Prerequisites

• University degree.
• At least one-year of experience in media and production fields.

Course Description

As the global demand for high-quality documentary storytelling grows, producers, writers, and directors must be equipped with professional tools that meet international standards. This course provides hands-on training in the core skills of documentary television production. Participants will explore the full process—from concept development to field production—focusing on both thematic and technical aspects to produce compelling human-interest, social, or political stories for TV audiences.

Course Objective

By the end of this course, participants will:
• Define the key principles of documentary television production.
• Develop strong concepts, scripts, and story structures for documentaries.
• Plan and prepare for field production, including research and logistics.
• Collaborate with a production team to create a complete documentary program.

Course Outline

• Introduction to TV documentary programs:
- Documentary production schools.
- Features and challenges of documentaries.
- Documentary approaches and elements of television documentary programs.

• Preparing television documentaries:
- Developing the idea and documentary treatment.
- Information and field research.
- Pre-filming scenario.
- Working with the team: roles and different tasks.

• Field documentary production:
- Production planning and field filming strategy.
- Cinematic filming techniques.
- Camera and using the microphone.
- Fundamentals of interviewing art.

• Post-production phases:
- Scenario building in television documentary programs.
- Writing and recording documentary commentary.
- Fundamentals of editing and music.
- Information verification and evaluation of the first program copy.
- Visual, audio, graphics, coloring, and final touches effects.
- Plan the show for broadcasting or publishing.

Course Benefits

• A graduation certificate by Al Jazeera Media Institute.