Creative Non-Fiction

Creative nonfiction is a relatively new genre in literature, media and communications that is expanding and evolving continually. “Creative” refers to the craft and attention to form in presenting nonfiction. The genre of creative nonfiction film has almost infinite possibilities, ranging from personal memoir to film essay to dramatized reportage. The genre offers greater flexibility and freedom to create nonfiction film than traditional documentary modes. Students will engage in producing films that are grounded in real world facts and events with equal emphasis on form. The main question for this class is what is the relationship between Self and Other, and between Art and Truth. Throughout the course students will engage in the discourse of art, truth and fiction as they produce their own work. Students will focus on how to do research, how to use the tools of fiction film such as constructing mise-en-scene, working with cinematic narration (not necessarily voice over), and find a personal approach to form that suits the subject matter. Students will explore the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction, and wrestle with their own subjectivity and authorship in creating films based on actual events and experiences. This class is a junior level production course. Students will shoot film and/or video.