Practical Documentary Film

The course takes place once a week on Thursdays from 18:00 to 21:00 at BFM (on-site) and is held in Estonian!

Target Group

Everyone interested in creating documentary films. No prior experience or background in filmmaking is required.

Course Aim and Content

The aim of the course is to introduce the tools of documentary filmmaking, explore various subgenres and storytelling methods, and guide participants in creating their own short documentary film.

Course structure:

• Course introduction. Getting to know the participants and clarifying expectations. Introduction to documentary film. The documentary filmmaking team. Examples of documentaries. Initial discussion with participants: what could a documentary be about?

• Overview of different documentary genres and styles. Viewing examples of various documentaries and discussing stylistic approaches.

• Participants present their film ideas. Developing the idea and script for a documentary. Viewing sample clips or photos related to potential film ideas. Discussion on how to develop ideas further.

• Working with main characters and building a relationship of trust. Practical examples.

• Practical camera work and sound recording on set. Camera introduction and filming exercises.

• Discussion of completed scripts. Viewing different stylistic examples based on participants’ stories. Visual language.

• Film analysis and basics of film editing.

• Documentary film editing.

• Practical editing with DaVinci Resolve: introduction to the editing program and hands-on editing.

• Sound and music in film. Sound design for documentaries.

• Viewing and discussion of participants’ first editing drafts.

• Documentary filmmaking in Estonia: overview of funding opportunities and the “Estonian Stories” documentary series. How to take the next step toward making a professional film? Film-related documentation, budgeting, and legal aspects.

• Screening of completed films and festive closing session.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Understand the genres of documentary film;

• Be able to develop an idea and write a script;

• Have acquired practical knowledge of camera work and on-set sound recording, as well as an introduction to visual storytelling;

• Be familiar with the theory of documentary editing and possess practical skills in editing and sound design using DaVinci Resolve;

• Have a basic understanding of filmmaking in Estonia, including documentation, budgeting, and funding opportunities.

Instructor

Director Kaupo Kruusiauk began studying film and video at Tallinn Pedagogical University in 2003, specializing in directing and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2005. In the spring semester of 2005, he furthered his directing studies at FAMU Film School in Prague. In 2012, he continued his education at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Department of Drama, completing a master’s degree in theatre and film directing in 2015.

He was one of the founding members of the Estonian Guild of Film Directors in 2020 and has previously conducted various film courses at BFM. In 2023, he received the Estonian Film Journalists’ Association’s Film of the Year award, the Estonian Cultural Endowment Award, and the EFTA award for Best Documentary Film for Machina Faust (2022), a documentary about saxophonist Maria Faust. In 2024, his documentary Anett, about tennis player Anett Kontaveit, was released and became the most-watched documentary film in Estonian cinemas that year.