Muhammad Umair Bilal
Lecturer of Filmmaking Practice
Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: MA Documentary Film Direction, University of Theater and Film Arts Budapest
Research Areas: Documentary Film, Visual Anthropology, Cinematography
Umair Bilal is a documentary filmmaker whose undergrad in Media Sciences introduced him to the world of visual storytelling. In 2012, he received a full scholarship to start a joint master degree in Documentary Film Direction under the Erasmus Mundus program of the European Commission (www.docnomads.eu), where he studied in University of Theater and Film Arts in Budapest, LUCA School or Arts in Brussels and Lusofona University in Lisbon. He got the opportunity to direct several documentary films which were screened in various international film festivals. His recent interest of research is exploring the intersection of visual anthropology and interactive media.
Courses Taught
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Sound, Image, and Story is designed to give students the opportunity to explore their creative talent while gaining an understanding of the fundamentals of the art of filmmaking and its essential tools - from generating creative ideas through writing and directing to editing and post-production. As an integral part of the course, weekly workshops will cover the technical aspects of camera, lighting, sound, and post-production as well as methods in digital film production and set-protocol. Each student will participate actively in exercises, both individually and in groups, allowing them to discover and develop their unique artistic voice while gaining technical skills. This is a first-year production course designed for film majors, and open to all students.
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Muhammad Umair Bilal - F 14:20 - 17:00; TR 14:10 - 16:50 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Amos Ezra Katz - MW 09:55 - 12:35; F 09:25 - 12:05 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Muhammad Umair Bilal - F 14:20 - 17:00; MW 14:10 - 16:50 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Surabhi Sharma - TR 09:55 - 12:35; F 09:25 - 12:05 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Art and Art History > Visual Arts/Practice Electives
- Majors > Film and New Media
- Majors > Film and New Media > Film and New Media Practice Track
- Majors > Film and New Media > Film and New Media Studies Track
- Minors > Film and New Media
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
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This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of film and new media studies. The course provides an overview of the historical development of film as an art, technology, and industry and the role of new media as an extension to and reinvention of models for production, distribution, exhibition, and reception. Students are introduced to documentary, experimental, narrative, and new media within different historical and cultural contexts, comparative aesthetics, and the lines of critical enquiry that have been developed for film and new media in dialogue with other fields in the arts and humanities.
Previously taught: Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Rashmi Sawhney - W 17:00 - 19:30; MW 15:35 - 16:50 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Rashmi Sawhney - M 17:05 - 19:30; MW 15:35 - 17:00 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Film and New Media
- Majors > Film and New Media > Film and New Media Practice Track
- Majors > Film and New Media > Film and New Media Studies Track
- Minors > Digital Arts and Humanities
- Minors > Film and New Media
- Pre-Professional Courses > Media, Culture and Communication
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
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2 credits
Filmmaking is collaboration between highly specialized crafts. Students will learn how to operate equipment and direct crew safely in multiple hands-on production scenarios. With these skills at their disposal, students will learn methods for executing creative choices from a technical perspective. By the end of the course, students will have abilities that not only allow them to operate safely and productively, but also allow for artistic growth and flexibility.
Pre- or Corequisite: FILMM-UH 1010
Previously taught: Fall 1 2016, Spring 1 2017, Fall 1 2017, Spring 1 2018, Fall 1 2018, Spring 1 2019, Fall 1 2019, Spring 2 2020, Spring 1 2020, Spring 1 2021, Spring 2 2021, Fall 1 2021, Fall 2 2021, Spring 1 2022, Spring 2 2022, Fall 2 2022, Fall 1 2022, Spring 1 2023, Spring 2 2023, Fall 2 2023, Fall 1 2023, Spring 1 2024, Spring 2 2024, Fall 2 2024, Fall 1 2024
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Spring 1 2025;
7 Weeks
Maruan Manaja - MW 12:45 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 1 2025;
7 Weeks
Maruan Manaja - MW 12:45 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2 2025;
7 Weeks
Maruan Manaja - MW 12:45 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Film and New Media > Film and New Media Practice Track
- Majors > Film and New Media > Film and New Media Studies Track
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Spring 1 2025;
7 Weeks
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2 credits
This course focuses on the duties of a producer throughout a film's life cycle; from development to execution. An intensive seven-week course, 'Producing the Short Film', acquaints students with industry positions, set protocols and gives them critical skills in scheduling and budgeting across digital platforms, including narrative and documentary filmmaking. After completing the course, students will be empowered, as producers, to manage film productions and strategically bring creative ideas to fruition.
Previously taught: Fall 1 2018, Fall 1 2019
This course appears in...
- Majors > Film and New Media > Media Practice Courses
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This course will present an introduction to the history and stylistic range of the documentary film genre with a focus on film language, techniques, aesthetics, structure and other elements of visual non-fiction storytelling. Through the study of selected films, readings, lectures and discussions, we will gain a foundational knowledge of various stances filmmakers take in relation to their subjects and stories. We will also analyze the constructed nature of documentaries, and the problematic notions of representing "truth" and "unbiased" representations.
Previously taught: Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Muhammad Umair Bilal - MW 14:10 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Muhammad Umair Bilal - TR 14:10 - 15:25 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Film and New Media > Media Practice Courses
- Majors > Film and New Media > Media Studies Courses
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
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This course focuses on the practice of Creative Documentary while engaging critical debates in documentary filmmaking. This course enables student to explore their artistic practice to expand the idea of both storytelling and knowledge production. The emphasis through the semester is on developing the students critical ways of seeing and supporting the process to develop artistic choices to express their vision. Documentary filmmaking is anchored around a research question and the use of cinematic language (image, sound and editing) to express the exploration of the subject. Students will be expected to develop, execute and present an independent documentary film project at the end of the semester. Students are required to crew for each other and are discouraged from shooting their own projects in a one-person crew.
Previously taught: Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
Manuel Contreras - TR 14:10 - 16:50 Taught in Abu Dhabi -
Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Manuel Contreras - TR 14:10 - 16:50 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Film and New Media > Media Practice Courses
- Majors > Film and New Media > Media Studies Courses
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Spring 2025;
14 Weeks
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This course is designed to develop techniques and skills in generating ideas for short narrative films that are shot on digital video and edited on nonlinear editing software. It will focus on strong visualization of story and camera techniques, as opposed to dialogue-based work. Students will develop skills in the elements of visual storytelling through the process of storyboarding and creating shot lists, then working in small crews to direct and shoot the projects. Students will gain knowledge of new photographic techniques, moving the camera dynamically, and the ways in which editing and sound design can be used to support story.
Prerequisite: FILMM-UH 1010;
Pre- or Corequisite: FILMM-UH 1510Previously taught: Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024, Fall 2024
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Fall 2025;
14 Weeks
Wendy Bednarz - MW 09:55 - 12:35 Taught in Abu Dhabi
This course appears in...
- Majors > Film and New Media > Media Practice Courses
- Minors > Film and New Media
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Fall 2025;
14 Weeks