Introduction to

Documentary

What is a

documentary?

What is a

documentary?

Get two documentarians together, and the chances are high

that they will argue about what documentary is.
Even though documentary has evolved continuously from its
inception, its purview and methods remain ambiguous, and its
parameters keep enlarging. Uncontested, however, is what
remains central to documentarys spirit the notion that
documentaries explore the mysteries of actual people
in actual situations.
Michael Rabinger Directing The Documentary

What does a documentary do?

Preserve
Persuade
Analyze
Express

Discuss
Explore
Intervene
Enlighten

Documentarys Contract
Agreement between filmmaker and
Audience

Do ones best to tell the truth

Authenticity, Truth claim

None of this is made up

Its okay to have an opinion

Documentary Modes

* Consider how each of these

modes/ examples are in dialogue
with this contract

Documentary Modes
EXPOSITORY
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998, Ken Burns)

Documentary Modes
EXPOSITORY
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998, Ken Burns)

- Voice of God narration

- direct presentation of facts
- can include all kinds of evidence

Documentary Modes
OBSERVATIONAL
Hoop Dreams (1994)

Documentary Modes
OBSERVATIONAL
Hoop Dreams (1994)
-minimal (or no) narration

-long takes, real-time, synch-sound

-present tense

-never (or almost never) see or hear the

filmmakers

Documentary Modes
INTERACTIVE
Roger and Me (1989, Michael Moore)

Documentary Modes
INTERACTIVE
Roger and Me (1989, Michael Moore)

-filmmaker is present on screen

-filmmaker makes the action happen

Documentary Modes
ESSAYISTIC
History and Memory (1998, Rea Tajiri)

Documentary Modes
ESSAYISTIC
History and Memory (1998, Rea Tajiri)

-uses first person address: I

-tells personal stories from a personal
viewpoint

-does not try to be objective

Documentary Modes
EXPERIMENTAL
Tarnation (2003, Jonathan Caouette)

Documentary Modes
EXPERIMENTAL
Tarnation (2003, Jonathan Caouette)

-obeys the documentary contract

-otherwise, anything goes

When watching documentaries,

remember
Everything in a documentary is intentional
Who/what/when/where/why/how are all decided by
filmmaker: camera movements, framing, editing,
music, etc
What are possible biases?

Relationship between filmmaker and subject

Whats the claim to truth/ authenticity?

Relationship between documentary and reality

Is subject being represented in a way that wont
harm his/her integrity?

Ethics in

Documentary Filmmaking
Working with the community
Collaboration
Interview Release Forms

Modes of Representation
How do documentaries present ideas?

Combo of visual and audio components

Voice- over narration
Interviews
Related Media
Original video (primary footage, b-roll
Original images (still photos, graphics, charts, maps,
etc)
Archival film/ video
Archival images (still photos, graphics, charts, maps)

Dramatizations
Text
SOUND (music, effects, background - room noise)

Production Phases: Your Workflow

Pre-Production
Research, treatment, write script,
storyboard/shot lists, gather photos, set up
interviews

Production
Conduct interviews, record primary/b-roll
footage, record voice-over narration (if
necessary), edit script
Post-Production
Edit script, video editing, music, sound effects

Pre-Production: Production Schedule

Get in your groups and decide your topic
Assign roles to each member according to
the syllabus timeline
Work to create treatment/script

Schedule times for production

Pre-Production: the Treatment

Outline what you hope to create as a film
(be specific)
Introduction of your topic (with a hook!)
Specific information that explains the
events/issues
Conclusion

Layout your production plan (use the

Production Schedule Worksheets!)
What components are going to provide specific
information. (Who? When? Where?)

Production
Get to it!
Record interviews
Shoot b-roll film
Locate found footage
Note: some footage will be created during postproduction

Production

Crew Roles
Director
Producer
Cinematographer (DP)
Sound

Post-Production
Log and organize your footage
Create a script that revises the treatment, but
considers the footage attained
Begin sequencing the footage in Final Cut Pro
(Assembly Cut)
Go back and forth with the previous 2 steps
Record voice-over narration (if necessary)

Stages of your project

Assembly Cut
Barebones version. It just establishes the
information in a sequence

First Cut
Begin to consider how you want to represent
your information
Ex: Show interviewuse graphuse created
footage with textvoice-over narration over
b-roll footage

Stages of your project

Final Cut
Smooth out the modes of representation
Smooth transitions between shots
Add all music/sound effects and fix audio
levels
Add text (Check the font, size and spelling)
Export as a DVD