Documentary Media

Broderick Fox, Occidental College

CHAPTERS:

  

1 Reimagining Documentary………………………………………………………

          •REALITY?

          •OBJECTIVITY?

          •TRUTH?

          •THE SUBJECT OF DOCUMENTARY

                   -The “Gap” Between Subject and Filmmaker

                   -Countering Ethnography

          •PUSHING DOCUMENTARY FORM AND FUNCTION

          •DOCUMENTARY, POWER, AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                   -Production

          •WORKS CITED

 

2 A Brief History of Documentary: Movements and Modes………………….

          •ROBERT FLAHERTY: BUILDING CHARACTER AND NARRATIVE COHERENCE

          •CINEMA AS SOCIAL TOOL: RUSSIAN FORMALISM AND THE REFLEXIVE MODE

          •WAYS OF SEEING: AVANT-GARDES AND THE POETIC MODE

          •DOCUMENTARY AS HAMMER: THE EXPOSITORY MODE

          •DIRECT CINEMA: THE OBSERVATIONAL MODE

          •CINÉMA VÉRITÉ: THE PARTICIPATORY MODE

          •THE EMERGENCE OF VIDEO: TAKING ON TV & TOP-DOWN MEDIA

                   -Collective Resistance: Guerilla TV

                   -Community-Based Media and Independent Investigative Reporting

          •BODY AS CONDUIT: THE PERFORMATIVE MODE

                   -Feminist Performativity

                   -Queer Performativity

                   -Broader Use of the Performative Mode

          •PERFORMING SELF: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MODE

                   -Second Wave Feminism and Autobiography

                   -Gay Rights Media and Queer Autobiography

          •TRYING OUT REALITY: THE ESSAYISTIC MODE

          •MULTI-MODAL MAKING

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                   -Production

          •WORKS CITED

 

3 Crafting Your Story

          •CONTENT: WHAT’S IT REALLY ABOUT?

                   -The Central Question

                   -Theme, Story, Plot

                   -World and Scope

                   -Who is Your Audience

                   -Documentary Function

          •RHETORIC: THE ART OF PERSUASION

                   -A Sense of Ethos: Character Development

                   -Feeling Pathos: Emotional Truths

                   -Building With Logos: Demonstrative Proof

                   -Choosing Your Rhetoric

          •STRUCTURE: ORGANIZING REALITY

                   -Back to Aristotle

                   -Stuck in the Middle

                   -Structural Variations: Linear, Episodic, Thematic

                   -Establishing a Present Tense

                   -Developing Character Arcs

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                   -Production

 

4  Style: Audio-Visualizing the Documentary

          •VISUAL DESIGN

                   -Shooting Format

                   -Aspect Ratio

                   -Color vs. Black and White

                   -Framing

                   -Shot Size

                   -Camera Placement

                   -Movement

                   -Lighting

                   -Visual Metaphors and Structural Motifs

                   -Challenging Expectations

          •SOUND DESIGN

                   -Tracks

                   -Smart Design

                   -Sound Alternatives: Beyond Voiceover and Talking Heads

          •THE BIG PICTURE

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                   -Production

 

 

5 Documentary Ethics: Focusing Your Professional “Gaze”

          •THE GAZE

                   -The Accidental Gaze

                   -The Helpless Gaze

                   -The Endangered Gaze

                   -The Interventional Gaze

                   -The Humane Stare        

                   -The Professional Gaze?

          •APPROACHING THE OTHER

          •ETHICAL PRODUCTION METHODS

          •THE LEGACIES OF INTERVENTION

          •AN ETHICS OF THE ARCHIVE

          •YOUR PROFESSIONAL GAZE?

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development       

                   -Production

                             Project Information Sheet

                             Subject Release Form

 

6 Capturing Reality: Production Strategies

          •IN FOR THE LONG HAUL: HARLAN COUNTY, U.S.A.

          •PLANNING AHEAD AND LETTING GO: TOUCH THE SOUND

          •A VESTED CREW: DARK DAYS

          •THE PRODUCTION NOTEBOOK

                   -Project Information Sheets, Release Forms, and Emergency Medical Forms

                   -Location Releases and Permits

                   -Production Insurance and Carnets

                   -Shooting Schedule

                   -Call Sheets

                   -Treatment, Prospectus, and Aesthetic Plan

                   -Camera Reports and Editing Log

          •THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB: CAMERA/SOUND TESTS

                   -Location Scouting

                   -Camera Test

                   -Lighting and Exposure

                   -Making Sound Decisions

                   -Types of Microphones

                   -Handling and Positioning

                   -Tethered or Wireless

                   -Covering Your Bases

          •SHOOTING ON THE FLY: FIELD TECHNIQUES

                   -Interviewing Tips

                   -Coverage, Handles, and Transitions

                   -Room Tone and Wild Sound

                   -Developing a Routine

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                   -Production

 

7 Shaping Reality: The Post-Production Process

          •EDITING: CUTTING OUT THE BAD PARTS?

                   -Selects: One Man’s Trash, Another Man’s Treasure

          •DEVELOPING AN EDITING STYLE

                   -Shots, Scenes, and Sequences

                   -Transparency vs. Reflexivity

                   -Modes and Editing Style

                   -Manipulating Space and Time

                   -Suspense vs. Surprise

                   -Teasers and Trailers

          •DESIGNING SOUND

                   -Track Organization

                   -Sound Masking

                   -Words, Words, Words…

                   -Mickey Mousing   

                   -Dynamics

                   -Towards an Ethics of Scoring and Sound Design

                   -Music Rights

                   -Working With a Composer

                   -A Grizzly Case Study

          •CONCLUSION: A POST-PRODUCTION MAP

           •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                             Music Release Form

                   -Practice

 

8 Distribution Strategies: From Movie to Movement

          •DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR AUDIENCE

          •ALTERNATE ACCESS

          •ACTIVE SPECTATORSHIP

          •BUILDING COMMUNITY

          •THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY?

          •INTO PRACTICE

                   -Analysis

                   -Development

                   -Practice

 

APPENDICES:

 

A Project 1: Camera-less Documentary

 

B Project 2: Exploring Modes of Representation

 

C Project 3: Gaining Perspective

 

D Project 4: Editing a Teaser and Trailer

 

E Project 5: Establishing a Web Presence

 

F Exercise: Camera Concepts

 

G Exercise: Sound Decisions

 

H Quick Reference: Modes Reviewed

 

I Quick Reference: Sample Forms

 

J Quick Reference: Prospectus Checklist and Guidelines

 

K Filmography

 

INDEX