A documentary explores actual people and situations in real life through various modes of representation. While there is debate around what constitutes a documentary, they generally aim to preserve, persuade, analyze or express information to audiences. Documentaries establish a "contract" with viewers by attempting to tell the truth in an authentic way, though filmmakers may have opinions. Common modes include expository, observational, interactive, essayistic and experimental styles. During production, documentaries consider ethics, representation of subjects, and relationships between filmmaker and subject. The filmmaking process involves research, treatment, interviews, footage gathering, editing, and finalizing with sound and text.

1. Introduction to
Documentary

2. What is a
documentary?

3. What is a
documentary?
“Get two documentarians together, and the chances are high
that they will argue about what documentary is.
Even though documentary has evolved continuously from its
inception, its purview and methods remain ambiguous, and its
parameters keep enlarging. Uncontested, however, is what
remains central to documentary’s spirit – the notion that
documentaries explore the mysteries of actual people
in actual situations.”
– Michael Rabinger “Directing The Documentary”

4. What does a documentary do?
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Preserve
Persuade
Analyze
Express
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Discuss
Explore
Intervene
Enlighten

5. Documentary’s “Contract”
 Agreement between filmmaker and
Audience
 Do one’s best to tell the ‘truth’
 Authenticity, Truth claim
 “None of this is made up”
 It’s okay to have an opinion

6. Documentary Modes
* Consider how each of these
modes/ examples are in dialogue
with this contract

7. Documentary Modes
EXPOSITORY
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998, Ken Burns)

8. Documentary Modes
EXPOSITORY
Frank Lloyd Wright (1998, Ken Burns)
- “Voice of God” narration
- direct presentation of facts
- can include all kinds of “evidence”

9. Documentary Modes
OBSERVATIONAL
Hoop Dreams (1994)

10. Documentary Modes
OBSERVATIONAL
Hoop Dreams (1994)
-minimal (or no) narration
-long takes, real-time, synch-sound
-present tense
-never (or almost never) see or hear the
filmmakers

11. Documentary Modes
INTERACTIVE
Roger and Me (1989, Michael Moore)

12. Documentary Modes
INTERACTIVE
Roger and Me (1989, Michael Moore)
-filmmaker is present on screen
-filmmaker makes the action happen

13. Documentary Modes
ESSAYISTIC
History and Memory (1998, Rea Tajiri)

14. Documentary Modes
ESSAYISTIC
History and Memory (1998, Rea Tajiri)
-uses “first person” address: “I”
-tells personal stories from a personal
viewpoint
-does not try to be “objective”

15. Documentary Modes
EXPERIMENTAL
Tarnation (2003, Jonathan Caouette)

16. Documentary Modes
EXPERIMENTAL
Tarnation (2003, Jonathan Caouette)
-obeys the documentary contract
-otherwise, anything goes

17. When watching documentaries,
remember…
• Everything in a documentary is intentional
– Who/what/when/where/why/how are all decided by
filmmaker: camera movements, framing, editing,
music, etc
– What are possible biases?
• Relationship between filmmaker and subject
– What’s the claim to truth/ authenticity?
• Relationship between documentary and reality
– Is subject being represented in a way that won’t
harm his/her integrity?

18. Ethics in
Documentary Filmmaking
 Working with the community
 Collaboration
 Interview Release Forms

19. Modes of Representation
How do documentaries present ideas?

Combo of visual and audio components
 Voice- over narration
 Interviews
 Related Media
 Original video (primary footage, b-roll
 Original images (still photos, graphics, charts, maps,
etc)
 Archival film/ video
 Archival images (still photos, graphics, charts, maps)
 Dramatizations
 Text
 SOUND (music, effects, background - room noise)

20. Production Phases: Your Workflow
• Pre-Production
– Research, treatment, write script,
storyboard/shot lists, gather photos, set up
interviews
• Production
– Conduct interviews, record primary/b-roll
footage, record voice-over narration (if
necessary), edit script
• Post-Production
– Edit script, video editing, music, sound effects

21. Pre-Production: Production Schedule
• Get in your groups and decide your topic
• Assign roles to each member according to
the syllabus timeline
• Work to create treatment/script
• Schedule times for production

22. Pre-Production: the Treatment
• Outline what you hope to create as a film
(be specific)
– Introduction of your topic (with a hook!)
– Specific information that explains the
events/issues
– Conclusion
• Layout your production plan (use the
Production Schedule Worksheets!)
– What components are going to provide specific
information. (Who? When? Where?)

23. Production
• Get to it!
– Record interviews
– Shoot b-roll film
– Locate found footage
• Note: some footage will be created during postproduction

24. Production
• Crew Roles
– Director
– Producer
– Cinematographer (DP)
– Sound

25. Post-Production
• Log and organize your footage
• Create a script that revises the treatment, but
considers the footage attained
• Begin sequencing the footage in Final Cut Pro
(Assembly Cut)
• Go back and forth with the previous 2 steps
• Record voice-over narration (if necessary)

30. Stages of your project
• Assembly Cut
– Barebones version. It just establishes the
information in a sequence
• First Cut
– Begin to consider how you want to represent
your information
• Ex: Show interview…use graph…use created
footage with text…voice-over narration over
b-roll footage

31. Stages of your project
• Final Cut
– Smooth out the modes of representation
– Smooth transitions between shots
– Add all music/sound effects and fix audio
levels
– Add text (Check the font, size and spelling)
– Export as a DVD