Dr. Cohen presents his work at USC

Click here for the lecture

Dr. Cohen does live presentations on his Book Video and Filmmaking as Psychotherapy:Research and Practice. To hire Dr. Cohen for a presentation today, please contact him at 213-814-4797 or email drjoshcohen@filmandvideobasedtherapy.com oryourdigitalstorytellingproject@gmail.com

Dr. Cohen was a guest lecturer at USC on for the following course where his work is being taught as required material.

Social Work 687

Section #60668R

Media in Social Work:

Documentary Filmmaking as a Praxis for Social Justice

3 Units

“A country without documentaries is like a family without a photo album.” ― Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzman

Spring 2016

Instructor:

Prof. Rafael Angulo, Clinical Professor

E-Mail:

angulo@usc.edu

 Course Day:

Tuesday

Telephone:

(213) 821-1397

Course Time:    

4:10 - 7:00 pm

Office:

SWC-225

Course Location:

SWC-106

Office Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday (11:30 am - 12:30 pm) or by Appointment (Preferred)

Course Prerequisites

SOWK 505 and SOWK 535

Catalogue Description

Creation of short documentaries for social change. Techniques in media production, strategies for media outreach, and development of media literacy skills to deconstruct media messages.

 Course Description

Having entered the 21st century, social workers have the tools to once again capture pictures of a ‘sick and tired world’ and transform the images for purposes of social action. Today, digital video production tools and computer non-linear editing equipment can more easily allow a social worker to be a ‘witness’ to individual and group struggles, provide a deeper ecosystems perspective to societal problems of the disenfranchised, and inform the public about social injustices through documentary storytelling―a new and emerging “tool of choice” for many social workers struggling to contribute to the larger discourse and advocate through the incorporation of visual media.

This course, designed for students with little to no filmmaking experiences, will be divided into three areas of inquiry: 1) Documentary media production which includes research in the context of historical, cultural, political and socio-economic determinants and influences of a social issue, field work, and cinematic editing for the ultimate creation of a fifteen minute short documentary - bringing a larger perspective to an issue beyond a few sound bites; 2) Media outreach strategies for developing public communication campaigns to target audiences and examining the documentaries impact factor for social change; and 3) Media literacy skills that enable us to access, analyze, and evaluate media messages.

During production, each student will be involved in a film crew for the entire semester based on small-group cooperative learning and thus provide the potential for the co-construction of knowledge. Each film crew will be given a HD Canon digital video camera along with sound equipment and if requested a lighting kit. Crews that desire to use their own cameras are supported to use them. During the editing process, it is expected that each film crew purchase Adobe Premiere Creative Cloud (CC) through a low-cost monthly subscription fee.

Students will be viewing a wide array of short documentary forms and pressing the edges of each student’s unique style. Further, each week students will receive additional assets - worksheets, videos, and cheat sheets to help them become emerging social work-informed filmmakers. Each week is designed to push students outside of their comfort zone – get them into an environment they may not regularly find themselves in. Ultimately, student learning builds on what is already known – week by week – by integrating new information into existing knowledge (scaffolding).

Objectives

Provide knowledge of documentary filmmaking theory and practice including the multiple stages, levels, and systems involved in the process and develop an understanding of acting as a member of a video production team involved in planning, scheduling, and crewing.

Prepare students to understand the basics of production: video technology including shooting digital video, camera techniques, lighting, and audio along with learning post production skills: non-linear editing including sound editing, titling, voice-over narration and music.

Teach students to develop a solid campaign plan with a set of clear goals to target audience, plan budget and write grants to maximize impact while minimizing costs, secure an advisory board and partnership, build an outreach team, and create study guides.

Provide students with the skills to strategize in reaching target audiences in meaningful ways through micro cinema, television, cable, film festivals, web, and DVD distribution.

Offer students the know-how to deconstruct and decipher the complex messages received from television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, signs, packaging, marketing materials, video games, recorded music, the Internet and other forms of media. Thus, the ability to understand not only the surface content of media messages (the "text") but also the more important meanings (the "subtext") hidden beneath the surface and the impact on our communities.

Click here for the lecture