♬彡 Documentary Research (i)

01

Research (i)

    Recently, I was assigned to create a short documentary to learn its conventions and process. The very first step to this project was research, of course. What kind of new material or project would I start without any research? It started off in-class as a few documentary viewings, the most prominent ones being American Promise and Exit Through the Gift Shop. 

    The viewing for American Promise allowed me to pay closer attention to the structure of documentaries, especially because of the length of the film. The way that the B-roll footage and interviews were incorporated, how the timeline was set up over some time, and the transition and usage between the types of interviews to create a smooth documentary to accommodate for the lengthiness of the film. I enjoyed that even with only two main subjects, it still drew the audience in with the kind of information that was presented and how it was presented. The inclusion of organic scenes following the subjects following their everyday routine allows them to feel familiar with the audience.

    There was a certain style of editing that Exit Through the Gift Shop was able to execute that I liked. Perhaps it was just that it was stylized to pair with the punky music to match the theme of street art. The difference in editing and filming styles also flowed extremely well with the changes in the main subject. You can so clearly see the style shift mid-way through.

    Viewing Op-Docs was an assignment given after the viewing of those documentaries that we watched as a class. I chose "Now I'm in the Kitchen" and "Backflip" to view. 

    "Now I'm in the Kitchen" was about the narrator reminiscing about spending time with her mother; her memories, and her regrets. She reflects on what it means to be independent as her mother once mentioned as she makes a dish that her mother made when she still lived with her. I really resonate with the artsy, creative visuals and the very 'interesting' audio that was paired with it. Those two elements really drew me in as the narrator's voice-over was soft and alluring in a way that let me watch the entire video. 

    "Backflip" was about a man who attempted a backflip unsuccessfully, so he proceeded to make a digitalized version of himself to learn to backflip instead. I think that the concept and strange visuals of the digitalization process were really what drew me in for this Op-Doc. I liked that above all other elements of the documentary. But the structure and the provided information were crucial as well, of course.

    Overall, I want to say that I understand the flow and structure of the information that is given out to the audience some more. I think I want to be able to understand and focus on more and other conventions of documentaries, such as where incidental music would change to ensure the tone flows with the story.