D A Pennebaker Chris Hegedus: Capturing Character

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Directors

D A (Donn Alan) Pennebaker

Most fans of documentary know D A Pennebaker’s films. He is one of the most prolific pioneers of cinema verité filmmaking working today. But it may be surprising to learn what drove him to achieve this pioneer status: a personal “frustration” with the creative limitations of bulky filmmaking gear, where capturing real-life “theater” with sync sound was not possible. In 1953, Pennebaker made his first short film, Daybreak Express, and then proceeded to use his formal training and background as a mechanical engineer—combined with ingenuity and sheer determination—to ...

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