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Audiovisual Scripts for Non-fiction

Code: 103064
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Audiovisual Communication OP 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Luisa de Carmen Martínez García
Email :
luisa.martinez@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Students must have basic knowledge of certain software, such as text editors, video editors (open sourceDa Vinci) and audio editors (Audacity).

Objectives

The main objectives are:


A) Know and understand the fundamental theoretical concepts for the creation of non-fiction scripts.

B) Relate and apply theoretical and practical concepts in the creation of non-fiction scripts in the field of audiovisual.
communication mainly.

C) Work on the production process of a non-fiction product.

Learning outcomes

  • CM02 (To create new ways of telling stories through audiovisual products by integrating the gender perspective based on a synthesis of the various narrative models.) To create new ways of telling stories through audiovisual products by integrating the gender perspective based on a synthesis of the various narrative models.
  • SM03 (To analyse the narrative of radio, audiovisual and transmedia products.) To analyse the narrative of radio, audiovisual and transmedia products.
  • SM04 (To identify the role of point of view and narrative perspective in audiovisual storytelling.) To identify the role of point of view and narrative perspective in audiovisual storytelling.
  • SM05 (To properly structure audiovisual scripts (dramatic unit, conflict, time and space), with narrative resources and in-depth character and dialogue development.) To properly structure audiovisual scripts (dramatic unit, conflict, time and space), with narrative resources and in-depth character and dialogue development.

Contents



Syllabus


1. Basic Concepts: Non-Fiction

1.1 Background and Origins of Non-Fiction

1.2 Alice Guy: The Pioneer of Cinema


2. Non-Fiction and Journalistic Genres: Interview and Reportage

2.1 The Interview: Concept and Structure

2.2 The Reportage: Concept and Structure

2.2.1 Starting Point: The Idea Behind a Reportage


3. Documentary

3.1 Modes of Representing Reality

3.2 Starting Point: The Idea Behind a Documentary

3.3 Elements and Structure of the Documentary


4. Contemporary Documentary

4.1 Essay Film

4.2 Found Footage Documentary






Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Own study 40 1.6
Theoretical classes 15 0.6
Tutorial 7 0.28
Practices 22 0.88 CM02, SM05
Realization of the project 41 1.64 CM02, SM05

Considering that students have already completed the course Audiovisual Fiction Scriptwriting, the syllabus is organized around theoretical and practical components. The theoretical sessions will provide an overview of the journalistic genres involved in the development of a non-fiction audiovisual product and will introduce key references, movements, and audiovisual formats that reflect the diversity and complexity of non-fiction narratives.

The project developed by students should demonstrate, on the one hand, the proper application of journalistic practices (selection of a socially relevant topic, use of reliable sources, and journalistic treatment of information) and, on the other hand, a creative narrative approach.

The course content will be sensitive to issues related to the gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.

A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will also be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find the teaching materials deemed appropriate by the instructor, as well as all the information necessary for the successful completion of the course.

In the event of a change in the teaching modality due to force majeure, in accordance with the decisions of the relevant authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.


Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Theoretical examination 50% 3 0.12 CM02, SM03, SM04, SM05
Practices 40% 18 0.72 CM02, SM03, SM04, SM05
Active participation in practices 10% 4 0.16 CM02, SM05

Assessment System


The continuous assessment system consists of three separate components, each of which must be passed in order to successfully complete the course:

A) Theoretical Examination: 50%

B) Practical Assignments: 40%

C) Active Participation in Practical Sessions: 10%


Plagiarism

In the event that a student commits any irregularity that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade awarded for an assessment activity, that assessment activity will be graded 0 (fail), regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities are committed in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0 (fail).


Resit Examination

Students who have participated in the continuous assessment process and have failed the theoretical component may retake it, provided that they have obtained a minimum grade of 3.5 out of 10. The grade obtained in the resit examination will become the final grade for that component.

Practical assignments cannot be retaken.

Students are entitled to a resit examination only if they have been assessed on activities accounting for at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total course grade.


Single Assessment

This course/module does not provide a single-assessment option.


Not Assessable

According to Section 9 of Article 266 of the UAB Academic Regulations, “when it is considered that the student has not been able to provide sufficient assessment evidence, the course shall be graded as Not Assessable”. The course guide will establish the specific criteria for assigning a Not Assessable grade.


Artificial Intelligence

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as an integral part of the development of coursework, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution by the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection.

Students must clearly identify which parts of their work have been generated using AI technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity.

Failure to disclose the use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a penalty in the grade awarded for the activity or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

Any student suspected of submitting work generated by AI, produced by another person, or copied from other sources; including AI-generated content without proper acknowledgment; or work that falls outside the permitted uses established in this course, may be required to provide drafts, preparatory materials, or other evidence demonstrating that the work is original and authored by the student. Students may also be asked to explain or justify their work separately.

Teaching staff may use AI-detection systems or carry out any verification procedures deemed appropriate. If, after review, irregularities are detected, the work may be graded 0 (fail) and the student may be subject to additional disciplinary measures.


Academic Misconduct

Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (including academic fraud, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorized in the course guide) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that assessment activity being graded 0 (fail).

If the course guide establishes that obtaining a minimum grade in that assessment activity is an essential requirement for passing the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0 (fail).

In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who commits any of the aforementioned irregularities.

Bibliography

Bibliografía Básica:

Barnouw, Erik. (1983). *Documentary: A history of the non-fiction film* (Rev. ed.). Oxford University Press.

Bruzzi, Stella. (2000). *New documentary: A critical introduction*. Routledge.

Català Domènech, Josep M. (2000). *El film-ensayo: La didáctica como una actividad subversiva*.

Ebbrecht-Hartmann, Tobias, & Paget, Derek. (2016). *Docudrama on European television: A selective survey* (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-49979-0

Halperín, Joaquín. (2008). *La entrevista periodística*. Aguilar.

Hayes, Joy Elizabeth. (2024). Rethinking docudrama and its origins from radio and film to streaming media. *Television & New Media, 25*(3), 215–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/15274764231213811

Herrera, Susana. (2007). La estructura del reportaje en radio. *Área Abierta*, (17). https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ARAB/article/view/ARAB0707110163A

Herrera, Susana. (2008). *Cómo elaborar reportajes en radio*. La Crujía.

Izquierdo-Castillo, Jessica, & Torres-Romay, Emma. (2022). Women in the documentary industry: Continuing inequality in the streaming age. *El Profesional de la Información, 32*(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2023.ene.06

León, Bienvenido (Coord.). (2014). *Nuevas miradas al documental*. Comunicación Social.

Lipkin, Steven N. (2011). *Docudrama performs the past: Arenas of argument in films based on true stories*. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Mar, María del Mar, & Moreno Ruíz, Pablo. (2019). *‘News from Home’ de Chantal Akerman: El documental autobiográfico en el contexto del documental contemporáneo*. *Fonseca, Journal of Communication*, (18), 103–115. https://doi.org/10.14201/fjc201918103115

Míguez, Roberto. (2014). Ficción y no ficción en la cultura audiovisual digital. *Telos: Cuadernos de Comunicación e Innovación*, (99). https://bit.ly/2Smolp4

Monterrubio, Lourdes. (2019). Dispositivos de enunciación del film-ensayo español contemporáneo: Evolución de la subjetividad ensayística y su pensamiento en acto. *Studies in Spanish & Latin American Cinemas, 16*(3), 335–361. https://doi.org/10.1386/slac_00003_1

Nichols, Bill. (1997). *La representación de la realidad*. Paidós.

Paget, Derek. (2016). *No other way to tell it: Docudrama on film and television* (2nd ed.). Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv18b5j9c

Peña, Daniel. (2016). Diseño de guiones para audiovisual: Ficción y documental. http://ilitia.cua.uam.mx:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/750

Peydró, Guillermo G. (2015). Las variaciones *Guernica*: Film-ensayo sobre arte. En *No se está quieto* (pp. 265–275). Iberoamericana Vervuert.

Porto Renó, Denis, Longhi, Raquel, & Ruiz, Sandra. (2022). Diversos géneros en la narrativa transmediática del documental 33. *Comunicación. Revista Internacional de Comunicación Audiovisual, Publicidad y Estudios Culturales, 1*(10), 224–235. https://doi.org/10.12795/comunicacion.2012.v01.i10.19

Rodríguez, Raúl. (2021). Documental sonoro y arte radiofónico. *Historia y Comunicación Social, 26*(2), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.5209/hics.75797

Scolari, Carlos A. (2014). Narrativas transmedia: Nuevas formas de comunicar en la era digital. En *Anuario AC/E de Cultura Digital* (pp. 72–81). https://www.socialnautas.es/wpcontent/uploads/2016/10/6Transmedia_CScolari.pdf

Sellés-Quintana, Magdalena. (2008). *El documental*. Editorial UOC. https://openaccess.uoc.edu/handle/10609/111366?locale=es

Silva Rodríguez, Manuel. (2024). El paso del ensayo literario y filosófico al ensayo audiovisual: Una aproximación desde la imagen y el montaje cinematográfico. *La Palabra*, (47). https://doi.org/10.19053/uptc.01218530.n47.2024.16492

Speer, Annika C. (2013). The feminist potential of docudrama: Destabilizing the primacy of primary sources through Paula Kamen’s *Jane*. *Frontiers (Boulder), 34*(3), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1353/fro.2013.a530604

Vallejo, Aida. (2007). La estética (ir)realista. Paradojas de la representación documental. *DocOnline*, (2), 82–106. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=4001053

Vallejo, Aida. (2008). Protagonistas de lo real: La construcción de personajes en el cine documental. *Secuencias. Revista de Historia del Cine*, (27), 72–89. https://repositorio.uam.es/handle/10486/3946

Yáñez, María. (2012). El documental que viene nace de la web. http://antes.embed.at/article81.html

Bibliografia complementaria:

De Lara Rangel, María del Carmen. “El cine documental mexicano hecho por mujeres.” Fonseca (Salamanca) 18 (2019): 13–23.

Lagos Labbé, Paola (2024). David Perlov. La imagen bisagra como pensamiento cinematográfico intersticial. Shangrila Ediciones.

Ortells-Badenes, Sara i alt. (2015). “Los magazines de actualidad basados en el infoentretenimiento: nuevos rasgos del lenguaje audiovisual en el periodismo televisivo”. En Signo y Pensamiento. Avances. 66, Vol. XXXIV. p.44-61.

Rodríguez, Raúl (2014). “El relato por otros medios: ¿un giro transmediático?. En Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, 19, pp. 19-37.

Romero, Laura (2012). “Radio y arte sonoro: ¿es posible la integración?”. En Gallego, J. Ignacio y García Leiva, M. Trinidad (coords.) Sintonizando el futuro: Radio y producción sonora en el siglo XXI. Instituto RTVE, Madrid

Scholz, Anette; Álvarez, Marta; Binimelis Adell, Mar; & Ortega Oroz, Elena (Eds.). (2021). Entrevistas con creadoras del cine español contemporáneo. Peter Lang.

Vilalta, J. (2008). El reportero en acción. Comunicación activa, 2. Publicacions i Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona.

Villegas Vélez, Álvaro Andrés. (2019) “Estrategias Ficcionales En El Documental Contemporáneo En Primera Persona.” Alpha (Osorno, Chile) 47, 225–236. Web.

Software

Students will use audiovisual (Da Vinci) and soud editing (Audacity).

The use of free software is recommended.

 

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 4 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 41 Spanish first semester morning-mixed