Voice Over
New Vision Media. (2015, July 7). Video essay: using voiceover in film [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwndJYsRDpM
- Docs in Progress. (n.d.). Ten tips on making voiceovers work for documentaries. Retrieved from https://www.docsinprogress.org/voiceovers"We are so much more than our voices. We are our choices." This was just one takeaway from several of the top voiceover artists in the Washington DC region when they came together to speak at a Documentary Roundtable in May 2016 about how documentary filmmakers can work with talent. The joint WIFV/Docs In Progress Roundtable was held in partnership with WIFV's Talent Roundtable.
Direct and Indirect Interviews
The Slanted Lens. (2013, August 15).Shooting a documentary style interview [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-2zrWh82iU
Archival Footage
Anton, T. (2015, Jan 16). Make your videos look like a big production with stock footage [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GcRFn9hkKE
- Grue, A. (2006). The use of archival footage in documentary rhetoric. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1/1392/GrueA0506.pdf?sequence=1As a scientist, it is important to conduct research and experiments as objectively
as possible. As a filmmaker, it is important to realize the subjective nature of
interpretation and re-presentation of information. - Cardillo, L. (2013). No longer just wallpaper: archival footage can inform and shape your film's story. Retrieved from https://www.documentary.org/feature/no-longer-just-wallpaper-archival-footage-can-inform-and-shape-your-films-storyIt is a well-worn cliché that "a picture is worth a thousand words." Often, there is validity to such maxims, especially in documentary filmmaking. Finding the right still or seeking out the archival footage that can change a story or drive it forward is one of the holy grails of production. But just how do filmmakers produce compelling programs with old or grainy images? The different schools of thought are almost as numerous as all the images sources available today.
Montage
- Elements of Cinema. (n.d.). Montage. Retrieved from http://www.elementsofcinema.com/editing/montage.htmlBy definition, a montage is "a single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many pictures or designs." In filmmaking, a montage is an editing technique in which shots are juxtaposed in an often fast-paced fashion that compresses time and conveys a lot of information in a relatively short period.
Reenactment
- Kouguell, S. (2015). Reenactments in documentary films: Is there an authentic truth in documentary? Retrieved from https://www.scriptmag.com/features/reenactments-documentary-films-authentic-truth-documentaryThe use of reenactment in documentary films has filmmakers, film theorists and critics divided. Some believe the use of reenactments brings historical accuracy into question while others feel it enhances history. More recently, exploitative crime television shows and docudramas that utilize reenactments are often over-the-top melodrama, thus further fueling this topic and giving it a poor name.
Exposition
- Elements of Cinema. (n.d.). Exposition. Retrieved from http://www.elementsofcinema.com/screenwriting/exposition.htmlMore often than not, a script’s length is not enough to make the characters fully complex and three-dimensional. This happens because the writer is pressed for time to keep the story moving forward and to follow the central plot without many digressions. Exposition, then, is used to add backstory and reveal something about the characters’ pasts that would otherwise be impossible. Exposition comes in many shapes and sizes. Some expand upon a character’s persona; others elaborate the story and some of its elements. The following section will go over the many types of exposition and when they are often used.