Content Design and Teaching Reflection on the Style Instruction of Director-Led Documentaries

Abstract

As film and media education in universities continues to evolve, director-led documentaries have become a vital part of documentary instruction for their distinct style and subjective narrative approach. However, many current courses remain focused on technical training and factual content, overlooking the significance of stylistic teaching in enhancing students' visual literacy and creative awareness. This paper takes the stylistic characteristics of director-led documentaries as its starting point, exploring the content design, teaching methodology, and classroom implementation of style-based instruction. Through case studies and classroom observation, the study summarizes both the advantages and challenges of applying stylistic pedagogy. It proposes a teaching model centered on "style recognition-imitation-reconstruction", and reflects on key elements such as teacher facilitation, assignment design, and student feedback. The research concludes that systematically integrating stylistic awareness into documentary instruction can effectively foster student agency and expressive ability, offering a valuable direction for innovation in film education.