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Documenatry Filmmaking

This document discusses an upcoming exam for a course on documentary filmmaking. It provides details about exam format and content, including that part will involve responding to video clips and questions will be multiple choice, short answer, or short essay. It also provides a review of influential documentary styles like cinema verité and direct cinema as well as filmmakers in those styles. Lastly, it discusses elements that contribute to a successful documentary film project.

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Cherry
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1K views24 pages

Documenatry Filmmaking

This document discusses an upcoming exam for a course on documentary filmmaking. It provides details about exam format and content, including that part will involve responding to video clips and questions will be multiple choice, short answer, or short essay. It also provides a review of influential documentary styles like cinema verité and direct cinema as well as filmmakers in those styles. Lastly, it discusses elements that contribute to a successful documentary film project.

Uploaded by

Cherry
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Our Last Lecture

• Note on Course Requirements


• Old Syllabus
• Fourth paper eliminated
• Three – the third due before May 10
• Average of three = 40% of grade
• Comprehensive Final Exam = 40 %
• Next Week
Exam
• Be on time
• Part of exam will be to respond to
videos
• Much of it multiple choice
• Or short answer or short essay
• Review - http://jmsc.hku.hk/blogs/
Review
• Elements of Style
• Some original film makers
• Ken Burns
• Errol Morris
• Nick Broomfield
• Ross McElwee
• Michael Moore
Review
• Reflexive Film Making
• The film - as much about the filmmaker
as about the film subject
• Les Nouvelles Egotiste
• Compare American “Gonzo” journalism
of 60’s, 70’s, 80’s Hunter S. Thompson
• Moore, Spurlock, McElwee, Broomfield
Review
• Errol Morris

• http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/play-it-again-sam-re-enactments-part-one/index.html?th&e

th
Review

• Cinema Verite’
• Direct Cinema
• Jean Rouch
• The Maysles Brothers
• Frederick Wiseman
Influential CV Filmmakers
• Jean Rouch (1917-2004)
engineer Africa, journalist with AFP
• Chronique d'un été (Chronicle of a
Summer) 1961
Albert Maysles (1926 - )
• Since 1955 has directed/produced more
than 40 documentaries
• The Salesman (1969)
• Grey Gardens – (1976 and updated in
2006 on DVD)
• Gimme Shelter (1970)
Frederick Wiseman (1930 - )
One critic said
• “Frederick Wiseman is arguably the most
important American documentary filmmaker
of the past three decades. A law professor turned
filmmaker in 1967, Wiseman, in his most dramatically
powerful documentaries, chronicles the exercise of
power in American society by focusing on the
everyday life.”
• http://www.zipporah.com/

• An argumentative, self promoting &


uncompromising filmmaker
Frederick Wiseman
• Wiseman films: (more than 40)
• Institutional subjects
• Titicut Follies (1967)
• High School (1968) *
• High School II (1994)
• Near Death (1989)
Disciples of Wiseman
• In Hong Kong and China, Wiseman
has influenced film makers like Tammy
Cheung.
• Secondary School (2002)
• Also Zhou Hao, Senior Year (2005)
Development of Cinema Verite
• From the mid 1950’s onward
• First in film /then video tape
• Cameras became smaller
• Less obtrusive
• More flexibility for the documentary film
maker
• Allowing Direct Cinema to develop
The Debate
“Truth” in documentary films
• Can you capture truth
on camera?
• Does the camera affect the subject of a
film
• How much structure should a film have
• How much intervention by the
filmmaker
Review
• Variations in Direct Cinema Style
• Pure DC – observational, no narration, no
interviews, few titles, as little
intrusion as possible
• CV – setting up some situations,
directing, some interviews, no narration
• Permissible to impose, intervene in the
pursuit of truth – issue 1st raised by Flaherty
• Most work a combination of all CV forms
• Final directors decisions in editing room
China Filmmakers
• CCTV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbDPWwILEWw&feature=related

• Independents
• Motivations
• Wu Wenguang
• Hu Jie
• Zhao Dayong
China Filmmakers
• A mixture of CV – with little intervention
• Un-narrated films with interviews and a
good deal of intervention
• Some disciplined
• some western critics might find overly
long and undisciplined
• Rebellious
• Focus on history and underclass
Your Film
• Making a documentary film
• Elements for success
• A story to tell
• Financing
• A strong visual conceptualization
• Strong characters
• Strong dramatic arc
• Distribution and promotion
Dramatic Arc
Your Film
• Making a documentary film….
• Difficult
• A few examples of broadcast documentaries
with simple ideas and execution
• Daughter From DaNang (2001)
Principle ingredient a single character
with a good story to tell

• Good Morning Baghdad (2003)


A dangerous place and a clear POV
Your Film
• The Vehicles for distribution
• Film Festivals http://www.documentaryfilms.net/festivals.htm
• TV
• Channel 4
http://www.channel4.com/news/about_us/filmmaking.html

• Discovery Channel First Time


• China Film Makers Project 2003-05
http://corporate.discovery.com/news/press/05q3/050708r.html
Your Film
• How to books and courses
• Directing the Documentary
by Michael Rabiger (2004) 4th ed.
Further Readings
• A lot out there
• On line surfing
• http://www.docurama.com/

• http://eidolonfilms.wordpress.com/

Interesting debate about a new film called


“Billy the Kid”
http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/movies/05kid.html

http://billythekiddocumentary.blogspot.com/2007/08/documentary-film-
truth-marketability.html
And finally …
• Thanks for your attention
• Questions?
• Exam next week
• Be on time
• Peter Wintonick: CV: Defining the
Moment (NFB)
Documentary Dollars
• Fahrenheit 9/11 $120 million
• Sicko $ 24.5 million
• Roger & Me $ 6.7 million
• Other big films
• March of the Penguins $ 77 m (#2)
• An Inconvenient Truth $24.1m
• Super Size Me $ 11.5 m [65g to make?]
Source: boxofficemojo.com

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