Doha Film Institute
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Short Documentary Lab with Rithy Panh 2022-2023
PERIOD14 Jan 2023 - 14 Jan 2023
LANGUAGEEnglish
MODEIn person and Online
Making a documentary is much more than simply filming what surrounds us. It can be a way of understanding the world, a tool to make it a better place, and an art form where you can find and express your own voice.
Part 2: Pre-production and Scouting (8 weeks)
14 January – 4 March 2023

Online: The online weekly group sessions will be 4 hours in duration (including breaks). The weekly one-on-one sessions are 60 minutes each. Timings will be determined based on the availability of accepted applicants.
  • Developing relationships with documentary subjects
  • Scouting locations and requesting filming permits
  • Writing documentary treatment
  • Developing a visual and narrative style
    • Analyse and view documentary films as references
  • Creating a production schedule
  • Assembling a crew and team

Part 3: Filming, Editing, and Post-Production (6 weeks)
May - June 2023

Full commitment may be required during production and post-production, depending on the project. Participants must commit to attending the lab 6 days per week, at least from 5-8 PM.
  • Shooting and analysis of the rushes with the assistance of an editor
  • Editing and Post-production
By the end of the course, students will have created three to five documentary short films, which will be screened for the class. As a group, we will prepare distribution strategies. Then, based on their personal experience, each student proposes a new idea for another documentary. The lab ends by imagining new films and defining the individual style of each student.
Short Script Lab 2024 (Online)
Applications are Now Closed.
Short Script Lab 2024 (Online)
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