Films and Documentaries

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…….

..….. or not.

Film and Documentary-makers

• Director as author with:– Purpose– Motives– Biases– Values, attitudes, beliefs– Constantly making choices about inclusions and

omissions, camera angles, film techniques, subject matter, viewer responses.

– Films are constructions – all choices made with care and clear purpose.

Documentaries and films as versions of reality rather than

“the truth”

• Texts created within a socio-cultural context to achieve a particular purpose.

• Viewers, as readers, are positioned to accept the director’s point of view.

• Acceptance depends on how closely the viewer’s values, attitudes, beliefs and cultural experiences reflect those of the film-maker or the subjects foregrounded.

Documentary or film????• A feature film will usually take more liberties

with the truth. Most film-makers strive to make their film as entertaining as possible for a wide audience.

• A documentary by its very nature should be a more factually correct construction or reconstruction of the truth – but this can be a dangerous assumption. Even documentary-makers need to entertain and engage audiences. The “truth” can be the first casualty.

Types of documentariesDocumentaries take on different styles. E.g. a Discovery Channel documentary on animals looks very different to the Bra Boys. •Social or society – revealing an aspect or issue of a society, eg decriminalising marijuana, women in politics, obesity.•Exposé – investigative style designed to raise public awareness, eg global warming, police corruption.•Personality profile•Nature•Travel•Historical.

Styles of documentary

• Fully narrated - Voice-overs are essential in making meaning.

• “Fly-on-the-wall” or observational - No narration or commentary. Subjects speak for themselves.

• Mixed media – combines narration, interviews and observation – similar to news reporting.

• Docudrama – re-enactments of events.• Self-reflexive – subjects speak directly to the

film-maker who is heard responding and asking questions.

Common features

• Interviews• Narration• Voice-overs• Music• Variety of camera techniques – close-ups, fade-

in/out, panoramic shots, hand-held camera.• Excerpts eg news bulletins, photos.• Graphics, maps, illustrations.• Re-enactments.• Emotional responses, dramatic footage.

Team Hoyt documentary

This video was re-edited from the documentary Iron Man. While the documentary told many stories of many wonderful individuals, this video focuses on the story of the Hoyt Family.

•A father and son who competed in the Iron Man in spite of seemingly impossible odds. The father was 59 at the time of the Iron Man competition and the son is paraplegic confined to a wheel chair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt7w8hV90SI