FIL 4301C – Documentary Production I

Overview

As a student enrolled in FIL 4301C – Documentary Production I, you have a variety of resources available to complete course media assignments and creative projects. This includes access to NSCM Media Labs, Film Editorial Suites, and the checkout of media production equipment.

Policy Requirements

Students are required to complete the Film and Mass Media Facility Access Student Agreement Form before they can checkout equipment or use facility spaces. This form has to completed once each semester to cover all courses.

Facility Access

After the Add / Drop deadline, enrolled students can electronically access NSCM Media Labs – NSC-161, 211A, and 211B using their UCF ID cards when classes are not being held in theses spaces. Students enrolled in FIL 4301C – Documentary Production I can also access the Production Lab | NSC-143 as well as the Advanced Media Lab | NSC-172. Please use the Activity Calendars located on the NSCM Media Lab resource page to help determine when these spaces are available for open and assisted lab hours.

When engaged in post-production for their creative projects, FIL 4301C – Documentary Production I students can also access the Film Editorial Suites 1-4 – NSC-171, 174, 176, & 178. These rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. Please use the Production Lab | NSC-143 when not engaged in post-production activities to ensure that editorial workstations are available for use by other students.

The Color Correction Suite | NSC-175 is available upon request. The Sound Recording Suite | NSC-172B & C is also available upon request and requires a trained operator. Please contact Film Operations for additional information.

If you are unable to access the above facilities or have been issued a replacement UCF ID card, please see operations staff for assistance.

Equipment Checkout

How to Reserve Equipment

Please use the Zeus Now Portal to request a checkout in advance.

You can also walk in for checkouts Monday-Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm (unless otherwise posted). Items can be returned Monday-Friday from 9:00am to 5:45pm (unless otherwise posted).

Zeus login credentials will be emailed to you by the Film Equipment Room Supervisor, Devon Orand. If you cannot locate this email, search your inbox for “Assignment Window Open – Documentary Production” or check your Junk Email folder. If found in Junk Email, Report these emails as ‘Not Junk’. 

Please email Film Operations if these solutions do not work or if you have any questions.

Assignment Window

FIL 4301C – Documentary Production I has several assignment windows. Enrolled students will be emailed notification when each assignment window has opened.

Equipment checkout begins when faculty informs operations of a media assignment window. Operations then emails enrolled students to notify them that equipment checkout is now open for that assignment.

Duration & Frequency

Students can checkout equipment multiple times per semester. Each checkout period is limited to a maximum of four days.

The total number of days includes the pickup and return dates (i.e., equipment checked-out on a Monday would have to be returned on Thursday). Weekend checkouts will be considered as two days (i.e., equipment checked-out on a Friday would have to be returned on Monday).

Due to limitations with our reservation system, we are not able to grant extensions to checked-out equipment. Students can only request one checkout per week. No back-to-back requests can be made (e.g., you must wait at least one business day to submit a new request to allow other students a chance to reserve the equipment).

Equipment List

The current list of equipment that can be checked out for this course can be found by clicking the button below. There is a sperate list of available equipment for each assignment or the production of a creative project.

Production of Creative Project

Documentary Production is a series of stacked studio courses with both Intermediate and Capstone projects being developed and produced concurrently. 1st-year, junior-level Intermediate projects are developed in Fall and produced in Spring. Juniors progressively gain access to equipment throughout the Fall semester as each media assignment windows opens and as they receive training on equipment. Capstone projects can begin production in the Fall once the Production Season begins. This typically occurs in late September / Early October and ends by late November. See the Master Production Calendar for exact dates for each semester.

All creative projects that are of significant scale, or contain high-risk items or activities, are required to go through a greenlighting process to sanction their production. All sanctioned productions must
be projects that are assigned and overseen by a member of the UCF-NSCM Film and Mass Media program area faculty. Small-scale Documentary creative projects are at the faculty discretion, as they can also be managed through media assignments. They must go through the
greenlighting process if they contain high-risk items or activities; have large crews or seek to use large grip and lighting packages and/or advanced camera equipment. Student productions requesting the use of equipment outside of the scope of their course’s equipment list are also required to go through a formal greenlighting process.

The greenlighting process requires academic approval from the instructor-of-record. Students must also disclose any high-risk items or activities in their production using an
Uninsured Activity Application and obtain approval from the Risk Management Panel. See the Risk
Management Policies section of the NSCM-FMM Student Production Handbook for additional information.