Ken Burns – MasterClass – Teaches Documentary Filmmaking

Ken Burns teaches how he navigates research and uses audio and visual storytelling methods to bring history to life.

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Ken Burns – MasterClass – Teaches Documentary Filmmaking

The 5-time Emmy Award winner teaches how he navigates research and uses audio and visual storytelling methods to bring history to life.

Since its 2017 debut, Ken Burns’s The Vietnam War has enthralled over 39 million viewers by painting an intimate and revealing portrait of history. In this online film class, learn how Ken captivates audiences with his ability to distill vast research and complex truths into compelling narratives. From first treatment to final edit, Ken teaches his documentary filmmaking techniques that “wake the dead” to bring their stories to life.

Browse Lesson Plan

1. Introduction

2. What It Takes

3. Choosing Your Story

4. Finding Your Story Within The Subject

5. Telling A True Story

6. Treatments, Pitching, and Funding

7. Structuring a Documentary Narrative

8. Sourcing Archival Materials

9. Shaping Nonfiction Characters

10. Case Study: The Vietnam War Episode Boards

11. Writing a Script

12. Visual Storytelling: Cinematic Techniques

13. Visual Storytelling: Unforgivable Blackness Case Study

14. Selecting Interview Subjects

15. Conducting an Interview

16. Case Study: Navigating a Challenging Interview

17. Nonfiction Cinematography

18. The Power of Music

19. Editing: Process

20. Editing: Principles

21. Editing Case Study: The Vietnam War Introduction

22. Recording and Using Voice Over

23. Sound Design

24. The Artist’s Responsibility

25. Sharing Your Film

26. Jump The Chasm