THE DOCUMENTARY English 40S Transactional Class #1.
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Transcript of THE DOCUMENTARY English 40S Transactional Class #1.
The Documentary
I don't know what truth is. Truth is something unattainable. We can't think we're creating truth with a camera. But what we can do, is reveal something to viewers that allows them to discover their own truth.
—Michel Brault
Class #1 – Objectives
What is a documentary? What are the elements (different parts)
of documentaries? What are the different types of
documentaries?
Discussion
What is a documentary? (provide a definition)
What are some documentaries you have seen? (not just the ones you have heard of)
What are the qualities or parts of a documentary? In other words, what makes a documentary a documentary?
What are the different types of documentaries?
What is the purpose of a documentary? Why do people make them?
What is Documentary?
Usually come with a label i.e. They say that they are a documentary
Expectation that the people/events/places were or are real
Factual information about the world
“Film Art: An Introduction” – pp. 350-351
Types of Documentaries
Expository Poetic Observational Participatory Reflexive Performative
Compilation Direct Cinema
(Cinema-Verite) Categorical Rhetorical
Class #2 Objectives
Where did the documentary come from? How has the documentary evolved over
the years?
Documentary Film History
Recall: The documentary is based on the idea of
‘documenting’ reality in one way or another This genre is constantly changing
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Chronological History
Pre-1900 The term documentary was used to refer to
any works of non-fiction film Travelogues Instructional films
The earliest ‘moving pictures’ were considered documentaries Single-shot moments captured on film Called ‘actuality’ films
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Photography & Cinema
The invention of photography in 1826 launched a series of discoveries that made cinema possible.
Early photographs – lengthy exposures 1870s – faster exposures, but only on glass
plates 1878 – Eadweard Muybridge (American
photographer) Made a series of photographs of a running horse by
using a series of cameras
“Film Art, An Introduction” p. 463
Eadweard Muybridge
'Muybridge and Athlete' Taken as part of a motion sequence at Pennsylvania University. © Kingston Museum and Heritage Service, 2010
http://www.eadweardmuybridge.co.uk/muybridge_image_and_context/introducing_muybridge/
Eadweard Muybridge
'Horse. (Occident) trot with sulky' An early image with painted areas to improve clarity.© Kingston Museum and Heritage Service, 2010
http://www.eadweardmuybridge.co.uk/muybridge_image_and_context/animal_in_motion/
Meet the Art – Eadweard Muybridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKZif9ooxs
Photography & Cinema
1882 Etienne-Jules Marey
Not a photographer, but a physiologist (interested in the movement of the human body)
invented a camera that recorded 12 separate images on the edge of a revolving disc of film on glass
1888 – built first camera to use flexible strip of film on paper
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Edison vs. Lumière
1893 – “Edison Manufacturing Company in America” developed a camera that made short 35mm
films Kinetoscope – could show films to individual
viewers Thought that films were not going to last, so
they did not develop a way to show these films to more than one viewer
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Kinetoscope Films
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmZ4VPmhAkw
Edison vs. Lumière
Invented their own camera independently Exposed a short roll of 35mm film and also
served as a projector December 28, 1895 – presented their film
on a screen at the Grand Café in Paris Edison followed their lead and abandoned
the Kinetoscope
“Film Art, An Introduction”
Lumière Brothers
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlb3XKjn
ZkE L’Arroseur arrose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlbiNuT7EDI
Méliès, Magic, and Fictional Narrative
Georges Méliès Stage magician by trade 1896 – built his own camera based on a projector
that he had bought First films were of everyday life Built elaborate settings to create fantasy worlds 1902 – Trip to the moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYRemE9Oeso&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1
2011 – Hugo (trailer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-kP-olcpM
“Film Art, An Introduction”
1900-1920
Travelogue films ‘scenics’
In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914) Embraced primitivism and exoticism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ithkKCpB
YlA South (1919)
Documentary about the failed Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton in 1914
“Film Art, An Introduction”
1920s
Romanticism Documentary film embraced romanticism Robert J. Flaherty’s Nanook of the North
(1922) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaDVovGjNO
c&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1 Heavily staged
Harpoons instead of guns Building a roofless igloo
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1920s
The city symphony Tend to feature people as products of their
environment Berlin, Symphony of a City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYKu5zegpfc&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1
Rien que les Heures Man with the Movie Camera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ZciIC4JPw
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1920s
Newsreel tradition Sometimes staged Usually re-enactments of events that had
already happened Battle footage – cameramen would arrive after
a major battle and re-enact scenes to film them
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1920s
“Cinema truth” Dziga Vertov
Believed the camera could render reality more accurately than the human eye
Varied lenses Shot editing Time-lapse Slow motion Stop motion Fast motion
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1930s-1940s: wartime propaganda
Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHs2coAzLJ8
Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight” (US) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3GsSWKys
o&feature=fvst Grierson, Film Board of Canada
http://www.nfb.ca/film/grierson (documentary on Grierson – 57 minutes)
Humphrey Jennings “ Fires were Started” and “A Diary for Timothy” (Britain) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UuaJPGee20
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1950s – 1970s
“Cinema Truth” French “Cinema Verite” Contains little of the Vertovian special
techniques Shooting on location Smaller crews Using smaller cameras – better able to follow
‘action’ as it happens Les Raquetteurs, Showman, Salesman, The Children
Were Watching, Primary, Behind a Presidential Crisis, Grey Gardens
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1950s – 1970s
“Direct Cinema” North American
Important Directors who use this technique include: French Canadian Michel Brault, Pierre Perrault, Americans Richard Leacock, Frederick Wiseman, and Albert and David Maysles
Take different viewpoints on their degree of involvement Non-involvement Direct involvment Provocation
Following a person during a crisis with a moving camera to capture more personal reactions
No sit-down interviews Usually an 80:1 shooting ratio
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
1950s – 1970s
Political weapons Used as a political weapon against
neocolonialism and capatialism (Latin America, Quebec) La Hora de los hornos (The Hour of the Furnaces,
1968)
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Modern Documentaries
Becoming more successful in theatres Bowling for Columbine Super Size Me Fahrenheit 9/11 ($228 million, 3 million
DVDs) March of the Penguins An Inconvenient Truth
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Modern Documentaries
Style has changed Stylized re-enactments (The Thin Blue Line) More interpretive control in the hands of
the director (Roger and Me) Commercial success (can they really be
called documentaries … ‘docu-ganda’) Funding still remains difficult
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Other Documentary Forms
Compilation films “The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty” (1927)
by Esfir Schub “Point of Order” (1964) by Emile de Antonio “The Atomic Café” “The Last Cigarette”
http://documentaryarchive.com/documentary_history.html
Objectives
Range of tonalities Speed of motion Perspective Framing Creative decisions in camera/filming
techniques
The Range of Tonalities
Contrast The difference
between the darkest and lightest areas of the frame
Eyes are highly sensitive to differences of colour, shape, texture, and other aspects of a picture
http://www.danheller.com/images/Europe/Ireland/Leinster/Dublin/Bw/img1.html
Contrast
Many factors are used to control contrast: Lighting Filters Choice of film Laboratory processing Post-production work
Exposure
Exposure regulates how much light passes through the camera lens.
Sometimes you may want an unbalanced exposure Underexposure – shadowy Overexposure – bright Exposure can be affected by filters
Be careful if you use i-Movie
Changing Tonality after Filming Tonalities can be manipulated after
filming Tinting
Works on film that has been already developed Dark areas remain black and gray, while the
lighter areas pick up the colour of the tint Toning
Works on film during developing Darker areas are coloured, while lighter
portions remain white or only faintly coloured
Speed of Motion
The speed of the motion presented onscreen depends on the relation between the rate at which the film was shot and the rate of projection. Calculated in frames per second 1920s – 24 frames per second (fps)
Jerky movements Today – anywhere between 8 and 64 fps
Speed of Motion
Fast-motion Koyaanisquatsi by Godfrey Reggio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY4L5npPdao Supernatural Hectic pace Grab attention Accelerate the pace
Slow-motion Often functions to suggest that the action takes place
in a dream or fantasy To show enormous power For emphasis
Speed of Motion
Time-lapse Sun set Flower sprouting Hundreds or thousands of frames per
second http://vimeo.com/22439234
Perspective
The short-focal-length (wide-angle) lens Less than 35mm gauge Takes in a relatively wide field of view Distorts the edges of the frame, budging them
outward The middle-focal-length (medium) lens
50 mm Horizontal and vertical lines are rendered as straight
and perpendicular The long-focal-length (telephoto) lens
Take in a narrower angle of vision 100mm (+) often for sporting events
Depth of Field
Every lens has a specific depth of field – a range of distances within which objects can be photographed in sharp focus, given a certain exposure setting
If you are outside of the depth of field – the image will be out of focus!
Important to know the controls on the device in which you are using.
Framing
One of the most powerful cinematographic techniques
Think back to the Lumiere film The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (1897) Oblique angle resulting in a dynamic composition
Shows that camera position shapes the way we perceive the filmed event
The act of framing has many implications The size and shape of the frame matter Framing creates a vantage point Framing can move in relation to what it films
Aspect Ratio
The ratio of the frame width to frame height is called the aspect ratio. An image that is twice as wide as it is high
is said to be in a 2:1 ratio. Academy ratio = 1.37:1 (common until
1950s) Aspect ratio = 1.85:1 (North American
ratio) Aspect ratio = 1.66:1 (European ratio) Aspect ratio = 2.2:1 (70mm widescreen)
Camera Angle
The frame positions us at some angle on the subject Straight-on angle High angle Low angle
Camera Level
Level – more or less parallel to the horizon
Canted – if the framing is tipped to one side or the other Also called a “Dutch angle” Can create a disruptive feeling
Camera Height
Height is related to camera angle. but if the angle is kept straight, you
crouching to take a shot will have a different composition than standing to take it.
Camera Distance
Extreme long shot Human figure is lost or tiny
Long shot Figures are more prominent, but the
background still dominates Medium Long Shot
Knees up Medium Shot
Waist up
Camera Distance
Medium close-up Chest up
Close-up Just the head, hands, feet, or a small object Emphasizes the facial expression, the
details of a gesture, or a significant object Extreme close-up
Singles out a portion of the face or isolates and magnifies an object
Mobile Framing
Allows the filmmaker to change the camera angle, level, height, or distance during the shot.
Aka camera movement Panning – moving from left to right or vice versa.
The camera itself does not move. Tilt – rotating up or down Tracking or Dolly shot Crane shot
Camera moves above ground level (elevator, plane) Zoom
Mobile Framing
Why? Can increase information about an image New information is revealed Greater value As a substitute for our movement Powerful cues
Objectives
Ethos, pathos and logos What are they? Constructing an effective argument using
these three methods of persuasion Identify these methods in film clips How can they be used in documentaries? Explain how they can work together to form
a strong argument
Methods of Persuasion
Ethos, Pathos, Logos Ancient Greek study of “Logic”
Used all the time & everywhere! Television Print media
Many advertisements use all three methods
Also used in documentaries
Logos
Logic Facts Reason Rationality Almost an academic approach People need factual reasons why they
should belive your argument Cite: Charts, data, graphs, etc.
Ethos
Credibility & Trust Quotes The power of authority on your side Not necessarily rationality Cite: Famous people, Dr’s, judges, etc Have some power because of their ‘status’
in society
Pathos
Pity/Emotion/Imagination If your argument can not appeal to logos
or ethos, you can still use pathos as a means of winning your argument Appeal to senses Appeal to memory Appeal to a common experience
More of a poetic way to get people on your side
Cite the underdog, those who have it bad
Let’s try out these methods
Working in small groups, design the arguments that would be used in a tv commercial to sell knives. How would you appeal to logos? How would you appeal to pathos? How would you appeal to ethos?
Identifying Ethos, Pathos & Logos in Print Media
Using the computer, locate 2 news articles and print them. Identify characteristics of ethos, pathos, and logos in each one using the handout provided. You may jot down words, phrases, or whole sentences. Then answer the questions that follow in your handout.
Objectives
introduce and discuss methods of ethos, pathos, and logos in creating an effective argument
identify methods of ethos, pathos, and logos in film clips
explain how these three main styles of persuasion are used in documentary films
explain how these three forms of persuasion can work together to create a strong point of view
determine a director's intent and purpose for filming
observe how persuasion is used in documentaries
Objectives
be familiar with researching techniques using the Winnipeg Public Library search engine
understand what type of information is 'credible'
be able to collect a variety of sources of information (not just websites)
Be able to follow APA formatting guidelines
Cover Page
First page No page number Title (creative) – centre of page – size
20 font Your name – underneath title My Name (Barbara Reimer),
Transactional English 40S, Date – all in lower right hand corner (single spaced)
Body
1” margins Title – upper left corner Page # - upper right corner (cover page does
not count as page 1) double line spacing Headings for each section – be creative!!
Can be in bold – left hand side In-text citations (quotations, paraphrases) –
just put page # in brackets (24).
In-Text Citations
Must include the author and date of the sources, either within the sentence or in parentheses. According to a 2002 essay by Patrick
Marshall … According to a recent essay by Patrick
Marshall (2002) … According to a recent essay (Marshall,
2002) …
In-Text Citations
Place the author’s last name and the date of the work in parentheses. If you site a specific part, give the page number. Gene therapy holds great promise for the
future (Gormann, 2003, p. 48).
References
Title – References – at the top of the page – centre, bold
APA formatting: Author’s last name, Initials. (year). Book
Title. Location: Publisher.
Integrating Quotations
Never have a quotation standing alone as a complete sentence, or worse, as in incomplete sentence!
If a quotation is not connected by one of your own sentences, it will seem disconnected from your thoughts and from the flow of your sentences.
Short Quotations
There are three ways to integrate short quotations: Introduce the quotation with a complete
sentence and a colon. Use an introductory or explanatory phrase, but
not a complete sentence, separated from the quotation with a comma.
Use short quotations (only a few words) as part of your sentence.
Complete sentence/colon
In “The Most Dangerous Game,” Rainsford realizes that no one aboard the yacht realizes his situation, and that they will not rescue him: “The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night.”
Punctuating Quotations
Periods and commas should be placed INSIDE the quotation marks.
Colons and semicolons should stay OUTSIDE the quotation marks.
Cite information using APA formatting (which we will discuss tomorrow).
Do not change the grammar in the quotation.
Punctuating Quotations
Do not quote more than you need. Use [ ] to indicate changes to a quote
(for example, adding in a word or changing the form of a word).
Use ellipses (…) to indicate missing parts of a quotation
Winnipeg Public Library
http://support.epnet.com/training/flash_videos/intro_to_ehost/intro_to_ehost.html
Objectives
be familiar with the purpose of a storyboard
have experience using a storyboard for a short film or documentary
be familiar with the purpose of a treatment
create a treatment for a short film or documentary
Video Proposal Form
Type of video Topic Length Title (tentative) Content Summary
(brief) Rationale:
Purpose Audience
Locations Actors Script Audio Graphics Other
Treatment & Plot Explanation Begin your treatment with a short
description of the project (this can be done in a few sentences). Then include a more in depth plot description (a few paragraphs).
Include a description of all of the necessary materials you will need for each of the different scenes.
include a listing of all of the necessary items for each of the characters (clothing, makeup, props, hair, etc).
What is a storyboard?
A storyboard is a sketch of how to organize a story and of the shots you want to take for your film