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Stories we tell Revision - Coggle Diagram
Stories we tell Revision
Theories / terminology
Key terms and terminology
Documentary definitions - The three real’s = real people , real places , real events.
Documentary quotes - John Grierson = “Documentary is the creative use of actuality”.
Documentary quotes - Robert Flaherty = “Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth”.
Documentary quotes - The film stories we tell and Sarah’s documentary - Sarah Polley = “It’s about memory and the way we tell the stories of our Lives”
Key terms = Actuality / Raw footage / Unedited footage.
aims and uses of documentaries
The aim of a documentary is to Convey / Uncover / Expose the truth / Reality.
Documentaries have always been a medium of manipulation.
The process of making a documentary does not allow ‘truth’.
All documentaries are the result of selection and construction.
Due to the directors choices and who they frame in the shot they can shape the reality around them.
A documentary just contains a selection of what truth they want to tell/depict, causing them to become subjective due to the filming and editing process of a documentary.
The Truth in a documentary and real life is an aim not a given.
The documentary genre is flawed.
The Hawthorne effect = When people are on camera they are performing a version of themselves that they want people to see.
Documentary Levels
Level 1 = Talking heads , these are conventional footage , consisting mostly of interviews , static HD camera in footage , Expository = Level one style
Level 2 = Real life old footage , hand held shaky footage , archive footage , analogue , memory , nostalgia , super 8 camera , ( Reenacted) = Level 2 style.
Level 3 = Behind the scenes , blurry out of focus shots , The story making process , a documentary within a documentary = subjective = Level 3 style.
Scene Analysis = The big reveal / Closing scene
Cinematography
Reconstructed footage of Dianne = Sarah brings colour , life and joy to harry's life.
Mid shot = Talking head interviews.
Close up's = warmer visuals , out of focus , hand held verite
Black and white reconstructed footage
= cold and no nostalgia
Johnny breaks 4th wall in his last interview.
Medium long shot = creates distance , talking head interview , His POV , distances him from the rest of the family who interviews are just shot using medium shots.
Editing
Black and white super 8 reconstructed footage cross cut with - digital expository talking head interviews = blurred reality , memory , truth.
Mini montages everyone's interviews and perspectives of the story with harry’s voice over = undermines his perspective , dislike towards the other perspectives.
The super 8 whip pan from the sepia tones real life footage to the blue toned reconstructed footage = The cold truth , truthful, its a memory = subjective reality , Objectification = truth
Montage of Sarah directing actors = reconstructing the cast, makes audience question the authenticity of the form of the documentary and documentary truth.
Sound
Voice over of Sarah of her emails to Harry meaning she has control over the narrative.
When there are voice overs in this scene alongside the footage with someones POV of the story they have control over the narrative
No music during Harry’s POV = he is distanced and in isolation to the rest of the story isolating him.
Perfromance
Sara on camera speaking her emails = reflecting upon them = reflexive mode.
Harry talking head interview. Unsympathetic , Delusional performance.
Producer , Director / Father, Daughter. = binary opposites , conflict in the narrative.
Mise en scene
Harry and Michael's interviews mise en scene chaotic = shows their distance from the other interviews, The DOC was chaotic without Dianne's perspectives, their loss of Dianne has created chaos.
Context
Social
Prevalence of ‘reality’ television and Documentaries in contemporary culture may influence the spectator to be less
believing of this film’s mode of storytelling.
Institutional
The film was produced by the National Film
Board of Canada, an organisation hugely.
scene analysis = Opening scene
Mise en scene
Recording studio =Michael recording his script while being filmed.
Reflects that the documentary is constructed by Sarah and is being manipulated by her.
Showing off the camera equipment = expository , how a documentary is made.
Montage ends with a shot of Micheal's script.
During the interview scenes Sarah's family have personalised their mise en scene = Hawthorne effect , to present an Authentic personality.
Cinematography
Birds eye view shot of Sarah and Michael = subjective , level 3 that then switches to level 1 when Sarah approaches camera , set up as an observational mode but is constructed , they are like subjects and we are peeking into their lives.
Focus shot of Sarah = blurry out of focus = blurred memory , the truth is unclear.
Super 8 footage = , level 2 ,analogue archive footage , verite camera angles , shaky hand held shots.
Sarah's POV shot of the scene = connotes her as the subject , connotes she is a daughter caring but also that she is the director and that she is constructing the documentary = Binary oppositions of her as the director and the daughter = stark contrast
HD = footage , talking head interviews.
Performance
Reconstructed footage , archive or actuality footage in level two of the opening scene of the documentary actors reenact events from Dianne's past
No Hawthorne effect while not filming the actual interviews but the behind the scenes of the talking head interviews.
Their performance is Candid , and their authentic personalities before the begin the interviews.
But their performance becomes more proper and formal during the actual interview scenes later on in the film that they are showing behind the scenes of.
Sound
Non diegetic music / then switches to diegetic music alongside BTS montage = sentimental , anchors meaning of intimacy and affection.
The sound of super 8 camera clicking shutter opening and closing on the camera , diegetic sound effect.
Reflects the journey of the film process of the story evolving and having different levels.
Editing
The Montage Reflects the aesthetic of reality , truthfulness , Realism.
Behind the scenes montage of talking head interviews being set up and actuality, archive footage of Dianne.