Aufderheide: Questions on Documentaries
BIS 313B Documentary Forms Sp13 4/12/13
HANDOUT II (20 pts) NAME_________________________________________________________ 1. How does Aufderheide define a documentary?
2. What are some early terms used to describe non-fiction documentary films?
3. Why does Aufderheide think documentaries matter?
4. Why do we care about truth and the Public?
5. What is the role of documentaries in our democracy?
6. What does Aufderheide mean when she says there is a “tension between representation and reality”?
The representation on the reality was mostly truthful but filmmakers sometimes twist the reality either purposely or involuntarily.
7. What does a documentary look like? What are the main elements?
A regular documentary often has a narration, analytical arguments, expert’s interviews and educational animation with dignified music.
Sound: ambient sound, soundtrack music, special sound effects, dialogue, narration
Image: material shot , historical images, video, objects
Special effects: animation
Pacing: length of scenes, number of cuts, script or storytelling structure
Structure: character development, story focus
8. What does Aufderheide mean by “conventions” in a documentary, and what are they? When the documentary is going to express a view, habits or clichés were often being used to back up the story to audience.
9. What are the shared conventions of documentary and fiction films? Narrative structure was a shared convention of documentary with fiction films. They have the same elements a story could have such as beginnings, middles and ends. There are always characters in the film and audience will experience emotions in the film.
10. What are at least 2 methods used by documentary filmmakers that question the ethics of
HANDOUT II (20 pts) NAME_________________________________________________________ 1. How does Aufderheide define a documentary?
2. What are some early terms used to describe non-fiction documentary films?
3. Why does Aufderheide think documentaries matter?
4. Why do we care about truth and the Public?
5. What is the role of documentaries in our democracy?
6. What does Aufderheide mean when she says there is a “tension between representation and reality”?
The representation on the reality was mostly truthful but filmmakers sometimes twist the reality either purposely or involuntarily.
7. What does a documentary look like? What are the main elements?
A regular documentary often has a narration, analytical arguments, expert’s interviews and educational animation with dignified music.
Sound: ambient sound, soundtrack music, special sound effects, dialogue, narration
Image: material shot , historical images, video, objects
Special effects: animation
Pacing: length of scenes, number of cuts, script or storytelling structure
Structure: character development, story focus
8. What does Aufderheide mean by “conventions” in a documentary, and what are they? When the documentary is going to express a view, habits or clichés were often being used to back up the story to audience.
9. What are the shared conventions of documentary and fiction films? Narrative structure was a shared convention of documentary with fiction films. They have the same elements a story could have such as beginnings, middles and ends. There are always characters in the film and audience will experience emotions in the film.
10. What are at least 2 methods used by documentary filmmakers that question the ethics of