Tutored by documentary filmmakers working in the international industry alongside Myanmar filmmakers trained at the School, this eight-week course in documentary filmmaking is the point of entry to the School and compulsory for all students selected to study in YFS’s three-year training programme.

The course gives students – many of whom have not made a film before – a thorough grounding in the documentary genre and includes specialised sessions and practical exercises in cinematography, sound recording, interview technique, research and treatment writing.

Working in groups of three (director, cinematographer and sound recordist), each of the 12 students on the course has the chance to try their hand at all three roles as they work on a series of practical exercises – including the observational cinematography and sound module ‘All in a Day’s Work’ – and research, write and film a final documentary of up to 20 minutes in length.

Some notable films made by YFS students on the course include Lost Boy, My Leg and Dala Boatbreakers.

Take a look at how this course works in the film About the 2020 Art of Documentary Filmmaking for Beginners course below.