THE DOCUMENTARY
Class #1
English 40S Transactional
The Documentary
I don't know what truth is. Truth is
something unattainable. We can't think
we're creating truth with a camera. But
what we can do, is reveal something to
viewers that allows them to discover their
own truth.
—Michel Brault
Class #1 – Objectives



What is a documentary?
What are the elements (different parts) of
documentaries?
What are the different types of documentaries?
Discussion
 What
is a documentary? (provide a definition)
 What are some documentaries you have seen? (not
just the ones you have heard of)
 What are the qualities or parts of a documentary?
In other words, what makes a documentary a
documentary?
 What are the different types of documentaries?
 What is the purpose of a documentary? Why do
people make them?
What is Documentary?

Usually come with a label
 i.e.
They say that they are a documentary

Expectation that the people/events/places were or
are real
Factual information about the world

“Film Art: An Introduction” – pp. 350-351

Types of Documentaries






Expository
Poetic
Observational
Participatory
Reflexive
Performative




Compilation
Direct Cinema
(Cinema-Verite)
Categorical
Rhetorical
DOCUMENTARY FILM
HISTORY
Class #2
English 40S Transactional
Class #2 Objectives


Where did the documentary come from?
How has the documentary evolved over the years?
Documentary Film History

Recall:
 The
documentary is based on the idea of ‘documenting’
reality in one way or another
 This genre is constantly changing

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Photography & Cinema

How exactly is a film made?
Chronological History

Pre-1900
 The
term documentary was used to refer to any works
of non-fiction film
 Travelogues
 Instructional
films
 The
earliest ‘moving pictures’ were considered
documentaries
 Single-shot
moments captured on film
 Called ‘actuality’ films

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Photography & Cinema




The invention of photography in 1826 launched a
series of discoveries that made cinema possible.
Early photographs – lengthy exposures
1870s – faster exposures, but only on glass plates
1878 – Eadweard Muybridge (American
photographer)
 Made
a series of photographs of a running horse by
using a series of cameras

“Film Art, An Introduction” p. 463
Eadweard Muybridge
'Muybridge and Athlete'
Taken as part of a
motion sequence at
Pennsylvania University.
© Kingston Museum and
Heritage Service, 2010
http://www.eadweardmuybridge.co.uk/muybridge_image_and_context/introducing_muybridge/
Eadweard Muybridge
'Horse. (Occident) trot
with sulky'
An early image with
painted areas to improve
clarity.
© Kingston Museum and
Heritage Service, 2010
http://www.eadweardmuybridge.co.uk/muybridge_image_and_context/animal_in_motion/
Meet the Art – Eadweard Muybridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKZif9ooxs
Photography & Cinema

1882
 Etienne-Jules
Marey
 Not
a photographer, but a physiologist (interested in the
movement of the human body)
invented a camera that recorded 12 separate images
on the edge of a revolving disc of film on glass
 1888 – built first camera to use flexible strip of film on
paper


http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Etienne-Jules Marey
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/bdc/young_bdc/movingpics/movingpics6.htm#
Edison vs. Lumière

1893 – “Edison Manufacturing Company in
America”
 developed
a camera that made short 35mm films
 Kinetoscope – could show films to individual viewers
 Thought that films were not going to last, so they did
not develop a way to show these films to more than one
viewer

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
The Kinetoscope
http://www.malagent.com/archives/1408/kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope
http://reflexions.ulg.ac.be/cms/c_24658/kinetoscope
Kinetoscope Films

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmZ4VPmhAk
w
Edison vs. Lumière





Invented their own camera independently
Exposed a short roll of 35mm film and also served
as a projector
December 28, 1895 – presented their film on a
screen at the Grand Café in Paris
Edison followed their lead and abandoned the
Kinetoscope
“Film Art, An Introduction”
Lumière Brothers

Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlb3XKjnZkE

L’Arroseur arrose
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlbiNuT7EDI
Méliès, Magic, and Fictional Narrative

Georges Méliès
Stage magician by trade
 1896 – built his own camera based on a projector that he
had bought
 First films were of everyday life
 Built elaborate settings to create fantasy worlds
 1902 – Trip to the moon



2011 – Hugo (trailer)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYRemE9Oeso&feature=watc
h-now-button&wide=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-kP-olcpM
“Film Art, An Introduction”
1900-1920

Travelogue films
 ‘scenics’

In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914)
 Embraced
primitivism and exoticism
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ithkKCpBYlA

South (1919)
 Documentary
about the failed Imperial Trans-Antarctic
Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton in 1914

“Film Art, An Introduction”
1920s

Romanticism
 Documentary
film embraced romanticism
 Robert J. Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaDVovGjNOc&feature
=watch-now-button&wide=1
 Heavily staged



Harpoons instead of guns
Building a roofless igloo
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1920s

The city symphony
 Tend
to feature people as products of their environment
 Berlin,

Symphony of a City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYKu5zegpfc&feature=watc
h-now-button&wide=1
 Rien
que les Heures
 Man with the Movie Camera


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ZciIC4JPw
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1920s

Newsreel tradition
 Sometimes
staged
 Usually re-enactments of events that had already
happened
 Battle
footage – cameramen would arrive after a major
battle and re-enact scenes to film them

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1920s

“Cinema truth”
 Dziga
Vertov
 Believed
the camera could render reality more accurately
than the human eye







Varied lenses
Shot editing
Time-lapse
Slow motion
Stop motion
Fast motion
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1930s-1940s: wartime propaganda

Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will”


Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight” (US)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHs2coAzLJ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3GsSWKyso&featur
e=fvst
Grierson, Film Board of Canada
http://www.nfb.ca/film/grierson
 (documentary on Grierson – 57 minutes)


Humphrey Jennings “ Fires were Started” and “A Diary
for Timothy” (Britain)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UuaJPGee20
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1950s – 1970s

“Cinema Truth”
 French
“Cinema Verite”
 Contains little of the Vertovian special techniques
 Shooting on location
 Smaller crews
 Using smaller cameras – better able to follow ‘action’
as it happens
 Les
Raquetteurs, Showman, Salesman, The Children Were
Watching, Primary, Behind a Presidential Crisis, Grey
Gardens

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1950s – 1970s

“Direct Cinema”

North American


Take different viewpoints on their degree of involvement







Important Directors who use this technique include: French Canadian
Michel Brault, Pierre Perrault, Americans Richard Leacock, Frederick
Wiseman, and Albert and David Maysles
Non-involvement
Direct involvment
Provocation
Following a person during a crisis with a moving camera to
capture more personal reactions
No sit-down interviews
Usually an 80:1 shooting ratio
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1950s – 1970s

Political weapons
 Used
as a political weapon against neocolonialism and
capatialism (Latin America, Quebec)
 La

Hora de los hornos (The Hour of the Furnaces, 1968)
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Modern Documentaries

Becoming more successful in theatres
 Bowling
for Columbine
 Super Size Me
 Fahrenheit 9/11 ($228 million, 3 million DVDs)
 March of the Penguins
 An Inconvenient Truth

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Modern Documentaries

Style has changed
 Stylized
re-enactments (The Thin Blue Line)
 More interpretive control in the hands of the director
(Roger and Me)
 Commercial success (can they really be called
documentaries … ‘docu-ganda’)

Funding still remains difficult

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Other Documentary Forms

Compilation films
 “The
Fall of the Romanov Dynasty” (1927) by Esfir
Schub
 “Point of Order” (1964) by Emile de Antonio
 “The Atomic Café”
 “The Last Cigarette”

http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
FILM THEORY &
TERMINOLOGY
Class #3
English 40S Transactional
Objectives





Range of tonalities
Speed of motion
Perspective
Framing
Creative decisions in camera/filming techniques
KWL
K
W
L
Cinematography


“writing in movement”
Depends on a large part to photography
The Range of Tonalities

Contrast
 The
difference
between the darkest
and lightest areas of
the frame
 Eyes are highly
sensitive to differences
of colour, shape,
texture, and other
aspects of a picture
http://www.danheller.com/images/Europe/Ireland/Leinster/Dublin/Bw/img1.html
Contrast

Many factors are used to control contrast:
 Lighting
 Filters
 Choice
of film
 Laboratory processing
 Post-production work
Exposure


Exposure regulates how much light passes through
the camera lens.
Sometimes you may want an unbalanced exposure
 Underexposure
– shadowy
 Overexposure – bright
 Exposure can be affected by filters
 Be
careful if you use i-Movie
Changing Tonality after Filming

Tonalities can be manipulated after filming
 Tinting
 Works
on film that has been already developed
 Dark areas remain black and gray, while the lighter areas
pick up the colour of the tint
 Toning
 Works
on film during developing
 Darker areas are coloured, while lighter portions remain
white or only faintly coloured
Speed of Motion

The speed of the motion presented onscreen
depends on the relation between the rate at which
the film was shot and the rate of projection.
 Calculated
in frames per second
 1920s – 24 frames per second (fps)
 Jerky
 Today
movements
– anywhere between 8 and 64 fps
Speed of Motion

Fast-motion

Koyaanisquatsi by Godfrey Reggio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY4L5npPdao
Supernatural
 Hectic pace
 Grab attention
 Accelerate the pace


Slow-motion
Often functions to suggest that the action takes place in a
dream or fantasy
 To show enormous power
 For emphasis

Speed of Motion

Time-lapse
 Sun
set
 Flower sprouting
 Hundreds or thousands of frames per second
 http://vimeo.com/22439234
Perspective

The short-focal-length (wide-angle) lens
Less than 35mm gauge
 Takes in a relatively wide field of view
 Distorts the edges of the frame, budging them outward


The middle-focal-length (medium) lens
50 mm
 Horizontal and vertical lines are rendered as straight and
perpendicular


The long-focal-length (telephoto) lens
Take in a narrower angle of vision
 100mm (+) often for sporting events

Depth of Field



Every lens has a specific depth of field – a range
of distances within which objects can be
photographed in sharp focus, given a certain
exposure setting
If you are outside of the depth of field – the image
will be out of focus!
Important to know the controls on the device in
which you are using.
Framing


One of the most powerful cinematographic techniques
Think back to the Lumiere film The Arrival of a Train at
La Ciotat Station (1897)



Oblique angle resulting in a dynamic composition
Shows that camera position shapes the way we
perceive the filmed event
The act of framing has many implications
The size and shape of the frame matter
 Framing creates a vantage point
 Framing can move in relation to what it films

Aspect Ratio

The ratio of the frame width to frame height is
called the aspect ratio.
 An
image that is twice as wide as it is high is said to be
in a 2:1 ratio.
 Academy ratio = 1.37:1 (common until 1950s)
 Aspect ratio = 1.85:1 (North American ratio)
 Aspect ratio = 1.66:1 (European ratio)
 Aspect ratio = 2.2:1 (70mm widescreen)
Camera Angle

The frame positions us at some angle on the subject
 Straight-on
 High
angle
 Low angle
angle
Camera Level


Level – more or less parallel to the horizon
Canted – if the framing is tipped to one side or the
other
 Also
called a “Dutch angle”
 Can create a disruptive feeling
Camera Height


Height is related to camera angle.
but if the angle is kept straight, you crouching to
take a shot will have a different composition than
standing to take it.
Camera Distance

Extreme long shot
 Human

figure is lost or tiny
Long shot
 Figures
are more prominent, but the background still
dominates

Medium Long Shot
 Knees

up
Medium Shot
 Waist
up
Camera Distance

Medium close-up
 Chest

up
Close-up
 Just
the head, hands, feet, or a small object
 Emphasizes the facial expression, the details of a
gesture, or a significant object

Extreme close-up
 Singles
out a portion of the face or isolates and
magnifies an object
Mobile Framing



Allows the filmmaker to change the camera angle, level,
height, or distance during the shot.
Aka camera movement
Panning – moving from left to right or vice versa.




Tilt – rotating up or down
Tracking or Dolly shot
Crane shot


The camera itself does not move.
Camera moves above ground level (elevator, plane)
Zoom
Mobile Framing

Why?
 Can
increase information about an image
 New information is revealed
 Greater value
 As a substitute for our movement
 Powerful cues
Assignment

Camera Shots and Film Composition Assignment
 See
handout
METHODS OF PERSUASION
Class #4
English 40S Transactional
Objectives

Ethos, pathos and logos
 What
are they?
 Constructing an effective argument using these three
methods of persuasion
 Identify these methods in film clips
 How can they be used in documentaries?
 Explain how they can work together to form a strong
argument
Methods of Persuasion

Ethos, Pathos, Logos
 Ancient

Greek study of “Logic”
Used all the time & everywhere!
 Television
 Print


media
Many advertisements use all three methods
Also used in documentaries
Logos

Logic
 Facts
 Reason
 Rationality
 Almost
an academic approach
 People need factual reasons why they should belive
your argument
 Cite: Charts, data, graphs, etc.
Ethos

Credibility & Trust
 Quotes
 The
power of authority on your side
 Not necessarily rationality
 Cite: Famous people, Dr’s, judges, etc
 Have some power because of their ‘status’ in society
Pathos


Pity/Emotion/Imagination
If your argument can not appeal to logos or ethos,
you can still use pathos as a means of winning your
argument
 Appeal
to senses
 Appeal to memory
 Appeal to a common experience


More of a poetic way to get people on your side
Cite the underdog, those who have it bad
Let’s try out these methods

Working in small groups, design the arguments that
would be used in a tv commercial to sell knives.
 How
would you appeal to logos?
 How would you appeal to pathos?
 How would you appeal to ethos?
Identifying Ethos, Pathos & Logos in
Print Media

Using the computer, locate 2 news articles and print
them. Identify characteristics of ethos, pathos, and
logos in each one using the handout provided. You
may jot down words, phrases, or whole sentences.
Then answer the questions that follow in your
handout.
THE POWER OF
PERSUASION
Class #5
English 40S Transactional
Objectives






introduce and discuss methods of ethos, pathos, and
logos in creating an effective argument
identify methods of ethos, pathos, and logos in film clips
explain how these three main styles of persuasion are
used in documentary films
explain how these three forms of persuasion can work
together to create a strong point of view
determine a director's intent and purpose for filming
observe how persuasion is used in documentaries
Parts of a Documentary



Visual Track
Audio Track
Text Track
RESEARCH
Class #6 & #7
English 40S Transactional
Objectives




be familiar with researching techniques using the
Winnipeg Public Library search engine
understand what type of information is 'credible'
be able to collect a variety of sources of
information (not just websites)
Be able to follow APA formatting guidelines
English 40S - Transactional

Formatting Guidelines (APA)
Cover Page





First page
No page number
Title (creative) – centre of page – size 20 font
Your name – underneath title
My Name (Barbara Reimer), Transactional English
40S, Date – all in lower right hand corner (single
spaced)
Body





1” margins
Title – upper left corner
Page # - upper right corner (cover page does not count
as page 1)
double line spacing
Headings for each section – be creative!!


Can be in bold – left hand side
In-text citations (quotations, paraphrases) – just put page
# in brackets (24).
In-Text Citations

Must include the author and date of the sources,
either within the sentence or in parentheses.
 According
to a 2002 essay by Patrick Marshall …
 According to a recent essay by Patrick Marshall (2002)
…
 According to a recent essay (Marshall, 2002) …
In-Text Citations

Place the author’s last name and the date of the
work in parentheses. If you site a specific part, give
the page number.
 Gene
therapy holds great promise for the future
(Gormann, 2003, p. 48).
References


Title – References – at the top of the page – centre,
bold
APA formatting:
 Author’s
last name, Initials. (year). Book Title. Location:
Publisher.
Integrating Quotations


Never have a quotation standing alone as a
complete sentence, or worse, as in incomplete
sentence!
If a quotation is not connected by one of your own
sentences, it will seem disconnected from your
thoughts and from the flow of your sentences.
Short Quotations

There are three ways to integrate short quotations:
Introduce the quotation with a complete sentence and a
colon.
 Use an introductory or explanatory phrase, but not a
complete sentence, separated from the quotation with a
comma.
 Use short quotations (only a few words) as part of your
sentence.

Complete sentence/colon

In “The Most Dangerous Game,” Rainsford realizes
that no one aboard the yacht realizes his situation,
and that they will not rescue him: “The lights of the
yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies;
then they were blotted out entirely by the night.”
Phrase/comma

According to Thoreau, “We do not ride on the
railroad; it rides upon us.”
Punctuating Quotations




Periods and commas should be placed INSIDE the
quotation marks.
Colons and semicolons should stay OUTSIDE the
quotation marks.
Cite information using APA formatting (which we will
discuss tomorrow).
Do not change the grammar in the quotation.
Punctuating Quotations



Do not quote more than you need.
Use [ ] to indicate changes to a quote (for example,
adding in a word or changing the form of a word).
Use ellipses (…) to indicate missing parts of a
quotation
Winnipeg Public Library

http://support.epnet.com/training/flash_videos/intr
o_to_ehost/intro_to_ehost.html
PREPRODUCTION
Class #8
English 40S Transactional
Objectives




be familiar with the purpose of a storyboard
have experience using a storyboard for a short film
or documentary
be familiar with the purpose of a treatment
create a treatment for a short film or documentary
Video Proposal Form






Type of video
Topic
Length
Title (tentative)
Content Summary
(brief)
Rationale:
 Purpose
 Audience






Locations
Actors
Script
Audio
Graphics
Other
Treatment & Plot Explanation



Begin your treatment with a short description of the
project (this can be done in a few sentences). Then
include a more in depth plot description (a few
paragraphs).
Include a description of all of the necessary
materials you will need for each of the different
scenes.
include a listing of all of the necessary items for
each of the characters (clothing, makeup, props,
hair, etc).
Plot Graph
Climax
Conflict
Resolution
Exposition
What is a storyboard?

A storyboard is a sketch of how to organize a story
and of the shots you want to take for your film
Example
http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/
Storyboard Template
WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER
Class #7
English 40S Transactional
Objectives

Learn to use Movie Maker
 Without

wanting to throw your computer!
HAVE FUN!!
The Basics







Importing your video clips
Importing your audio
Arranging your clips
Modifying your clips
Inserting transitions
Modifying audio
HAVE FUN!!!