Documentary: Lecture 24/03/17

Documentary: Lecture 24/03/17

In today's lecture we recapped a few key notes on documentary making and then watched a full documentry about the serial killer Aileen Wuonros.

It is important to remember that documentarys don't just happen, they are constructed. 

Sequences in documentarys demonstrate reality (based on careful research). It is best to get as many natural shots as possible, but in reality certain things will have to be constructed.

Make sure that you follow the creative rules of documentry making e.g. animate things are where you are allowed to use handheld shots. But for static things like interviews, you must use a tripod. 

Be brave and ask your "talent" to do whatever you feel is creatively neccesary for the film. The worst they can say is no (provided you ask them politely and respectfully).

be sure to get as much coveradge as possible. If you have the time shoot a wide, medium, and clos up version of every shot. Close up's can easilly cut in to one another but when transitioning between wide shts this becomes a jump cut. Try to get 3 close ups for every 1 wide shot. Pick your moments/shots carefully, if possible repeat certain actions. Think about how you will edit while shooting make sure youkeep continuity, and think about how your shots will transition in to one another. 

Actuallity Shooting Stratagies:

Let the subject enter and leave the frame,

Get a buzz and a wild track, 

film plenty of reaction shots,

film cut aways establishing, and non sync wide shots,

always shoot the escential shots first.

Try not to make your documentary too sync/interview heavy. 

Cutting is important and often a 30 min interveiw can end up being 10 min long.  

The documentary followed the life of Aileen Wuonros, one of America's first female serial killers. The documentry looks back at her life and follows the story of her trial and what happened behind closed doors. It seekd to answer a number of questions such as: Was Aileen guilty, what led her to commit theese murders. But mostly it was examining the justification of the death penalty, it highlighted a number of leading points that Aileen had a number of mental health issues, and although she may have been mantaly compitent, teh documentary highlighted the morality (or imorality) of putting someone with mental health problems on death row.

My opinion changed multiple times durign the film, especially since the questions asked in the film were for the most part, non biassed. It would seem that the documentry maker himself didnt know at least at first, weather Aileen was guilty or not. Unless we know the facts it is important to remain neutral and leave an audience to form their own opinions. 

The film was very chrarcter driven and the interviews were the most interesting part.

There was considerable self reflectivity in the film and questions were constanly clarified.

Sequences adn actuality were mainly used to transition between shots and establish new scenes. There was an effective closing interview to some up the documentry.