{"id":7353,"date":"2015-11-03T13:58:22","date_gmt":"2015-11-03T21:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/dodge\/2015\/11\/03\/new-m-f-a-in-documentary-filmmaking-answers-growing-student-demand\/"},"modified":"2015-11-03T13:58:22","modified_gmt":"2015-11-03T21:58:22","slug":"new-m-f-a-in-documentary-filmmaking-answers-growing-student-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/dodge\/2015\/11\/03\/new-m-f-a-in-documentary-filmmaking-answers-growing-student-demand\/","title":{"rendered":"New M.F.A. in Documentary Filmmaking Answers Growing Student Demand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapman University\u2019s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, recognized as one of the premiere film schools in the United States, is responding to growing student interest in documentary filmmaking with a distinctive Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Filmmaking<\/a> focusing on feature-length documentaries.<\/p>\n

The M.F.A. program offers a unique curriculum building on interdisciplinary research and content development, knowledge of evolving aesthetic traditions, and critical reflection on the ethical questions inherent to documentary production. Students will also study marketing and distribution; graduates will be industry-ready to develop, pitch, produce and market their work.<\/p>\n

Dodge College accepted its first intake of students for the new Documentary graduate program this fall, meeting the needs of a growing market in a time when documentary films are attracting greater audience attention than ever before. Seven of the top ten U.S.-grossing documentaries of all time have been released in the last 10 years, with Michael Moore\u2019s \u201cFahrenheit 9\/11\u201d leading the way with $119M. The demand for documentaries is expected to increase as Netflix and other major platforms now release and stream documentary films exclusively online to great fanfare.<\/p>\n

With these new audiences come new opportunities, and the first students in Dodge College\u2019s new M.F.A. in Documentary Filmmaking are ready to capitalize on this interest and lay the groundwork for their careers.<\/p>\n

Leading the program at Dodge College are veteran documentarian and sound designer, Associate Dean Michael Kowalski; award-winning documentarian and Professor Jeff Swimmer; and Professor and documentarian Sally Rubin.<\/p>\n

Professor Rubin says that what distinguishes this new M.F.A. from other documentary programs is its unique focus on long-form storytelling. \u201cNo other program offers an emphasis on the feature documentary form,\u201d she says. \u201cAlthough students typically make short academic exercise films, feature-length documentaries are what feed the marketplace. Our students will be prepared to examine and create longer, more substantial exploratory docs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another unique advantage for M.F.A. Documentary students is the access they will enjoy to Dodge College\u2019s world-class equipment and facilities, unlike those at universities whose documentary programs are placed in the Journalism or Communications Departments. At Dodge College, students can use a mixing stage, a Foley studio and all of the resources that Film Production students have, from cameras to sound and lighting.<\/p>\n

Students will also have the opportunity to travel the world through existing Dodge College travel programs in search of compelling documentary subjects \u2013 from Asia to Africa \u2013 tackling social, economic and health issues, among many others.<\/p>\n

Highlights of the two-year M.F.A. include courses designed to help students build:<\/p>\n