What is a Documentary?
1. Q.What are the four goals of a documentary?
A. The four goals of a documentary are as follows; to reserve and save information and to share it, to offer insight to the public, giving the viewer a chance to experience a new subject, and to use information to bring attention to the subject.
2. Q. According to the website what is some of the appeal for the viewer of a documentary?
A. Some of the appeal for the viewer of a documentary is to learn about the subject of interest through the creative expression of the film maker.
3. Briefly summarize the 6 modes of the documentary. Expository documentaries gives information, proves an issue or subject through an "interpretation of events or condition" Observational documentary, direct cinema and cinema verite take portable camera and sound recording into social situations, often in a conflicting social scene. filmmakers can imply there own perspectives. Reflexive documentaries, acts on the assumption that the people watch know that the film is a manipulation of reality, it exposes the filmmaker and the actors opinion and the process of the filming. it shows the filmmakers process of searching for truth and evidence on his topic. First person documentaries, almost a therapeutic tool indicates how new technology and new markets for documentaries have opened up the medium. in a way, first person documentary crosses between reflective and home movie but with a sensitive and critical filmmaker the film can become a compelling experience. Poetic documentaries reveal something extraordinary about the world. They focus on the creative side of reality. TV Hybrids use actors and non-actors to record a non-reality show. The producers and the directors create
"good guy-bad guy" conflicts and phony crises that come from fictional drama, not from real situations.
The ABC's of Documentary Cinema
1. How do documentaries "...reflect the attitudes, ideas, interests, even the prejudices of the filmmakers."
2. Q. Give five examples of types of shots that refer to the size of the subject within a frame.
A. Wide Shot, Wide Angle, Master shot, Establish shot, Long Shot, Medium Long Shots
3. Q. What is the difference between a cutaway and a cut-in?
A. A cut-in is a close-up detail that is inserted in a longer shot. A cutaway shot takes away from the main action.
4. Q. Decribe the relationship between an over-the-shoulder shot and a complementary shot.
A. An over-shoulder shot is when the camera looks over the shoulder of one person to look at another.
5. Q. What does the audio term "MOS" mean and where did it originate?
A. According to tradition, the term MOS, meaning "silent," came from German directors in the early days of Hollywood, who said "mit out sound."
Preparing to FIlm
"It is extremely important for us to be clear about what we're trying to say, why we're trying to say it, and then work out a way to say it. Half of what a documentary is can be more about your attitude to the subject than the subject itself." (Michel Grigsby and Nicholas McClintock, "The State We're In." Dox. 6, 6-10)
1. Q. How will your attitude about a subject contribute to the content of the film?
A. It will change the perspective of the film and your passion for finishing the film will be strong.
2. Q. Why might it be important for a filmmaker to be clear about what he/she is saying and why he/she is saying it?
A. Because it will draw people's attention and they will be able to understand the film.
3. Q. Why is it effective to show people in action and interacting with each other?
A. Viewers enjoy watching people they can identify with. When that identification occurs, we become interested in the larger issues that affect others' lives.
4. Why is it important for a good documentary to have a clear perspective?
5. What kinds of things can a documentary filmmaker do to research a topic?
6. How can your audience enfluence your approach to your documentary?
7. Why must a filmmaker clearly organize his/her approach before filming?
"By creating a plan, the filmmaker organizes his/her general vision, using ideas suggested by research, to formulate a more precise structure for the filming - even a list of sequences to be shot."
8. When might a documentary filmmaker use storyboards?
9. Q. What is a shooting plan? What must be considered in creating a shooting plan?
A. A shooting plan describes the sequences as a preliminary guide for shooting. Some filmmakers also explain the purposes of each sequence, or what they will contribute to the development of the film's story.
The subject itself may dictate the approach.
Part of the planning is to decide who the audience is.
The filmmaker may decide to make an expository documentary, which clearly lays out the 'problem' of the subject, or a more observational approach, with the camera following people in their daily lives and allowing them to express themselves through interviews. Some people might become reflexive by making the filmmaker and the making of the documentary a part of the story. There is also a more poetic documentary, evoking the feelings of the subject through intriguing images, movement and sound.
Essentials
1. Q. Describe the following jobs with regards to documentary film making:
Director, Assistant Director, Production Manager, Camera Operator, Sound Recordist, Gaffer, Best Boy, Grip, Picture Editor, Foley Artist.
A. In general terms, a producer also ensures that the production stays on schedule and on budget. Director- known as the "filmaker", comes up with the concept, and plan researches, supervises the filming, does the interviewing, oversees post production, helps with editing. Assistant Director- maintains order on set, production manager and script coordinator, writes down shooting schedule oversees the care of the production. Production Manager budgets, shooting schedules, may have role of line producer work with produce keep. Camera Operator sets up shots must understand purpose of each shot, intuitive about where the action is and responses enough to changes in the scene. keeps camera clean and loads film, operates clapper board, keeps report sheet on each tape, for the Director and editors reference of shots. Shooting The Documentary
1. What is a shooting schedule?
2. What is the purpose of a pre-interview?
3. Q. How can location contribute to the impact of an interview?
A. The filmmaker also has to decide where to do the interview. It may be in a place that makes the subject comfortable, or one that is significant to the film's content. The filmmaker may actually want to use the location to create a mood for the interview subject - maybe even some tension.
4. What can an interviewer do to avoid having their questions appear in the documentary?
5. What is considered common practice in frameing the interviewee?
6. What other shot should a filmaker gather during an interview?
Putting It All Together
1. What is the purpose of the Shot Log?
2. What is the benefit of making transcriptions of all the interviews?
3. What is a "problem-solution" structure?
4. What is the purpose of the Rough Cut?
5. Typically, what types of shots are cut from the final product?
6. Q. What are some elements of good and bad narration?
A. Good narration allows the viewer to make decisions for him or herself. BAD narration gets between the viewer and what is on the screen
1. Q.What are the four goals of a documentary?
A. The four goals of a documentary are as follows; to reserve and save information and to share it, to offer insight to the public, giving the viewer a chance to experience a new subject, and to use information to bring attention to the subject.
2. Q. According to the website what is some of the appeal for the viewer of a documentary?
A. Some of the appeal for the viewer of a documentary is to learn about the subject of interest through the creative expression of the film maker.
3. Briefly summarize the 6 modes of the documentary.
Expository documentaries gives information, proves an issue or subject through an "interpretation of events or condition"
Observational documentary, direct cinema and cinema verite take portable camera and sound recording into social situations, often in a conflicting social scene. filmmakers can imply there own perspectives.
Reflexive documentaries, acts on the assumption that the people watch know that the film is a manipulation of reality, it exposes the filmmaker and the actors opinion and the process of the filming. it shows the filmmakers process of searching for truth and evidence on his topic.
First person documentaries, almost a therapeutic tool indicates how new technology and new markets for documentaries have opened up the medium. in a way, first person documentary crosses between reflective and home movie but with a sensitive and critical filmmaker the film can become a compelling experience.
Poetic documentaries reveal something extraordinary about the world. They focus on the creative side of reality.
TV Hybrids use actors and non-actors to record a non-reality show. The producers and the directors create
"good guy-bad guy" conflicts and phony crises that come from fictional drama, not from real situations.
The ABC's of Documentary Cinema
1. How do documentaries "...reflect the attitudes, ideas, interests, even the prejudices of the filmmakers."
2. Q. Give five examples of types of shots that refer to the size of the subject within a frame.
A. Wide Shot, Wide Angle, Master shot, Establish shot, Long Shot, Medium Long Shots
3. Q. What is the difference between a cutaway and a cut-in?
A. A cut-in is a close-up detail that is inserted in a longer shot. A cutaway shot takes away from the main action.
4. Q. Decribe the relationship between an over-the-shoulder shot and a complementary shot.
A. An over-shoulder shot is when the camera looks over the shoulder of one person to look at another.
5. Q. What does the audio term "MOS" mean and where did it originate?
A. According to tradition, the term MOS, meaning "silent," came from German directors in the early days of Hollywood, who said "mit out sound."
Preparing to FIlm
"It is extremely important for us to be clear about what we're trying to say, why we're trying to say it, and then work out a way to say it. Half of what a documentary is can be more about your attitude to the subject than the subject itself." (Michel Grigsby and Nicholas McClintock, "The State We're In." Dox. 6, 6-10)
1. Q. How will your attitude about a subject contribute to the content of the film?
A. It will change the perspective of the film and your passion for finishing the film will be strong.
2. Q. Why might it be important for a filmmaker to be clear about what he/she is saying and why he/she is saying it?
A. Because it will draw people's attention and they will be able to understand the film.
3. Q. Why is it effective to show people in action and interacting with each other?
A. Viewers enjoy watching people they can identify with. When that identification occurs, we become interested in the larger issues that affect others' lives.
4. Why is it important for a good documentary to have a clear perspective?
5. What kinds of things can a documentary filmmaker do to research a topic?
6. How can your audience enfluence your approach to your documentary?
7. Why must a filmmaker clearly organize his/her approach before filming?
"By creating a plan, the filmmaker organizes his/her general vision, using ideas suggested by research, to formulate a more precise structure for the filming - even a list of sequences to be shot."
8. When might a documentary filmmaker use storyboards?
9. Q. What is a shooting plan? What must be considered in creating a shooting plan?
A. A shooting plan describes the sequences as a preliminary guide for shooting. Some filmmakers also explain the purposes of each sequence, or what they will contribute to the development of the film's story.
The subject itself may dictate the approach.
Part of the planning is to decide who the audience is.
The filmmaker may decide to make an expository documentary, which clearly lays out the 'problem' of the subject, or a more observational approach, with the camera following people in their daily lives and allowing them to express themselves through interviews. Some people might become reflexive by making the filmmaker and the making of the documentary a part of the story. There is also a more poetic documentary, evoking the feelings of the subject through intriguing images, movement and sound.
Essentials
1. Q. Describe the following jobs with regards to documentary film making:
Director, Assistant Director, Production Manager, Camera Operator, Sound Recordist, Gaffer, Best Boy, Grip, Picture Editor, Foley Artist.
A. In general terms, a producer also ensures that the production stays on schedule and on budget.
Director- known as the "filmaker", comes up with the concept, and plan researches, supervises the filming, does the interviewing, oversees post production, helps with editing.
Assistant Director- maintains order on set, production manager and script coordinator, writes down shooting schedule oversees the care of the production.
Production Manager budgets, shooting schedules, may have role of line producer work with produce keep.
Camera Operator sets up shots must understand purpose of each shot, intuitive about where the action is and responses enough to changes in the scene. keeps camera clean and loads film, operates clapper board, keeps report sheet on each tape, for the Director and editors reference of shots.
Shooting The Documentary
1. What is a shooting schedule?
2. What is the purpose of a pre-interview?
3. Q. How can location contribute to the impact of an interview?
A. The filmmaker also has to decide where to do the interview. It may be in a place that makes the subject comfortable, or one that is significant to the film's content. The filmmaker may actually want to use the location to create a mood for the interview subject - maybe even some tension.
4. What can an interviewer do to avoid having their questions appear in the documentary?
5. What is considered common practice in frameing the interviewee?
6. What other shot should a filmaker gather during an interview?
Putting It All Together
1. What is the purpose of the Shot Log?
2. What is the benefit of making transcriptions of all the interviews?
3. What is a "problem-solution" structure?
4. What is the purpose of the Rough Cut?
5. Typically, what types of shots are cut from the final product?
6. Q. What are some elements of good and bad narration?
A. Good narration allows the viewer to make decisions for him or herself. BAD narration gets between the viewer and what is on the screen
Good effort on these questions LEO!