Judith Van Wyk will be teaching “Mastering the Skills of a Good Producer” in the fall 2011 term for the Continuing Education program at the Center for Documentary Studies. To learn more about the course and to register, please visit the Continuing Education registration site.
Judith Van Wyk is an independent writer/producer who chairs the projects committee for the Southern Documentary Fund, a non-profit organization that provides fiscal sponsorship for aspiring filmmakers. She worked for eight years as an award winning television producer for the Discovery Network. She also produced and directed Journey Towards Integration, a documentary project about the integration of Chapel Hill High School. After receiving an M.A. in broadcast journalism, she worked as a reporter in both public radio and television. She recently completed a biography about the controversial hog magnate Wendell H. Murphy, and is currently working on a short documentary about an Iraqi journalist forced to flee Baghdad at the height of the Iraq War.
Sample Reel by Judith Van Wyk from Center for Documentary Studies on Vimeo.
Mastering the Skills of a Good Producer
All Levels | Taught by Judith Van Wyk
October 22–29, 2011
Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University
Course fee: $155
In documentary filmmaking, it is the job of the producer-director (often but not always the same person) to provide an editor with all the building blocks needed to weave images and sound into a coherent and compelling story. Over the course of two weekends, students will have an opportunity to organize and budget a shoot using the “best practices” of video production. They will learn to anticipate what will be needed in the field, practice their communication skills with crew and interview subjects alike, and discover the importance of keeping a checklist of critical details that are part of any successful production. This can include everything from making sure the camera person gets an establishing shot and captures room tone, to ensuring that the tapes are clearly labeled and the crew is fed; from completing a shoot on time and under budget, to making sure you have all your appearance releases and other deliverables.