"A documentary is an arrangement (or if it includes historic footage, a rearrangement)
of non-fiction film structured to support the pre existing ideas of the film
maker. Only the terminally stupid or the childishly innocent imagine that
anyone making a documentary film aspires to objective truth"
Richard Schickel, film critic Time magazine.
Documentary
-
AN
Re: Documentary
"Ned C" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:
way. But if a doc film maker approaches a hospital/library/cemetary/glass
works etc etc and is given permission to film, then he/she will get the info
for the commentary from the folk working there. So the film should be pretty
objective in this case....maybe Michael can tell us more as he has recently
completed an excellent doc "Glass Art" where he went into a glass works and
filmed.....I saw/heard nothing in this film that struck me as bias.
But then as Schickel would say, I'm terminally stupid. He doesn't appear
too bright to me either!
Albert....at the terminus!
I would agree if the doc was a political subject or controversial in some"A documentary is an arrangement (or if it includes historic footage, a
rearrangement)
of non-fiction film structured to support the pre existing ideas of the
film
maker. Only the terminally stupid or the childishly innocent imagine that
anyone making a documentary film aspires to objective truth"
Richard Schickel, film critic Time magazine.
way. But if a doc film maker approaches a hospital/library/cemetary/glass
works etc etc and is given permission to film, then he/she will get the info
for the commentary from the folk working there. So the film should be pretty
objective in this case....maybe Michael can tell us more as he has recently
completed an excellent doc "Glass Art" where he went into a glass works and
filmed.....I saw/heard nothing in this film that struck me as bias.
But then as Schickel would say, I'm terminally stupid. He doesn't appear
too bright to me either!
Albert....at the terminus!
-
Michael Slowe
Re: Documentary
"AN" <AnimatioN@btopenworld.com> wrote:
truth". I certainly don't I am afraid to say, that is why we are distrusted
by certain establishment organisations who are nervous of our motives. I
present what I hope will be an artistic and entertaining film and will distort,
adapt, cheat and generally lie if it suits my purpose.
However, cheer up Albert you are certainly not "terminally stupid or childishly
innocent".
Now can I get back to my editing?
Actually I agree with Ned that documentary makers rarely "aspire to objective"Ned C" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:
"A documentary is an arrangement (or if it includes historic footage, a
rearrangement)
of non-fiction film structured to support the pre existing ideas of the
film
maker. Only the terminally stupid or the childishly innocent imagine that
anyone making a documentary film aspires to objective truth"
Richard Schickel, film critic Time magazine.
I would agree if the doc was a political subject or controversial in some
way. But if a doc film maker approaches a hospital/library/cemetary/glass
works etc etc and is given permission to film, then he/she will get the
info
for the commentary from the folk working there. So the film should be pretty
objective in this case....maybe Michael can tell us more as he has recently
completed an excellent doc "Glass Art" where he went into a glass works
and
filmed.....I saw/heard nothing in this film that struck me as bias.
But then as Schickel would say, I'm terminally stupid. He doesn't appear
too bright to me either!
Albert....at the terminus!
truth". I certainly don't I am afraid to say, that is why we are distrusted
by certain establishment organisations who are nervous of our motives. I
present what I hope will be an artistic and entertaining film and will distort,
adapt, cheat and generally lie if it suits my purpose.
However, cheer up Albert you are certainly not "terminally stupid or childishly
innocent".
Now can I get back to my editing?
-
Dave Watterson
Re: Documentary
Oddly enough there was controversy last year at UNICA caused by a couple of
hopsital documentaries. One was making the case for euthanasia.
Certainly John Grierson, Edgar Anstey, Basil Wright and co were not interested
in bland, neutral reporting - they wanted to show truths that might lead
to social or political changes.
A guy who used to teach film at Brown University in the USA speaking at an
Edinburgh Film Festival many years ago said the main problem in assigning
students a documentary topic was that they invariably got more interested
in the person doing whatever it was - or researching whatever it was - than
in the topic. Certainly lots of documentaries - pro and amateur - are about
interesting people.
BTW I'd have voted Tim Jones's film "The Man from Welling" in the IAC festival
as Best Documentary not Best Comedy ... all about a wonderful eccentric man
and his long-suffering spouse.
Dave W
hopsital documentaries. One was making the case for euthanasia.
Certainly John Grierson, Edgar Anstey, Basil Wright and co were not interested
in bland, neutral reporting - they wanted to show truths that might lead
to social or political changes.
A guy who used to teach film at Brown University in the USA speaking at an
Edinburgh Film Festival many years ago said the main problem in assigning
students a documentary topic was that they invariably got more interested
in the person doing whatever it was - or researching whatever it was - than
in the topic. Certainly lots of documentaries - pro and amateur - are about
interesting people.
BTW I'd have voted Tim Jones's film "The Man from Welling" in the IAC festival
as Best Documentary not Best Comedy ... all about a wonderful eccentric man
and his long-suffering spouse.
Dave W