Spring Only
Program Overview
Why make a documentary video in Havana, Cuba? The answer is simple — because Havana is a place like no other. 21st century Havana is a city of contradictions — steeped in tradition but on the verge of a radical change in cultural direction. From rumba and salsa and Revolution-era art and literature to the recent opening of western influence, Havana is a landscape that is overflowing with possibilities for documentary storytelling — and it’s yours to discover.
This documentary video production course, offered in collaboration with the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, the Cuban National Institute of Film and Television (ICAIC), and the University of Havana, takes you through all the crucial steps from the development of ideas and research through editing and post-production. You work in crews of four, learning the basic principles of shooting HD video and non-linear editing with Final Cut Pro.
Each student completes a finished work for a rough-cut screening at the end of the semester. Students are encouraged to research and connect with aspects of Cuban culture and life that are not often seen in mainstream media. You also take the companion courses Cuban Arts & Culture, Revolutionary Encounters & Encountering Revolutionaries in Cinema and a Spanish language course*. In addition, you attend screenings of Cuban documentaries, workshops, master classes, and class discussions exploring various aspects of documentary practice and Cuban cinema.
Outside the classroom, you live in a historic Cuban ‘casa particular’ with a Cuban family and other Tisch students. All 'casas' are centrally located within walking distance to the campus of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba and the University of Havana and offer private and shared bedrooms/bathrooms, meals and laundry service.
*Please note: one college-level Spanish course is highly recommended in advance of the semester.
Program Curriculum
Documentary Video Production
IFMTV-UT 1959
4 units | Ekwa Msangi-Omari, Instructor
Prerequisite: Sight and Sound: Studio or Sight and Sound: Documentary or equivalent.
(Note: Tisch Film & Television majors must have two Sight & Sound courses.)
Your semester abroad consists of your core program curriculum and three additional companion courses, completing a full-time, 16-18 unit semester:
This documentary video production course, offered in collaboration with the Cuban National Institute of Film and Television (ICAIC), takes students through all the crucial steps from the development of ideas and research through editing and post-production. Students work in crews of four, learning the basic principles of computer operations, logging systems, and on- and off-line editing. Each student completes a final work for a rough-cut screening at the end of the semester. Students are encouraged to research and connect with aspects of Cuban culture and life that are not often seen in mainstream cinema. Although documentary production is the primary focus, screenings of Cuban narrative documentaries, workshops, master classes, and class discussions explore various aspects of documentary practice and Cuban cinema.
