This is the structuring of the journey, involving a starting point, trajectory and destination. This extends itself to what people might believe is a purposeful life (ambitions, actions, achievements), such as a quest (Starting point, trajectory and destination) or a story (beginning, middle and end).
In documentaries this gives the film making a chance to explore the documentary as a journey or even making it a biography of them going on a journey.
Documentary Processes
Moiré is an interference pattern in photography in areas with repetitive detail that exceeds the resolution of the camera. Interlaced scanning in TV can also cause it. This gives the image the effect of movement or blurriness. It commonly occurs on TV when a person is wearing something with a particular weave pattern.
Source-Path-Goal Schema
Snapshot
The ability to save the photo you are editing before you make big changes. This makes it easier to change back to how it was before. It is part of the history palette.
Codex
Codex recorders are high-resolution media recording systems to capture pictures and sound from digital cinematography cameras.
Field Order
When filming the video is displayed by breaking the frames into two fields. There are two types ‘interlaced video’ and ‘progessive-scanned video’ which are different ways to break up the video into lines. Field order is the order in which video fields are recorded from your equipment to your hard drive. There are two kinds Upper and Lower. Upper [second is dominant] is used with 640 x 480 and Lower [first is dominant] is used in professional 720 x 486 and DV 720 x 480 systems. Motion continues from one field to the next, so they must play in correct order. Choosing the right field order ensures proper playback.
Variable Bitrate
Bitrate is the number of bits [basic unit of information] that are conveyed or processed per unit of time. VBR files change the amount of output data per segment. It allows a higher bitrate to be allocated to more complex segments of media files whiles less space is allocated to less complex segments.
Moiré
Synergy
Synergy in media is the coming together of two or more parts of the media to help advertise and promote one piece of media. For example when promoting a documentary there could be posters, trailers, games, etc. Disney was one of the first media companies to do this in the 1930’s by allowing the Mickey Mouse symbol to be used on all of his products, helping advertise the company and everything it makes.
Ken Burns Effect
This is an effect, which was used extensively by an American documentarian, Ken Burns. Although Ken Burns was not the first person to use it, his name has become associated with it. The effect is a type of zooming or panning on still photography during a film. This effect allows for the video to zoom into the most important part of the image, emphasising what is being said or even contradicting it. It allows the image to become something more interesting than a simple shot as well as allowing the creator to only show what they wish to show. It keeps the viewer engaged.
The Decisive Moment
This was a term coined by Magnum photographer and founder, Henri Cartier-Bresson. The decisive moment is when a photo is taken at the perfect, spontaneous moment that represents the truth and essence of the event. Bresson described it as “your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera”.
Documentary Modes
The Poetic Mode – This is an abstract and lyrical form. Portraying a documentary in a more poetic manner. It is usually associated with 1920’s and modernist ideas.
The Expository Mode – This is a direct address to the audience using the ‘Voice of God’ or a narrator. Issues in a argumentative frame. Mainly used in the 1920’s-1930s
The Observational Mode – Smaller, lighter cameras came into play within the 1960’s. This meant that filming became less intrusive. But also meant that the filmmaker had less control.
The Participatory Mode – Encounter between filmmaker and subject. The filmmaker or director becomes actively engaged in film and they share experiences.
The Reflexive Mode – Demonstrates consciousness of process of reading documentary an actively engages with the issues of realism and representation. Acknowledging the presence of viewer.
The Performative Mode – Acknowledging the emotional and subjective aspects of documentary and presents ideas as part of context. Often autobiographical.
Political Reflexivity – Develops the audiences awareness of Issues.
Six Qualities of Documentary
1. Emotional Content – So that the audience feel a connection with the primaries.
2. Relative Content – Something that the audience can relate to within their lives.
3. Empathy and Quizzical Thought – To leave the audience questioning even after the documentary has finished.
4. Shock and Expectation – When shocking the public it makes them intent on learning more as well as creating the effect of ‘I can’t look away’
5. The Voyeur Image – This gives the viewer a feel of realism as they believe they are looking into somebodies live even when they are not meant to be.
6. The Surreal – This is a way to open the door to something new that people probably haven’t heard of before or to explore a topic that may not have been explored fully.
Mockumentary
A mockumentary is a form of parody of a documentary. It talks to the audience as if they are aware that what is fact and what is fiction. It is a very playful form and it requires the audience to watch it as if it were a documentary, According to Jane Roscoe and Craig Hight there are types of mockumentary;
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Parody Mockumentary – These are appropriated for stylistic reasons and emphasizes on humor. With its main targets as cultural icons.
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Critique Mockumentary – These shows more of critical reflexives towards factual discourse as well as raise questions about the documentary form.
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Deconstruction Mockumentary – These mockmentaries use the codes and conventions of documentaries and use them against them to try and deconstruct and undermine the documentary forms.
Three Modes of Photography
1. The Decisive Moment – This is where the images are taken without thought. It is just a momentary shot of reality, taken in an instance. Reporting the event ‘naturally’
2. Modern Staged Manipulator – These are images constructed with the use of actors and sets. These are used to create moments for defined reasons instead of capturing the events as they happen.
3. Social-Voyeur-Artist – These are neither apart of the instant moment or the staged event. They redefine everyday events using defined context, to create discourse about these moments.
Vietnam Syndrome
Vietnam syndrome is a public biased against any type of American military conflict, as they think that it will be ‘just like Vietnam’. They are afraid that the memories of Vietnam such as the scandals, protests, riots and killed and wounded soldiers have caused American people to distrust any type of war.