Making documentaries calls far more than just pointing a camera and running records. This is an artistic medium requiring imagination, compassion, and a thorough awareness of narrative.
Techniques to Consider
1. Observatory
Observing participants in their natural surroundings, the Fly on the Wall approach reduces filmmaker interference.
For instance, Albert and David Maysles’ ” Grey Gardens” (1975) presents a remarkable window into Edith and Edie Beale’s unconventional life.
2. Based on Interview
The Power of Testimony: Often specialists or eyewitnesses, this approach mostly depends on individual interviews.
For instance, Claude Lanzmann’s massive piece “Shoah” (1985) makes use of many-hour interviews with Holocaust survivors and offenders.
3. Investigational
Combining aspects of art, poetry, and personal expression, this approach challenges the limits of conventional documentary.
Terry Zwigoff’s “Crumb” (1994) for instance combines live-action video, animation, and interviews to produce a strange and vivid depiction of cartoonist Robert Crumb.
4. Participatory
Working with subjects this approach entails full engagement of the subjects in the filmmaking process.
For instance, Joshua Oppenheimer’s 2012 film “The Act of Killing” controversially lets Indonesian death leadership teams replay their acts and confront them with the results.
Ultimate thoughts
A varied and changing discipline, documentary cinema presents several ways to examine the human condition. Filmmakers can create gripping narratives that teach, challenge, and inspire viewers by playing with several styles and approaches.