Wednesday, February 8th: Documentary Discussion
Today we’ll be talking to the class about documentary filmmaking. In addition to discussing the different types of documentaries, we’ll break down popular production methods for this genre. As we begin to understand the stylistic options filmmakers have, the class will practice identifying different types of documentaries and what components make them effective.
1. Documentary basics:
*The basis of the story is non-fiction
*Why documentary? Influence/power of persuasion/educational/etc.
*Subjectivity VS. Objectivity- “There’s no such thing as an objective documentary,” filmmakers are constantly making choices in how they present a story.
2. Stylistic options:
* Types of Documentaries:
-Expository- Authority speaks directly to the viewer, often with voice over or titles
-Cinema Verite- “Fly on the wall” method, the filmmaker has minimum interference with the subject
-Poetic- Fragmented, impressionistic, lyrical. Edited based on emotion and patterns in time and space, rather than continuity.
-Participatory- Believe it’s impossible for the act of filmmaking not to influence the events being filmed. The filmmaker is a character in the film, often the situations are effected by her presence.
*Reenactment/dramatization- Recreating and filming events that happened in a controlled setting.
* Filmmaker’s voice/role- Some filmmakers remain behind the camera, while others use voice over or act as a character in the documentary.
3. Popular methods:
1)Research- Learn the history of what you’re filming, check for existing films on your topic, and look for people involved with your cause.
2)Interviews:
-“Talking head” interviews- the subject sits still while being questioned
-On location interviews- the subject answers questions in their natural environment, sometimes while busy with an activity
-Voice over- the subject is off-screen while they tell their story/answer questions
3)Documentation- Following subjects, gathering of b-roll
4)Additional B-roll after the first pass (make it intentional, not just to cover your cuts)
5)Archive/Found-footage- Scour news stations, libraries, the internet, etc. (http://www.archive.org/)
Have the student look through some documentary examples and identify the use of the following elements:
*Interview
*Voice over
*Presentation of fact
*Supporting footage
*Argument (What side of the issue is the filmmaker on? Can you tell? Can you identify the ‘issue’?)
*Edit choices
Documentary Examples:
I Promise Africa:
-Identify what kind of documentary it is (expository)
-Mapout SCMAA (Story, Conflict, Message, Aesthetics, Audience)
-Breakdown story structure (9/11 photo > text > footage of children > slow to freezeframe > quote)
-Were the filmmaker’s choices effective?
Infamy:
(45:59-51:18)
-Breakdown filming techniques (on location interview, talking head interviews, dailyroutine b-roll
-Discuss presentation of fact (demonstrating tagging first, presenting his history, then revealing his sexuality)
-Discuss presentation of fact (demonstrating tagging first, presenting his history, then revealing his sexuality)
-How would rearranging the order of the footage effect the focus of this segment?
Trouble the Water:
(21:40-26:19)
-Identify the type of documentary (participatory)
-Create Story Arc, mapping out the type of footage used and the intention of the edit (CM’s attic POV footage > 911 Audio > Larry rescue footage > post Katrina discovery footage)
-Discuss the manipulation of emotion
By the By:
-Identify what kind of documentary it is (poetic)
-Discuss potential interpretations of imagery
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