend this workshop. Artists working in all mediums are encourages to apply. The duration of stay varies with each individual. In the past photographers have visited Barefoot's Experiencing The Mississippi Delta.

Barefoot Workshops will be accepting filmmakers for enrollment in Barefoot's February 2008 Experiencing The Mississippi Delta workshop. These filmmakers will bring their documentary work in progress to the workshop and spend two weeks writing and editing the film. Read what one of 2006’s visiting filmmakers had to say.

If you are interested in visiting a Barefoot workshop as a visiting artist, please contact Chandler.