Supersize Me
The film follows a healthy man as eats McDonalds meals 3 times a day, every day for months. The first 3 minutes of the film uses many visual techniques including:
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week A 2016 documentary film directed by Ron Howard about The Beatles' career during their touring years from 1962 to 1966. I found the film captivating because of its intelligent way of presenting footage and content. For instance every time it showed a picture, not only word there be slight movement to the frame (slowly pannign away etc) but there would be some kind of moving manipulation of what is being shown moving like the smoke from a cigarette. Also its presentation of archive footage which despite some being over 50 years old was in high definition. The film shows a side of The Beatles that nobody usually sees. It shows them as just kids who were out of their depth, which shows a different side to the idolised brand.
0 Comments
Wolfpack This film shows the life of a family of young boys whose dad keeps them isolated from the rest of the work in a New York apartment and everything they know about the world comes from movies. The film shows home footage of them and throughout the film they become more aware of the outside world and get closer and closer to leaving. It relies mostly on home videos with a few interviews. Best in Show
This is a satire mockumentary that is although fiction and scripted, It is presented in a documentary style. This is evident from the interviews given and how it is shot in a handheld style. with movements and close ups that resemble a documentary. This contributes to the realism of the film and gives more comedic effect. Codes and Conventions met in Best in Show:
Codes and Conventions Not met in Best in Show
The Guardian: Best in Show is gentle satire, more at the expense of the absurdity of human life than this particular doggie subculture, which it views with affection Amy - 2015 Amy is a documentary about the deceased singer Amy Winehouse, directed by Asif Kapadia. The film does not use a voice of god voiceover, but rather interviews with people who knew Amy,, Kapadia conducted more than 100 interviews with Winehouse's friends and family, these were used on top of clips. Many of these clips are archive footage, ranging from before she was famous and during, this gives us an intimate look into the singer's life and makes us feel as if we know her more personally. There is a feeling of finger pointing in this documentary as to the cause of her death, making the documentary subjective. This is done by showing the consequences of her substance abuse next to showing that the people around her pushed her too hard mainly with work when she needed rest. The Winehouse family, who had initially given their blessing to the project, distanced themselves from the film, claiming that it “is both misleading and contains some basic untruths”. The message Kapadia broadcasts is clear; with better structure, advice and support in her life, Amy may still be alive.
Key conventions met in Amy
Biased - Subjective and no voice of god I think Amy has done what It set out to do, that being a emotional documentary that's shows her more as a person rather than a celebrity personality. The Guardian: "But Kapadia’s film is only as imperfect as any documentary: the film-maker always needs to decide who they believe more." Cobain: Montage of Heck - 2015
Directed by Brett Morgan, this is another musical documentary that follows the life of 90s rock icon Kurt Cobain. Something I found interesting was the decision the end the film, without going into detail on the death of Cobain, instead just showing his life. This film also uses many interview of close friends and family. Something I noticed was many of the interviews were conducted with a white background, except for the interview with Kurt's dad with dark lighting, it should be noted that he is negatively portrayed in the film. It also offered a sequence of animation depicting his adolescence. Key conventions met in Montage of Heck
Is any documentary truly objective in its view? Objectivity - By fact rather than opinion; to remain neutral. Subjectivity - Lead by personal opinion or taste. Pure documentaries, that objectively present subject matter, are considered educational and are therefore often exempt from classification by the BBFC. These documentaries are awarded "E" - Education rating.
However, some documentaries are afforded the standard BBFC rating, showing that there is a significant proportion of the film that might be considered objective. Asif Kapadia made two documentaries Senna and Amy. Senna is made objectively without opinion os it has an E. Amy has the feeling of an opinion towards Amy Winehouse's father, therefore it is given a 15. Documentaries and mockumentary films both manipulate footage (real and created) to express a certain idea or point of view. While documentaries have the air of legitimacy and the pleading sense of reality to aid in their effectiveness, mockumentaries generally receive a wider audience due to their entertainment value.
Film Form: Documentary form + Documentary content = Documentary Documentary Form +Fictional Content = Mockumentary Fictional Form + Documentary Content = Docudrama Fictional Form + Fictional Content = Fiction Documentary films are films that use real footage to express a certain idea or point of view. They come in many different forms and types. Very often referred to as the "creative treatment of actuality" (kerrigan McIntyre) documentary content is subjected to the director of the film. The PBS Media Literacy Program defines "documentary" film as a film that "refers to film or video that explores a subject in a way the public expects to be factual and accurate. Documentaries may be balanced by including various viewpoints, or they may be subjective, offering the viewpoint and impressions of one producer" (PBS Media Literacy Program,2007). |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2017
Categories |