3. 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 documentary’s spirit – the notion that
documentaries explore the mysteries of actual people
in actual situations.”
– Michael Rabinger “Directing The Documentary”
4. What does a documentary do?
Preserve
Persuade
Analyze
Express
Discuss
Explore
Intervene
Enlighten
5. Documentary’s “Contract”
Agreement between filmmaker and
Audience
Do one’s best to tell the ‘truth’
Authenticity, Truth claim
“None of this is made up”
It’s okay to have an opinion
8. Documentary Modes
EXPOSITORY
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998, Ken Burns)
- “Voice of God” narration
- direct presentation of facts
- can include all kinds of “evidence”
14. 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”
17. 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
– What’s the claim to truth/ authenticity?
• Relationship between documentary and reality
– Is subject being represented in a way that won’t
harm his/her integrity?
19. 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)
20. 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
21. 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
22. 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?)
23. Production
• Get to it!
– Record interviews
– Shoot b-roll film
– Locate found footage
• Note: some footage will be created during postproduction
25. 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)
30. 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 interview…use graph…use created
footage with text…voice-over narration over
b-roll footage
31. 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