Professor Miranda Hardy in his office
Office
Axinn Center
Tel
(802) 443-5844
Email
dmirandahardy@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
Spring 2024: Wednesday 1:30pm-3:00pm, Friday 10:30am-12:00pm, and by appointment

I am a Chilean filmmaker and sound designer. I obtained an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University, with the support of a Fulbright Scholarship. I’ve taught Sound for Film, Screewriting and Filmmaking in Chile, Cuba (EICTV) and in the USA.

Here, some of my projects:


THE SWIM LESSON -  feature film (in development)

A young woman under water looking at the camera.

Mara James postponed her career to raise her daughters, allowing her husband to become a professor at an elite liberal arts college. After discovering he hid a sexual misconduct complaint from a student — their daughter’s charismatic swim instructor — Mara develops a secret relationship with his accuser. As secrets in small towns are bound to, Mara’s eventually blows up, threatening to unravel her family, jeopardizing her career, and making her question her own identity.

With this project, I was selected as a Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow in 2022.


THE FRONTIER - TV SERIES (in development)

A woman with her eyes covered in the back of a truck.

Detective Manuela Valencia investigates a brutal murder in the Chilean South, amidst increasing tensions between the indigenous communities and the Chilean State. As the case reveals widespread corruption, it will challenge Valencia’s belief in the rule of law she is supposed to uphold.

An 8-part police drama, set in the Chilean south, The Frontier dramatizes one of the most protracted geopolitical conflicts of the continent, while exploring the ways in which it fractures the families involved. The project follows the model of the Nordic Noir shows that present local stories, with local talent, offering a familiar genre as an anchor to attract international audiences into a lesser-known world.

The recipient of a Corfo (Chilean Development Agency) award, the show won the International Copro Series event the 2019 Conecta Fiction, in Spain.

Youu can read and interview with Variety about the project, here.

And watch a teaser, here.


BALA LOCA - 10-part series

Man in wheelchair on top of hill.

Three years after an accident lands him in a wheelchair, Mauro Murillo sets up to start a news website. When a colleague is killed by a “stray bullet,” Murillo and his team suspect foul play. The investigation takes them into a labyrinth of political corruption in a confrontation with Chile’s most powerful institutions. As he spirals down this rabbit hole, Murillo must face his chronic dissatisfaction, substance abuse, dysfunctional love life, and conflicted relationship with his estranged son.

A10-part political thriller produced for CHV/TURNER, Bala Loca is as much a study of the Chilean transition-to-democracy maladies as it is of a specific crisis of masculinity in a man trying to reconnect with his son.

Bala Loca was picked up by Netflix for international distribution from 2017 to 2021. In 2017 it was nominated for a Platino Award in the Drama Series category and a Fenix Award for Best Cast - the two most important international contests for the Ibero-American Film Industry.

In 2018, the series received a Peabody Award nomination, and in 2020 Rotten Tomatoes listed it among the 20 best shows in Spanish on Netflix. The series was broadcast in prime time by CHV, a Chilean network owned by Turner, and it was trending topic every week in the Chilean Twitter. Despite middle-of-the-pack ratings – and not getting a renewal for a second season - its cultural relevance has multiplied over the years. For instance, former president Michelle Bachelet mentioned the show in a speech addressing the audiovisual industry, and two episodes appear quoted in the reference book in Chile on lobbying and corruption.

Read The New York Times recommending Bala Loca here.

And an interview with Variety, here.


SOUND

Posters for three films.

I have worked as mixer and sound designer for over 70 feature films from Latin America, for directors like Lucrecia Martel, Andrés Wood, Francisco Lombardi and Lisandro Alonso. In recent years, I designed sound for Martín Rejtman’s Two Shots Fired (2014), and official selection at the Locarno Film Festival and Pablo Larraín’s Jackie (2016), Best Screenplay at this year’s Venice Film Festival and nominated for 3 Oscars.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Senior Thesis: Creative Writing
Discussions, workshops, tutorials for those undertaking one-term projects in the writing of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Filmmaking
In this course students will gain a theoretical understanding of the ways moving images and sounds communicate, as well as practical experience creating time-based work. We will study examples of moving images as we use cameras, sound recorders, and non-linear editing software to produce our own series of short works. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the possibilities of the medium through experimentation, analysis, and detailed feedback while exploring different facets of cinematic communication. (FMMC 0101, or FMMC 0102, or approval of instructor) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab

Terms Taught

Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023

Requirements

ART

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Course Description

Screenwriting
In this course we will examine the fundamental elements of dramatic narrative as they relate to visual storytelling. We will emphasize the process of generating original story material and learning the craft of screenwriting, including topics such as story, outline, scene structure, subtext, character objectives, formatting standards, and narrative strategies. Weekly writing assignments will emphasize visual storytelling techniques, tone and atmosphere, character relationships, and dialogue. Students will be required to complete one short screenplay. Required readings will inform and accompany close study of selected screenplays and short films. This class will require some streaming of video material. (FMMC 0101 OR CRWR 0170 or approval of instructor) (Formerly FMMC/ENAM 0106) 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2021, Fall 2022

Requirements

ART

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Course Description

Autobiographical Documentary
In this course we will study a range of autobiographical practices in audiovisual media to examine how filmmakers have used the self as a starting point to explore universal issues like the search for identity, the representation of trauma, the essence of family bonds, or finding love. The study of film and video journals, experimental self-inscription, domestic ethnographies, vlogging and film essays will inform our own creative processes as we engage critically with these films’ social and political relevance. Through close readings, critical papers, and our own self-inscriptive explorations, we will attempt to better understand the world through the lens of autobiographical film. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1542) (FMMC 0101, or by instructor approval) Note to students: this course involves substantial streaming of films for assigned viewing. 3 hrs sem./screening

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024

Requirements

ART

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Course Description

Advanced Filmmaking
In this course students will work in teams to produce several short films, having the opportunity to take turns at fulfilling all the essential crew positions: director, producer, cinematographer, production sound mixer, editor, and sound designer. We will emphasize thorough pre-production planning, scene design, cinematography, working with actors, and post production —including color correction and sound mixing. The critical dialogue established in FMMC 0105 Sight and Sound I will be extended and augmented with readings and screenings of outstanding independently produced work. (FMMC 0105) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.

Terms Taught

Spring 2024

Requirements

ART

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Course Description

Advanced Screenwriting
Building on the skills acquired in Writing for the Screen I, students will complete the first drafts of their feature-length screenplay, or TV pilot and Bible. Class discussion will focus on feature screenplay structure and theme development using feature films and screenplays. Each participant in the class will practice pitching, writing coverage, and outlining, culminating in a draft of a feature length script or TV pilot and Bible. (FMMC 0106) 3 hrs. sem/3 hrs. screen.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2023

Requirements

ART

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Course Description

Special Topics in Media Production: Sound Aesthetics and Production
Ever since the invention of recording, sound has increasingly been incorporated into all forms of contemporary art. In this course we will investigate the aesthetic power of sound as an expressive medium, while reviewing the rich history of sound art and its influence in a wide range of audiovisual practices. Through creative projects, lectures, auditions, and readings, we will develop students’ sensibilities and imagination concerning the use of sound, while improving their critical thinking and listening skills. We will cover basic concepts of acoustics, sound technology, audiovisual analysis, and sound production for film/video. 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2023

Requirements

ART

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Course Description

Advanced Independent work in Film and Media Culture
Consult with a Film and Media Culture faculty member for guidelines.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Tutorial
All FMMC majors must complete this course in their senior year, during which they undertake the process of devising, researching, and developing the early drafts and materials for an independent project in Film and Media in their choice of medium and format. Students will be poised to produce and complete these projects during Winter Term, via an optional but recommended independent study. Prerequisites for projects in specific formats are outlined on the departmental website.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021

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Course Description

Senior Projects
Students may enroll in this project-based independent credit to complete the thesis work started in the fall. Requires faculty approval based on satisfactory progress in the Senior Tutorial. Projects will include a public presentation at the end of Winter or beginning of Spring term.

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Spring 2021

Requirements

WTR

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Course Description

Senior Independent Work
After completing FMMC 0700, seniors may be approved to complete the project they developed during the previous Fall semester by registering for this independent course during the Winter Term, typically supervised by their faculty member from FMMC 0700. Students will complete an independent project in a choice of medium and format, as outlined on the departmental website. This course does not count toward the required number of credits for majors, but is required to be considered for departmental honors. In exceptional cases, students may petition to complete their projects during Spring semester.

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024, Winter 2025

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Course Description

Collaborative Video Projects
In this course students will learn to work collaboratively either as crew members on the senior thesis films produced for FMMC 0701 or on original projects, depending on availability of resources. Students will receive credit for performing in key creative positions, including Producer, Assistant Director, Cinematographer, Art director, Sound Designer, and Editor. In this class students will learn advanced set operations, while workshopping projects from pre-production to main photography to editorial, post-production and the final screening. Students must do significant pre-production before January. (Honors Pass/Fail; Approval required)

Terms Taught

Winter 2023

Requirements

WTR

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Course Description

It's not you, it's me. Autobiographical Explorations in Film
In this seminar we will study a range of autobiographical practices in audiovisual media to examine how filmmakers have used the self as a starting point to explore universal issues like the essence of family bonds, finding love, or understanding their identity. Experimental practices (like Jonas Mekas’ Diaries), fictionalized accounts (Mike Mills’ Beginners), and documentary strategies (Daniel Khan’s My Architect and Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell) will inform our own creative processes and explorations. Through close readings, critical papers, and our own pieces, we will attempt to better understand the world and who we are in it. Note to students: this course involves substantial streaming of films for assigned viewing. 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

Requirements

ART, CW

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Course Description

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021

View in Course Catalog