Documentary
Documentary
» “Those films that that deal with
historical, social, scientific, or
economic subjects, either
photographed in actual
occurrence or re-enacted,
and where the emphasis is
more on factual content than
on entertainment.”
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Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Approach to Storytelling
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Narration (Fahrenheit 911)
Reenactments/recreations (The Civil War)
Animation (Bowling for Columbine)
Filmmaker as part of the story (Paper Chasers)
Interviews (Fog of War)
Confessionals to Camera (Blue Vinyl)
Archival Footage (Eyes on the Prize)
Archival photos (4 Little Girls)
Cinema Verite (Kurt and Courtney)
Direct or Natural Cinema (Grey Gardens)
Cinema Verite
vs.
Direct Cinema
Direct or Natural Cinema
» Becomes popular during the 1960’s
» This style is: you film EVERYTHING
» The object is to intrude as little as possible in
order to capture the spontaneity and
uninhibited flow of live events
Criticism of
Direct or Natural Cinema
» Some feel that if the camera is not
hidden the participants are still
aware of it
» If your event is boring you don’t
have a film
EX. “American Movie” trailer
https://vimeo.com/9733536
Discussion
Do you think it’s easier to
produce a documentary or a
fiction film?
Why or Why not?
Cinema Verite
» The filmmaker PROVOKES an event
» This style permits and even encourages
interaction between the subject and the
director.
» This style is not about being fair.
Discussion
Can a documentary filmmaker be
objective? Or does the very act of
selecting topics and deciding how
they should be portrayed become a
personal statement by the
filmmaker?
Robert Flaherty
» Some believe to be the founder of
documentary filmmaking
» His style is about culture and looking at
different lifestyles.
» In 1915 began filming Nanook of the
North, which is a story of an Eskimo
life. It was released in 1922.
Ken Burns and
Historic Documentaries
» Like a biography it is a catchall term for films
about an event that happened in the past.
Example: World War II
» In Historical Documentaries, you are at the
mercy of old archival footage, photographs,
drawings, and re-creations.
» Ken Burns uses authentic materials of
photos, folk music, present day locations, and
the words used by people of that time.
Basic Steps of Documentary
Pre-Production
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Brainstorm ideas and develop goal(s)
Research story
Choose interview subjects
Choose equipment package
Make a budget
Write a production plan
Hire Crew
Items Needed for Your
Documentary
» A one page treatment of your
concept.
» One paragraph biography of your
talent
» Shot Sheet/Shooting Schedule
» Dual-Column Script
» Log
» Completed Project