From my cursory knowledge, a documentary is a nonfiction film often with a specific message. A documentary may have music, a narrator, or captions, but most often uses special effects sparingly if at all. In a documentary the camera is held level, with little cinematic flair, in order to “document” life and reality, or at least to lend that feel to the work.
The academy defines an award eligible documentary as “a theatrically released non-fiction motion picture dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic or other subjects. It may be photographed in actual occurrence, or may employ partial re-enactment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion or other techniques, as long as the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction.” If we eliminate the theatrically released element this definition fits nicely with our class projects, most of the programs we have viewed for class, and other documentaries we have discussed. However the definition of documentary makes it all the more clear why 30 days was termed a “quasi-documentary” show. As with most reality television, the show seems to edit and manipulate the actual events often to alter the reality drastically. Because reality television is focused on ratings it fictionalizes the subject matter more that a documentary should.
The projects for this class should be held to a similar definition. We are aiming to create a true and accurate documentary. Our projects will highlight a true, rather than fictional, story. While there is a wide variety of elements that can be used in our documentaries, there is also a kind of balance that needs to be present. This balance consists of using technology (editing etcetera) without altering the truth. In the end, it is necessary to look at how the work is a complete project as well as how honest it is. Is the documentary well put together? Is it coherent? Is there a clear stance or message presented? Is this documentary true and fair to the participant? I believe these are the things that should be looked for in our projects.
1 comment:
Oscar Night is less than a week away. Know what's nominated in the documentary categories?
I think you have chosen a solid approach to defining the documentary. Make sure these elements come out as you work with your group to hammer out a meaningful, group definition of documentary. You'll want to identify the common elements and craft a team definition. This will guide your efforts for your project.
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