Directing the Documentary

Michael Rabiger has directed or edited over 35 films, founded the Documentary Center at Columbia College, Chicago, and was Chair of its Film/Video Department. Now Professor Emeritus, Rabiger has also been presented with the Preservation and Scholarship Award by the International Documentary Association. He has given workshops in many countries, led a multinational European documentary workshop for CILECT, the international association of film schools. As Visiting Professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he taught idea development, directing, and advanced production. When he retired 2001 to write full-time, Columbia renamed its documentary center "The Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary.” In 2002 he was made Honorary Professor at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; in 2003 awarded the 2003 Preservation and Scholarship Award by the International Documentary Association in Los Angeles; in 2005 the Genius Career Achievement Award by the Chicago International Documentary Festival, and also in 2005 was made Professor Emeritus by Columbia College Chicago. He is the author of the enormously successful, Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics (Focal Press), now in its fourth edition, and Directing the Documentary (Focal Press), now in its fifth edition. He is also the author of Developing Story Ideas (Focal Press), currently in its second edition. He is currently writing a biography of Thomas Hardy.

BOOK ONE: FUNDAMENTALS
PART I You and Your Ideas
Chapter 1 The Director's Role
Chapter 2 Recognizing Your Artistic Identity
Chapter 3 Developing Your Story Ideas
Chapter 4 Proposing and Pitching a Short Documentary

PART II: Documentaries and Film Language
Chapter 5 Documentary Language
Chapter 6 Elements and Grammar

PART III: Preproduction
Chapter 7 Research
Chapter 8 Developing a Crew

PART IV: Production
Chapter 9 Camera Equipment
Chapter 10 Lighting
Chapter 11 Location Sound
Chapter 12 Directing

PART V: Postproduction
Chapter 13 Editing: From Start to Viewing the First Assembly
Chapter 14 Editing: The Process of Refinement
Chapter 15 Editing: From Fine Cut To Sound Mix
Chapter 16 Titles and Acknowledgments

BOOK TWO: ADVANCED ISSUES
Part VI: Documentary Aesthetics
Chapter 17 Point of View
Chapter 18 Time, Development, And Structure
Chapter 19 Form, Control, and Style
Chapter 20 Reenactment, Reconstruction, and Docudrama

PART VII: Advanced Production Issues
7A: Preproduction
Chapter 21 Advanced Research
Chapter 22 Values, Ethics, And Choices
Chapter 23 The Advanced Documentary Proposal
Chapter 24 Preparing To Direct
7B: Production
Chapter 25 Optics
Chapter 26 Cameras and Camera Equipment
Chapter 27 Location Sound
Chapter 28 Organization, Crew, and Procedures
Chapter 29 Advanced Directing
Chapter 30 Conducting and Shooting Interviews
7C: Postproduction
Chapter 31 From Transcript To Film Script
Chapter 32 Creating Narration
Chapter 33 Using Music and Working with a Composer
Chapter 34 Editing: Refinements and Structural Problems

PART VIII Education and Starting Your Career
Chapter 35 Education
Chapter 36 From Film School To Film Industry
Glossary
Index