1. The end matters: treat it like its a real situation and unlike your subject:)
confronting the unexpected in documentaries will be the best thing you can ever learn
2. End Goal: Learning about the process and growing as film/docu makers instead of getting ‘spoon fed’ situations or ‘ABC’ situations is the best way to learn and experience.
So darn true Robin. looking forward to the authentic journey! Let’s go!
SO these were some of my learning pointers from lecture and below were some examples shown in lecture:
1. Bob dylan “don’t look back”
It was very nicely paced in terms of cutaways and continuity, nicely cut to suit voiceovers and video archival inserts. Visual archives included pictures and videos which added a nice warm and authentic touch to the interviewee’s story.
Wide Eye lines were seen in shot whilst interviewing Jones in her Apartment. It’s good to have a professional Interviewee like Jones so the interview tone can be easily constructed by prepping the interviewee, and the topic conversations and details will be so much more in-depth.
Wide Eye Lines also makes the Interviewee more present and real.
2. Morris: Fog of war (interview based documentary)
Directly into the lens (eyeliner)- auto:cue
1st person effect from the interviewee – It was impactful as interviewee looked straight into the camera.
3. 4 count basie
No less engaging when interviewee did not look straight into the camera; There’s no wrong eyeline depending on the appropriate scene
4. Georges Bidault
Two Tracking Shots, Lateral ad tracking out shot for the eyelines. Tracking in zoom shot can help to amplify words or expressions.
Theses were some of the other documentaries shown during the lecture:
Battle of Chile
Vernon Florida Arron Morris
Dam Busters
ZiDANE
Adaptation Nicholas Cage
Clockwork Orange (1st Person VO)
Barry Lyndon (VO that frames the dramatisation)
Band of Outsiders- Robert Mccay
Love Actually (VO) – Statement of the theme (Authorial)
Geri by Molly Dineen
Basically, for our documentary proposal we have yet to set in place the type of desired tone and setting. I think ultimately we might get one where the interviewee doesnt look straight into the camera but we will ensure that the background images captured will be of strong relevance and adds impact/credibility to the documentary.
Credits to Bill Nichols Reading: 6 Types of Documentaries
1. REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY STYLE:
– the filmmaker is a part of the film itself and can often be the main character
– there is an obvious relationship between the filmmaker and the audience
– it is ‘reflective’ in the sense that the documentary mirrors the art of documentary-making itself
2. PERFORMATIVE DOCUMENTARY STYLE:
– this style is somewhat similar to the reflexive documentary style, but often involves a mix of many styles
– performative films often raise questions of knowledge
– performative documentaries try to demonstrate how understanding such personal knowledge can help us understand more general processes of society
3. EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY STYLE:
– these types of documentary usually express a clear point of view that leaves little room for individual interpretation
– many have a voice-of-God style narration that puts forward a structured argument
– many expository documentary films can be described as propaganda
– this mode emphasizes the impression of objectivity and well-supported argument
– facilitates generalisation and large-scale argumentation
4. OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY STYLE:
– these types of documentary use a fly-on-the-wall filming approach. what is going on in the film is REALLY going on
– observational films try to convey regular everyday life
– presence of the filmmaker is kept to a minimum, filming process is less intrusive
– observational films often associated with the use of smaller, lighter, hand held cameras which make it easy to capture ‘real life’
– observational documentaries de-emphasizes persuasion to give viewers a sens of what it is like for the filmmaker to to be in a given situation but without a sense of what it is like for the filmmaker to be there.
-compared to participatory documentaries: participatory documentary gives us a sense of what it is like for the filmmaker to be in a given situation and how that situation alters as a result
5. INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARY STYLE:
– filmmaker interacts with subjects, asks them questions and shares experiences
– these films often use archival footage rather than reenactments to portray a sense of history
– this style of film allows filmmaker to account for past events via witnesses and experts whom viewer can also see
6. POETIC DOCUMENTARY STYLE:
– these films do not use continuity editing, nor give a good sense of location or time
– these films tend to explores associations and patterns that involve temporal rhythms and spatial juxtapositions
– poetic documentaries appear quite ‘experimental’ in nature
– they are more fragmented and abstract
– poetic mode began in tandem with modernism as a way of representing reality in terms of a series of fragments, subjective impressions, incoherent acts, and loose associations
xoxo,
Thanks Bill for the tips:))
Narration:
Male voice used with a neutral tone for all informative sources.
The narrator had a good balance of tones and levels whilst doing VOs, especially for sarcasm pointers in the documentary. His voice alo matched wll with the satire soundscape used to mock or ridicule the American healthcare system and its shocking facts.
Voiceovers:
Used under statistics and figures
The neutral tone used created a more energetic tone as stats and figures usually bore viewers if it gets too info-heavy.
Soundscape:
Uses superhero/villain soundtracks to emphasize words and scenarios used.
Villian (The Medical Insurance Companies) vs Victims (Patients: Batman & Marvel superhero sound tracks were used. It was not something I would think is ideal but it worked perfect as the soundscape had familiarity of justice, and I’m sure most viewers can relate to the sound track and thus get an indirect message which the documentary was trying to express.
Soundtracks were utilized to suit the context and not the other way round. This worked awesomely and it was really to the advantage of the documentary as it added oomph to the topic and made it more hyped.
Interviews:
All interviewees were facing the camera but not looking directly into the camera.
Interviews were also done at locations where interviewees normally hung out or stayed. This enabled a more relaxed mood, and it gave a good insight to the details and more minute obstacles of our interviewees as well. This made the observatory documentary style more simple and authentic as well as natural lighting was used based on the location.
Some interviews seemed more impromptu as compared to the the few formal seated ones. The impromptu ones were an eye opener to learn from as the director executed impromptu interviewees really effectively as it had significant value to the message of the documentary. This was one of the few micro decisions we’ll probably have to make on the spot aw well.
Humour:
Used graphics to showcase statistics and emphasize sarcasm of the bad healthcare system.
Cutaways:
The docu-maker used old footages of congress meetings and speeches. Satire and screen shots, as well as old low-res videos of testimonies were also utilised to add visual information to the documentary and further backup the impact and value of all the interviewees’ testimonies.
The cutaways at this point were also done well in the aspects of timing and visual overlays. It was a good balance and mix of interesting visuals that helped bring out a viewer’s emotions and evoked thoughts as well. The pace was also good as it gave viewers ample time to think and react:)
drunkonhelium 