This Week• Elements of Style

• Some original film makers

• Ken Burns

• Errol Morris

• Nick Broomfield

• Ross McElwee

• February 29 – Cinema Verite’

But first…

• Because of a question last week

• A short further consideration of Michael Moore

• Moore’s influence

• Influential – not for his style or the accuracy or penetrating nature of his films

Michael Moore influence• Moore’s style as well as Spurlock’s

owes much - as we shall see - to film makers like the British film maker Nick Broomfield who started making films in 1971.

• And other experimental personal film makers - ex Ross McElwee

from 1978

McElwee• Harvard Professor• Uniquely personal style• Sherman’s March (1986) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnohMWYXeZ4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zLXr2tShGE

• Bright Leaves (1986)

http://www.bestfilmfests.com/FF-03_bright_leaves.htm

Personal film making• Bloomfield, McElwee, Moore, Spurlock• In common – reflexive film making• The film is as much about the film

maker as it is about the film subject• Les Nouvelles Egotiste• Compare “Gonzo” journalism of Hunter S. Thompson

The Moore Effect• Personal / political film making• But more than reflexive style• Moore impact on documentary involves• $$$ influence

• Moore’s films make money• Led documentary makers to believe

they could too

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

Errol Morris The Thin Blue Line

(1987)

The Fog of War

(2004)

Music, reconstructions, expensive production, iconic images

Errol Morris• Note: Hollywood techniques • use of music – Philip Glass• Re-creation• Interview style• Film Noir in “Thin Blue Line”• See http://www.errolmorris.com/

Watch excerpts …

Ken Burns

Multi part series documentaries Bringing pre-film history alive

Burns: Bringing history alive

• Multi-part narrated docs for TV – PBS

• See www.pbs.org/kenburns/

• The Civil War (1990)

• Brooklyn Bridge (1981)

• Baseball (1994)

• Jazz (2001)

• The War (2007)

The Civil War• American Civil War (1861-1865)• 1990 film in nine parts• Only moving film available was some 1935

silent film of the last Civil War soldiers re-union at Gettysburg in 1935

• No O/C interviews as the• Last veteran dies in 1956• Stills• Mathew Brady• The “KEN BURNS EFFECT” [watch excerpt]

Recommended Book:• Liz Stubbs – Documentary Filmmakers

Speak (2002)

• Ken Burns – Emotional Archaeologist

• Ross McElwee

• Nick Broomfield

• Albert Maysles, Joe Berlinger, and Barbara Kopple

Nick Broomfield Aileen Wuornos: Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)• Another personal approach to

documentary making

Other documentaries treating “true crime”

• Thin Blue Line & Selling of a Serial Killer – documentary genre

• Andrew Jarecki, Capturing the Friedmans• Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, Brother’s

Keeper• Jean Xavier de Lestrade

Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)

The Staircase (2005)