Modes of Documentary Films
Camera Work
History of Documentary Filmmaking
Rhetorical Analysis
Misc
100
- filmmaker explains a topic - typically addresses audience directly through narration or - - titles - Voice of God - has a clear point of view example: Housing Problems by John Greierson
What is expository mode?
100
shows subject from above makes subject look less powerful
What is high angle?
100
1900s - very short films by the Luminere brothers
What are actualities?
100
rules of speech making and writing
What is rhetoric?
100
a rhetorical appeal to the emotions
What is pathos?
200
-"fly on the wall" -tries to capture objective reality -filmmaker hidden and ignored - doesn't interact with the -subjects - diagetic sound - no interviews - minimal editing - impressionistic/artistic Example - Samsara
What is observational mode?
200
shows entire body and some background
What is a long shot?
200
1920s - filmed by Robert Flaherty
What is Nanook of the North?
200
appeals to reason and rationality
What is logos?
200
shot taken from a long distance to show the location
What is an establishing shot?
300
moves away from objective truth - more abstract tries to find "inner" truth doesn't use continuity editing - reassembles fragments of the world images and sound organized by association and patterns - tries to get emotional response rarely uses people as subjects impressionistic/artistic
What is poetic mode?
300
shot from below the subject makes the subject appear more powerful
What is low angle?
300
1950s-70s North America tried to capture life as it occurred without any influence from the filmmaker
What is direct cinema?
300
appeal to emotion
What is pathos?
300
technique of showing camera movement over still images
What is the Ken Burns effect?
400
-filmmaker directly engages with subjects -filmmaker becomes part of the events - relies on the honesty of his subjects example: Catfish
What is participatory mode?
400
focus on the face of the subject shows very little background
What is a close up?
400
featured hand held cameras direct confrontation with subject in order to provoke the truth started in France
What is cinema verite?
400
appeal to credibility of the speaker and the sources
What is ethos?
400
-filmmaker shows awareness of making a film -film is "a truth" not "the truth" -shows audience the elements of making a film aware of audience example: Waltz with Bashir
What is reflexive mode?
500
filmmaker as participant strongly personal often experimental reality as subjective emphasis on emotional and social impact on audience often contains hypothetical reenactments
What is performative mode?
500
movement which scans a scene horizontally
What is panning?
500
1980s, filmmakers use themselves as subject
What are first person documentaries?
500
Greek philosopher who came up with system
Who is Aristotle?
500
the message of this media message was "don't be afraid of failure/take a chance"
What is "The Greatest Ted Talk Ever Sold" by Morgan Spurlock?
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