The Documentary Compiled by Mrs. D. Wittmann Summatives: Unit Test and Persuasive Essay OR Film Review (both five paragraphs)
Minds On 1. Name, either by title or by description, a documentary you have seen. 2. What is a documentary? What do I as a viewer expect from a documentary? AGREE or DISAGREE "We expect to be told things about the real world, things that are true. We do not demand that these things be portrayed objectively, and they do not have to be the complete truth . . . But we do expect that a documentary will be a fair and honest representation of somebody's experience of reality."
Defining Documentary A documentary is a broad term to describe a non-fiction movie that in some way "documents" or captures reality. "Documentaries bring viewers into new worlds and experiences through the presentation of factual information about real people, places, and events, generally -- but not always -- portrayed through the use of actual images and artifacts. But factuality alone does not define documentary films; it's what the filmmaker does with those factual elements, weaving them into an overall narrative that strives to be as compelling as it is truthful and is often greater than the sum of its parts." -Sheila Curran Bernard, author of Documentary Storytelling
Audience Profiling Who they are = demographics (age, sex, education, economic status, political/social/religious beliefs); What level of information they have about the subject (novice, general reader, specialist or expert); The context in which they will be reading a piece of writing (in a newspaper, textbook, popular magazine, specialized journal, on the Internet, and so forth). Age Gender Geographical area Religion Race - Ethnicity Marital status Sexuality Education level Occupation Income - wage level Current and desired lifestyle Hobbies
If you were to create a documentary film, what would it be about? In your topic sentence, state the topic of your documentary. In the body of your paragraph explain your choice - provide two reasons why (PURPOSE = "To ..."). Give a full and complete explanations for each reason. Conclude with what you want your audience to walk away with ("Call to Action"). Complete the outline, TYPE your answer, submit a printed copy to me, and submit your word file to the D2L Assignment Dropbox.
My Documentary: The Fentanyl Epidemic If I were to create a documentary film it would be on the fentanyl epidemic in Canada. My first reason is to educate the viewers on fentanyl. It is important for everyone to know the chemical properties of this drug, where it is produced, its effect on the brain, and other effects. I would include interviews from doctors and other professionals who are experts in the field of opiates. My second reason for making this documentary is to reveal the addict as a human being. Viewers need to see addicts as real people and be exposed to the reality of the dangers of drugs. This film would enter a world not seen by the general public. Many people call the introduction of fentanyl to Canada as a game changer. After viewing my documentary I would want the audience to gain a better understanding of what this drug is, and perhaps join the fight against the use of this killer drug. (160 words)
Authorship: Guiding Questions 1. What kind of “text” is it? 2. What are the various elements (building blocks) that make up the whole? 3. How similar or different is it to others of the same genre? 4. Which technologies are used in its creation? 5. What choices were made that might have been made differently? 6. How many people did it take to create this message? What are their various jobs? Format: Guiding Questions 1. What do you notice ... (about the way the message is constructed)? • Colors? Shapes? Size? • Sounds, Words? Silence? • Props, sets, clothing? • Movement? • Composition? Lighting? 2. Where is the camera? What is the viewpoint? 3. How is the story told visually? What are people doing? 4. Are there any symbols? Visual metaphors? 5. What’s the emotional appeal? Persuasive devices used? 6. What makes it seem “real?”
Audience: Guiding Questions 1. Have you ever experienced anything like this in your life? 2. How close is this portrayal to your experience? 3. What did you learn from this media text? 4. What did you learn about yourself from the media text? 5. What did you learn from other people’s response? From their experience of life? 6. How many other interpretations could there be? How could we hear about them? 7. Are other viewpoints just as valid as mine? 8. How can you explain the different responses? Content: Guiding Questions 1. What kinds of behaviors /consequences are depicted? 2. What type of person is the reader / watcher / listener invited to identify with? 3. What questions come to mind as you watch / read /listen? 4. What ideas or values are being “sold” to us in this message? 5. What political ideas are communicated in the message? Economic ideas? 6. What judgments or statements are made about how we treat other people? 7. What is the overall worldview of the message? 8. What ideas or perspectives are left out? How would you find what’s missing?
Purpose: Guiding Questions 1. Who’s in control of the creation and transmission of this message? 2. Why are they sending it? How do you know? 3. Who are they sending it to? How do you know? 4. What’s being sold in this message? What’s being told? 5. Who profits from this message? Who pays for it? 6. Who is served by or benefits from the message – the public? – private interests? – individuals? – institutions? 7. What economic decisions may have influenced the construction or transmission of this message?
Looking At Documentaries Why are documentaries worth watching? Link Cornell Note-taking: Write these questions in the CUE column. Write your answers in the NOTES column. What do documentaries tell us about the world? How do documentaries make the past come to life? How are documentaries windows into hidden worlds? How do documentaries humanize complex stories? How do documentaries show what can't be seen by the human eye?
Looking At Documentaries How are documentaries different from fiction? Link This question is not as straightforward as it might first appear. It is probably not helpful to see documentary as the opposite of fiction—even though the term non-fiction is often used to describe the form—because this leads us to absolute terms such as, one tells the truth and the other makes things up. It is helpful to see the two dominant film forms (fiction and documentary) in relative terms. It is fair to say that all documentaries aspire to tell a truth about the real world while fiction is not constrained by the real world. Fiction creates a world for its story to inhabit; documentary finds its story in the world we live in.
The History of Documentary Film http://www.slideshare.net/victoriadoesmedia/the-evolution-of-documentary-15930009 http://www.slideshare.net/victoriadoesmedia/the-evolution-of-documentary-15930009
SIX PRIMARY STYLES OF DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION https://www.videomaker.com/article/c06/18423-six-primary-styles-of-documentary-production 1. Poetic Mode 2. Expository Mode 3. Observational Mode 4. Participatory Mode 5. Reflexive Mode 6. Performative Mode
Poetic Documentaries: an intuitive experience of the world First seen in the 1920s, Poetic Documentaries are very much what they sound like. They focus on experiences, images and showing the audience the world through a different set of eyes. Abstract and loose with narrative, the poetic sub-genre can be very unconventional and experimental in form and content. The ultimate goal is to create a feeling rather than a truth. Expository Documentaries: the who, what, when, where, and why Expository Documentaries are probably closest to what most people consider “documentaries.” A sharp contrast to poetic, expository documentaries aim to inform and/or persuade — often through omnipresent “Voice of God” narration over footage devoid of ambiguous or poetic rhetoric. This mode includes the familiar Ken Burns and television (A&E, History Channel, etc…) styles. Observational Documentaries: reality plays itself Observational Documentaries are exactly what they sound like — they aim to simply observe the world around them. Originating in the 1960s with the advances in portable film equipment, the form is also referred to as cinema verité, direct cinema or fly-on-the-wall documentary. The style attempts to give voice to all sides of an issue by giving audiences first hand access to some of the subject’s most important (and often private) moments.
Participatory Documentaries: interaction between filmmaker and subjects Participatory is a documentary mode where the filmmaker does not remain aloof from the subject matter, but actively engages with it- by openly participating or interacting with the people and institutions on show. The participatory mode aims for immediacy and often presents the filmmaker’s point of view. Michael Moore’s documentaries are primarily vehicles for his social commentary. Reflexive Documentaries: conscious effort to have control over what and how In reflexive documentary, the film maker goes one step further than participatory documentary, attempting to expose to the spectator the conventions of documentary representation, with the effect of challenging the documentary's apparent ability to reveal the truth. Rather than focus on the events and people filmed, the reflexive documentary focuses on how they are filmed. In the reflexive documentary, the properties of the film and the film making process become the main focus of attention. Performative Documentaries: direct opposite of the observational mode The performative mode, often regarded as the most ‘honest’ of the six styles, places emphasis on the film making process itself, often chronicling the documentarist’s subjective journey, often including the failures and struggles that may occur during the filming process as part of the final product. The performative documentary maker is no longer the invisible hand and voice behind the camera, but the subject of the films he/she makes.
Looking At Documentaries What should we look for in a documentary? Link Audience Purpose (Intention) Bias and Point of view: Is the perspective balanced? Tone (Attitude) Context Audio Track: Diegetic (inside the story world) Non-Diegetic (outside the story world) Visual Track: camera - framing, angles, movement Text Track: sub-titles, identification Editing: what is left IN and what is left OUT Message
Film Techniques: Video Link
Camera Angles http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence of images, just as words, word order and punctuation combine to make the meaning of a sentence. You need a straightforward set of key terms to describe them. Describing Shots When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you have to think about three important factors — The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot — The ANGLE of the shot — If there is any MOVEMENT involved When describing different cinematic shots, different terms are used to indicate the amount of subject matter contained within a frame, how far away the camera is from the subject, and the perspective of the viewer. Each different shot has a different purpose and effect. A change between two different shots is called a CUT.
Types of Sound http://www.mediaknowall.com/sound.html Sound can be divided into two essential areas: Diegetic: Generated by things we can see in the picture ('from within the world of the narrative') Non-Diegetic: Generated outside the picture ('from outside the world of the narrative') e.g. voice over or music
Keep These Things in Mind Watch the Short Docs: Examine the VISUAL TRACK: Camera angles, footage (primary / archival), still pictures, images, symbols Examine the AUDIO TRACK: Diegetic (within): voices, location, ambient Non-diegetic: music, sound effects, sound track, score, voice over Examine the TEXT TRACK: Subject matter, script, story elements: plot (beginning, middle, end), real characters, conflict, theme, setting, point of view), sub-titles, etc.
City Sonic: Serena Ryder at The Dakota (5.04 min)
City Sonic: Geddy Lee at Massey Hall (4.44 min)
To Costco and Ikea Without a Car (5:43 min)
The Elmira Case Produced by Rosco Films, it documents the actions of an inspiring probation officer, a forward-thinking judge, two wayward youth willing to take responsibility for their mistakes, and a community willing to forgive. TRAILER A drunken rampage in small-town Elmira, Ontario, Canada sparks a worldwide revolution in the justice system in 1974. Today, more than 50 countries around the world practice restorative justice as part of their legal system and all owe their roots to an inspired probation officer, a forward-thinking judge, and two wayward youth.
DOCUMENTARY TRAILERS Audience, Purpose, Tone, Bias, Techniques (which are apparent?) Type? Poetic, Observational, Expository, Participatory, Performance, Reflexive Amy Winehouse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3lZcrzzcM Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis https://vimeo.com/84435946 New Michael Moore documentary: Where to Invade Next https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RYV04G0tHc Lego http://www.fandango.com/alegobrickumentary_180796/movieoverview
http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/Students/Writing-Speaking-Guides/Alphabetical-List-of-Guides/Academic-Writing/Ethos,-Pathos,-Logos
Poetic Style Film Parkour Documentary: People in Motion (57 min)
American Parkour Interview with Cedric Dahl
Earth - The Pale Blue Dot
Observational Style Film Amy Winehouse - The Untold Story (44.28 min.)
Expository Style Film The Age of the Drone (45 min)
Reflexive-Performative Styles Contra A Copa: The Other Side of Brazil's World Cup (37 min)
The Radio Documentary https://www.cbc.ca/radio/docproject/blog/what-is-a-radio-documentary-1.3397538
DEBATE Documentary films tell a truth, but not the truth.
MINDS ON "I think it's important that we make programs that force people to think about what they're seeing. They need to know that there's a person behind the camera, that there's a person who cut the story together, that it reflects a perspective. It's important that we make programs that push people to ask questions and then come to their own conclusions or choose how to respond. More than anything, it's important to ask people to think. I think it's a disservice, in a sense, when we make media that doesn't ask people to think but just tells them how they should feel and what they should do." (Natalia Almada) 1. What specific kinds of filmmaking issues or challenges does the filmmaker consider? 2. What are the filmmaker's main purposes for making documentary films? 3. What does the filmmaker think makes documentary films special or different from other media forms?
Key Takeaways All documentaries represent; they do not merely record. All representation involves choices, i.e., selecting from available real-life footage to compose a meaningful statement. Viewers expect to be told a truthful story, and they want to be told why it is relevant to them. Not only can taking a point of view not be avoided, but a point of view is a key feature of good and honest storytelling; transparency in making that point-of-view explicit is part of the pact between documentarian and viewer. All of these things are just as true for social-issue documentaries and filmmakers as they are for other kinds of documentaries and filmmakers, but social-issue documentarians often take their responsibilities extremely seriously because they deal with issues of such gravity.
reality / A documentary captures audience / Group at who the film is aimed purpose / The reason for the film author / Who created the message direct / Cinema verite negative / Positive, Neutral, or diegetic / Sound inside the story world cut / A change between two different shots establishing / Extreme long shot Lumiere / Brothers first to create nonfiction film dialogue / Conversation between subjects footage / All material used in a film radio / Sound picture editing / What is left in and what is left out
The Film Review Writing a Series of Paragraphs Text: Five-paragraph review Tone: Lively, witty, honest Audience: Teacher Purpose: All reviews share a number of different purposes. For example, a film review needs: to inform - the review needs to tell people who is in the film, who it is by and where or when readers can see it to describe - the review should describe the story, characters and some of the action - without spoiling the plot or giving too much away to entertain - to provide the reader with their opinion in a way that readers will enjoy to analyse - a good review weighs up whether the film is good or not, giving opinions backed up with reasons and evidence to advise - the review should recommend to the reader whether or not they should go to see the film
The Film Review LINK The film review is a popular way for critics to assess a film’s overall quality and determine whether or not they think the film is worth recommending. Film reviews differ from scholarly film articles in that they encompass personal and idiosyncratic reactions to and evaluations of a film as well as objective analyses of the film’s formal techniques and thematic content. One of the best ways to learn how to write a film review is simply by reading good film reviews. You can find examples in most major newspapers and magazines. Check out the arts and entertainment sections of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, or Rolling Stone.
REVIEW The purpose of a review (film, book, etc.) is to provide readers with a basic idea of what the film or book is about, as well as to offer the reviewer's critical evaluation. In a review, readers should be given enough information to judge whether or not they would enjoy the film or book, but a review is not a plot summary - and the ending should never be disclosed.
The Persuasive Essay Writing a Series of Paragraphs Text: Five-paragraph essay Tone: Formal, enthusiastic, assertive Audience: Teacher Purpose: An essay can have many purposes. Some examples are to: to persuade – to change a reader’s opinion to argue – to make the case for something to entertain – to make the reader enjoy reading to advise – to help people decide what to do to analyse – to break down something to help people to understand it better to inform – to tell a reader about something
MLA Format How to Cite a Documentary Film title. Dir. First Name Last Name. Distributor, Year of Release. Medium. The Age of the Drone. Dir. Leif Kaldor. Rebot Films Inc. 2015. Film.
Doc Zone Link About the Show CBC's flagship documentary series explores and expands on the major issues of our time. Around the corner, around the world, our cameras bring viewers to the center of the stories everyone is talking about. Informed, exciting and eventful, DOC ZONE presents a sweeping panoramic view of what matters most to Canadians.
Firsthand Link About the Show CBC’s new point-of-view documentary series gets to the heart of issues that matter to Canadians. Celebrating the great Canadian tradition of documentary, Canada’s best filmmakers bring us films with compelling characters, harrowing tales and unforgettable moments. With unique and often unexpected access, these stories will ignite discussions and open dialogues about issues relevant in today’s society.
Hot Docs About the Show Who We Are Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, and takes place in Toronto, Canada. Each year, the Festival presents a selection of more than 180 cutting-edge documentaries from Canada and around the globe. Through its industry programs, Hot Docs also provides a full range of professional development, market and networking opportunities for documentary professionals. Hot Docs was founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (formerly the Canadian Independent Film Caucus), a national association of independent documentary filmmakers. In 1996, Hot Docs became a separately incorporated organization with a mandate to showcase and support the work of Canadian and international documentary filmmakers and to promote excellence in documentary production. MISSION To advance and celebrate the art of documentary, and to showcase the work of and create production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. LINK