2. STELLA BRUZZI
In 2000, Stella Bruzzi came out and criticized filmmakers who make
documentaries. She criticized the 6 categories of documentaries and
argued that you cannot break documentaries into 6 categories because
if you just looked at these modes, the realism that documentaries are
supposed to portray disappear.
She also criticized Nichols for suggesting that documentaries have
aimed for a ‘perfect representation of the real’ and would fail in this
impossible aim.
3. BILL NICHOLS
Created the 6 modes of documentaries. He argued that
these modes make an authentic and real documentary.
Stella Bruzzi criticized these modes saying you cannot break
documentaries into 6 categories because if you just looked
at these modes, the realism documentaries are meant to
portray disappears. However, Nichols was adamant that his
6 modes of documentaries make a documentary as
authentic as it can get.
4. DISNEYFICATION – STEVE BARNETT
Steve Barnett created the theory of ’Disneyfication’.
He argued that documentaries have been “dumbed down” as the years
have gone on. He argued that not much thought is put into the process
of making documentaries.
He was also very certain about the fact documentaries are very cheap
too make.
He argued filmmakers who create documentaries only want to see
ratings and revenue off the documentary, and that they do not make
them to show realism like they are supposed too.
5. AMY WINEHOUSE DOCUMENTARY
Amy Winehouse’s father lashed out on the filmmakers of the
documentary of his daughter, Amy Winehouse. He claimed that the
filmmaker painted a “negative, spiteful and misleading” portrayal of his
daughter, and hinted once again that he was working on a rival
documentary.
He also accused the filmmaker of only creating the documentary in self-
interest and that he did not even care about his daughter’s death.
6. ETHICAL ISSUES INVOLVING MAKING
DOCUMENTARIES
One episode of the hugely popular ‘Benefits Street’ showed people
shop lifting. This is an ethical issue because the filmmaker is witnessing
and filming someone commit a crime, which is questioned. Some
people will question if the filmmakers are allowed to film people
committing illegal activity, because if you see any illegal activity you
should be calling the police.
Also, the subjects know they are being filmed, which could cause them
to act different as they know they are being filmed.
Some filmmakers have been criticized of paying off subjects who are
featured in their documentaries.
