The industry of documentary and nonfiction films is now booming, making this the time more than ever before to get an education in film making and make a go of this exciting career. Due to technological advances with digital equipment, documentary film making is now accessible to anyone, even those with minimal finances and experience. When deciding on training for becoming a filmmaker, consider the following documentary and nonfiction education key terms as a starting point for finding the right educational fit.
Certificate program
A certification of documentary studies is given to award the completion of a documentary film studies program, lasting roughly one to two years, and can usually be achieved in the study of documentary film making from a trade school.
Burlington College.
Bachelors degree
A bachelors degree is awarded for completion of a major course of study at a university or college. It is most commonly completed in four years in a documentary and nonfiction film making department of a university.
Academy of Art University with a concentration in nonfiction film.
Graduate degree
A graduate degree is awarded to a candidate after one to four additional years of study in a field and may be a doctorate or masters degree depending on the area of study. However, only masters degrees can be achieved in documentary film making.
Stanford University.
Internships
An internship provides the opportunity to learn on the job, getting real-time, hands-on, practical training under supervision. There are many opportunities for interns in the documentary film industry. Since most are made on a small budget filmmakers are often looking for free help.
Workshops
A workshop is like a seminar, or small gathering of people, that emphasizes the sharing of ideas and information amongst professionals.
New media
New media is a term used to reference an art form that utilizes mostly digital technology, such as digital art, computer graphics and computer animation. More specifically in documentary films, it means the use of the Internet for creating, distributing, showing and promoting a nonfiction film for a very low cost.