Masters in International Documentaries arrives

By UKJournalism

Once the backbone of Sunday afternoon television entertainment and the perfect filling for graveyard slots, documentaries are no longer just the pursuit of weekend couch potatoes or the earnest ëleftieí intelligentsiaÖ

Whilst the subject matter may still be 'difficult' and the people who make them even more so, these days youíre as likely to see a documentary winning a Palme díor as you are a George Lucas blockbuster.

Either way, youíll have to catch them at the movies before youíve any chance of seeing them on the small screen as Michael Moore, Errol Morris, Morgan Spurlock and Jihane Nouijim have ñ to use a Star Wars analogy ñ crossed over, favouring cinema to give their films a first airing.

Transformed

In doing so, theyíve transformed the somewhat dowdy image of the documentary. Whilst it may be stretching a point to claim Moore offers any sex appeal thereís no doubt heís injected a certain amount of glamour into the business.

More importantly, a new wave of filmmakers are making sure their ideas punch through the plethora of reality TV and game shows. Most importantly, theyíre growing audiences and demonstrating the huge appetite for documentary storytelling.

But producing programmes that can find an audience anywhere in the world is a skill that owes as much to understanding business as it does to making programmes. The cinema release is only one part of the show. The deal on television pre sales, DVDís and sell through has already been done to fund the production in the first place.

Complicated and multifaceted

International production is a necessarily complicated and multifaceted business. The new MA in International Documentary and Factual Television Production here in the Department of Journalism recognises this. The focus of the course is on television as a business.

A selection of modules covering worldwide media rights; finding project partners; locating finance; negotiating international funding; managing complex projects or selling ideas to potential broadcasters and making pilot programmes, are all aimed at equipping participants with the right skills to work in the industry as producers or business managers.

Weíre looking for people with the commitment, passion and enthusiasm to take contemporary documentary production and factual television programming to new audiences in new ways - people who want to experiment with new forms of production ñ or those whoíll grapple with new business models for dissemination and delivery of worldwide programming.

The revolution continues ñ this time itís digital.

More info:
MA in International Documentary and Factual Television Production course details >
Email course leader Paul Egglestone on pegglestone@uclan.ac.uk

Related stories from UKJournalism:
Industry praise for Broadcast courses >
All-action Journo joins international team >
MA in TV documentary begins to flourish >

See also:
Cannes film festival >
Michael Moore >
Super Size Me >

Extra and related information

Our print and broadcast courses are accredited by the The Broadcast Journalism Training Council and the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Our MA Magazine Journalism is accredited by the Periodicals Training Council.