PDF of flyer of How we Document

How We Document: Archival Practices in Film and Media

How We Document is a course that examines how archives are deployed to tell Black diasporic narratives, historical and present-day representations, and the impact of these images. Throughout this course, students will sharpen their understanding of non-fiction aesthetics and modes of production through the construction of short-form archival-based media.

Coursework will provide students with tools to think independently about questions of representation, embedded biases, form, formats, and intended audiences through films, readings, and non-fiction multimedia. Students will further develop the skill to contextualize current events within a historical framework and hone their visual voices. We will interrogate authorship, accountability, and narrative ownership. This course will delve into tensions around access, formal considerations, and ethical usage of pre-existing material from various sources, including public institutions, private collections, stock footage libraries, YouTube, and social media.