Fictions of Completion

This class focuses on a non-traditional process to explore alternative, non-linear methods of cinema production; through filming, writing, editing, rehearsals and staging, each filmmaker will give themselves space to experiment and expand their projects while developing an individual process of making. The class will look at the way one can expand a film through an iterative process; assignments will include research, filming and writing meant to allow students to discover their projects through direct engagement with their materials, as well as help them assemble a process that best suits their work. It also looks at the way that documentary and narrative practices can speak to each other.

The aim of the class is for
students to discover their own processes when
producing their work and feel encouraged to
challenge the conventional, linear mode of
dramatic production. The class aims to help students search for the most congruent production method, visual language, sound aesthetic, and narrative structure that correlates with their content.

The course will incorporate screenings and discussions that present a variety of narrative and forms from filmmakers across the world. This course also centers its discussion on the idea of completion: when is a film a film? How does your work across time speak to your identity as a maker?