Directing the Documentary, 5th Edition

Book description

Directing the Documentary is a comprehensive manual that has inspired over 100,000 readers worldwide. If you are interested in making documentary films, everything you need technically and conceptually is here. Filled with practical advice on every stage of production, this is the book you will return to throughout your career.

Directing the Documentary covers the methods, technologies, thought processes, and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. It emphasizes low-cost digital technology, which allows cutting-edge creativity and professionalism on shoestring budgets. And, recognizing that you learn best by doing, the book includes dozens of practical hands-on projects and activities to help you master technical and conceptual skills.

Just as important as surmounting technological hurdles is the conceptual and authorial side of filmmaking. This book offers eminently practical tools and exercises to help you develop credible and compelling stories. It shows you how to surpass mere technical proficiency and become a storyteller with a distinctive voice and style.

Please visit:

www.directingthedocumentary.com

 for the book's companion website.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. CONTENTS
  6. Preface to the Fifth Edition
  7. BOOK I: FUNDAMENTALS
    1. PART 1: YOU AND YOUR IDEAS
      1. 1 The Director’s Role
      2. 2 Defining Your Artistic Identity
      3. 3 Developing Your Story Ideas
      4. 4 Proposing and Pitching a Short Documentary
    2. PART 2: DOCUMENTARIES AND FILM LANGUAGE
      1. 5 Documentary Language
      2. 6 Elements and Grammar
    3. PART 3: PREPRODUCTION
      1. 7 Research
      2. 8 Developing a Crew
    4. PART 4: PRODUCTION
      1. 9 Camera Equipment
      2. 10 Lighting
      3. 11 Location Sound
      4. 12 Directing
    5. PART 5: POSTPRODUCTION
      1. 13 Editing: From Start to Viewing the First Assembly
      2. 14 Editing: The Process of Refinement
      3. 15 Editing: From Fine Cut to Sound Mix
      4. 16 Titles and Acknowledgments
  8. BOOK II: ADVANCED ISSUES
    1. PART 6: DOCUMENTARY AESTHETICS
      1. 17 Point of View and the Storyteller
      2. 18 Dramatic Development, Time, and Story Structure
      3. 19 Form, Control, and Style
      4. 20 Reenactment, Reconstruction, and Docudrama
    2. PART 7: ADVANCED PRODUCTION ISSUES
      1. PART 7A. ADVANCED PREPRODUCTION
        1. 21 Advanced Research
        2. 22 Values, Ethics, and Choices
        3. 23 Proposing an Advanced Documentary
        4. 24 Preparing to Direct
      2. PART 7B. ADVANCED PRODUCTION
        1. 25 Optics
        2. 26 Advanced Cameras and Equipment
        3. 27 Advanced Location Sound
        4. 28 Organization, Crew, and Procedures
        5. 29 Advanced Directing
        6. 30 Conducting and Shooting Interviews
      3. PART 7C. ADVANCED POSTPRODUCTION
        1. 31 Transcript to Film Script
        2. 32 Creating Narration
        3. 33 Using Music and Working with a Composer
        4. 34 Editing: Refinements and Structural Problems
    3. PART 8: EDUCATION AND STARTING YOUR CAREER
      1. 35 Education
      2. 36 From School to Film Industry
  9. Appendix
  10. Glossary
  11. Index

Product information

  • Title: Directing the Documentary, 5th Edition
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: January 2014
  • Publisher(s): Focal Press
  • ISBN: 9781317666127