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About the Michael Rabiger Center for
Documentary Film
Purpose
The Documentary Center was founded by Michael Rabiger in 1988. It is
a dedicated teaching and cultural focus for studying, discussing, screening,
analyzing and advancing the documentary genre. The Center supports students
in the production of documentary films and provides a diverse course
of study designed to help students prepare for a career in documentary
filmmaking.
Activities
The Center helps stimulate a supportive community for documentary
students by offering an informal, centralized location for exchange
of information, screenings of films and access to industry news and
ideas.
Our bulletin boards and resource library are updated regularly, hosting
information about filmmakers,
screenings, documentary filmmaking, film festivals, television broadcasts
and video technology.
Our video and DVD library features classic, contemporary and student
documentaries.
We also host screenings, guest speakers, and open houses and organize
documentary outings.
Resources
The Center's classrooms host documentary courses and the equipment
cage houses the latest in
video technology; offering students hands-on experience with excellent
cameras, sound equipment, lighting kits and related tools of documentary
production. Our two dub racks feature multiple formats for tape transfers.
Avid Express software is employed in the documentary post-production
lab.
Contact Information
If you would like to receive updates about Doc Center events, call
us to sign up for our
email list. Or drop by for a chat and a cup of coffee. Our address is
1104 S. Wabash, Suite 407 and
our phone number is 312-344-6729, or by email doccenter@colum.edu.
Documentary Courses
Our courses encourage the analysis of documentary’s place
in society, as well as theoretical, aesthetic, ethical and practical
considerations to do with documentary filmmaking and culture.
For more information about requirements, see Documentary
concentration.
Documentary
I
A production and theory class which explores a wide variety of styles
and approaches to the genre, creating a knowledge base students can
draw on in the production of a short biographical film.
Documentary
II
A production-based course which hones students' production skills and
helps them develop a distinctive documentary style with the help of
several hands-on projects before making a short
documentary on a topic of their choice.
Documentary
III
An advanced production course in which students develop and produce
a more substantial documentary film which is a strong expression of
their personal themes and approach to the form.
Producing
the Documentary
An advanced course which prepares students for the pre-production, financing,
production and marketing of long-form, socially significant documentaries.
Creating
the Personal Documentary
An advance production course which examines the first-person approach
to documentary filmmaking.
The Music
Documentary
An introductory non-production course which examines the history, practice
and stylistic variety of this popular documentary genre.
Representation and Activism
An advance production course that explores alternative representations
of issues of our times. The emphasis is on the creation of video art
which deals with giving voice to people and communities usually on the
other end of the dominant media.
Topics in
Documentary
A variable group of production and non-production classes according
to demand and relevance. Past Topics have included Cinema Verite/Direct
Cinema, How America Sees the World, The Natural History Film, The Investigative
Documentary.
Cross-Cultural
Filmmaking
An introductory level course which screens a wide range of US and international
films and examines the ethical, creative and collaborative relationship
between filmmakers and subjects from other than their own cultures.
The Sound
of Documentary
This course discusses multiple aspects of the often under-valued documentary
soundtrack and sound design. It includes recording, mixing, music, narration,
fx and foley, studio and location recording and radio documentary. Students
produce a short audio documentary.
History
of Documentary
This is a screening, discussion and analysis course that explores the
development of the documentary genre over time by examining landmark
films, filmmakers, genres and techniques.
Editing
the Documentary
An intensive and highly developed course which teaches students how
to transform raw documentary footage into a film using the language
and techniques of storytelling through editing.
Independent
Project: Documentary Production
An advanced production project designed by the student and supervised
by faculty, covering research and pre-production and shooting. Students
must submit a detailed written proposal.
Independent
Project: Documentary Post-Production
An advanced independent post-production program designed by the student
and supervised by faculty to complete a previously shot documentary.
Responsibilities include logging of rushes, paper edit, editing an off-line
rough cut and on-line fine cut.
The Graduate
Documentary Track
An intensive series of courses that increase in sophistication from
the third semester of the Grad program; culminating in the creation
of a documentary thesis project.
Staff
Director Russell Porter, Faculty Member Jeff Spitz, Technical Coordinators
Lem Huntington, Suree Towfighnia and Tiyi Willingham, and a group of
student workers staff the Documentary Center.
Documentary Film
Center Hours
Monday 9:30-6:30
Tuesday 9:30-6:30
Wednesday 9:30-6:30
Thursday 10:30-8:00
Friday 9:30-5:30
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