SHIT TOWN

As we near the end of our semester-long introduction to documentary, I wanted to remind you of the many ways in which incredibly compelling non-fiction stories are currently being told. One of the most popular (and cost-effective) ways is the audio documentary.

With that in mind, please listen to the first two chapters of Shit Town, a new podcast which according to a recent article in the New York Times has already achieved blockbuster status in its first week of release.

Please give me your critique of the first two episodes of this podcast, making sure to address what you see as being either the benefits and/or the detriments of telling a documentary story in this format.

If you can address other concepts we've been studying this semester in your response -  especially Ethics and Responsibility and how it applies to this particular story - all the better.

Write whatever you like, have fun listening, and please remember to have your comments posted here by no later than 5pm next Tuesday May 2!

THE HUNTING GROUND | LOST IN LA MANCHA

In preparation for composer Miriam Cutler's visit to our class next week - and as we bring more consciousness to how music and sound design contribute to documentary-making - please read the article Ms. Cutler wrote (which is available on Moodle) and watch at least one of the many films she has worked on. The Hunting Ground and Lost in La Mancha are both available on Netflix, but check out her amazingly extensive filmography if you'd like and choose another documentary to watch if you're feeling adventurous.

Write whatever you want about the film(s) you choose. Just be sure to address how you think music and sound contribute to your understanding of and appreciation for what you watched - by no later than 5pm next Tuesday, April 25.

CAMERAPERSON | CARTEL LAND

The aesthetics of filmmaking - particularly cinematography - can be crucial to the success of any documentary. To explore this further, we watched Cameraperson in class, and I want you to watch Cartel Land on Netflix - a film which won the Best Cinematography Award at Sundance when it premiered there in 2015, and went on to receive an Oscar nomination last year.

Write whatever you'd like in your post, but please be sure to address as specifically as possible what you think of the cinematography work in both films - taking care to highlight at least one moment or scene from each film to support your critical assertions.

Has watching these two films inspired you to think further about the role of the cinematographer in documentary? If so, what are your thoughts?

Are these films ethical? For example, are the Cartel Land filmmakers being responsible in the way they portray those who are involved in the Mexican drug wars? Most critics (like this one at The Hollywood Reporter) really loved the film, but others (like this one at the NY Times) did not. Who do you agree with? What do you think?

I hope you enjoyed Cameraperson, I hope you enjoy Cartel Land, and I look forward to reading what you post here about both films and how they inform your appreciation for and understanding of documentary cinematography - by no later than 5pm next Tuesday of course!

HOW WAS IT?

For this week's post, I've given each of you a documentary to watch based on the idea you pitched to us in class. Please watch your assigned film, and include the following in your comments:

• The name of the film you watched.
• The ways in which your assigned film was or wasn't related to the doc idea you pitched.
• What you liked about your assigned film (especially in relationship to your doc idea).
• What you didn't like about your assigned film (especially in relationship to your doc idea).
• The ways in which you think the film you'd make based on your doc idea would be similar to and different from your assigned film.

Remember as well to support your critical view of the film I assigned you by referencing some of the general concepts we've been discussing throughout the semester (Authority; Evidence; Authenticity; Ethics & Responsibility), as well as the way the film used its aesthetics (Editing; Cinematography; Sound & Music; Graphics & Animations; Voiceover) to support the story being told - narratively, thematically and otherwise.

If you have any questions, just let me know. If not, I can't wait to hear more about the film you watched, what you thought of it, and how it does and/or doesn't related to your doc idea in both positive and negative ways - by no later than 5pm this coming Tuesday, of course.

EXTRA CREDIT > DOC10 (THURS MARCH 30 - SUN APRIL 2)

Some super fresh documentary films are coming to Chicago this Thursday through this Sunday, and I will give you extra credit if you go see one of them and post an inspired critique detailing what you saw and how you felt about it.

Please check out the incredible schedule, choose the film you want to see the most, grab your discounted ticket (students get 25% off), and post a thorough, thoughtful response here which lets us know the following:

• The title of the film you saw and why you chose to see it
• A 1-2 sentence logline describing the film 
• What you thought of the film conceptually/dramatically (in terms of its Authenticity, Authority, Ethics/Responsibility, Evidence, Argument, etc.)
• What you thought of the film aesthetically (in terms of its use of camera, editing, sound/music, etc.)
• Any additional details about the experience you had of going to see the film (in terms of audience response, the screening venue, etc.)

To receive extra credit, be sure to upload your reflection here by no later than 5pm next Tuesday April 4.

I'm planning to go myself, so here's hoping I see you there!

LET THE FIRE BURN

I'll keep it short for this week's post, in part because you've all been working so hard. That said, and as we prepare to discuss the use of archival footage in documentary-making when we return from break, I would love for you to watch Let the Fire Burn - available on iTunes and Amazon for $2,99, and on YouTube and elsewhere for $3.99 - and let me know what you think of this film, particularly about the way it uses archival footage to tell its thoughtful and ultimately potent story.

Write whatever you'd like this week, but please remember to support your assertions by referencing specific moments, scenes or sequences from the film. And if in your reply you can address concepts of Authenticity, Authority, Evidence, Responsibility and how they relate to your understanding and appreciation of Let the Fire Burn - all the better.

Good luck, have a wonderful break, and please remember to post your response here by no later than 5pm on Tuesday, March 28!

TABLOID

John Grierson famously defined documentary as "the creative treatment of actuality," and for this week's post, I want you to watch Errol Morris's Tabloid on Netflix and consider all the weird and wonderful ways in which Morris creatively treats the truth, as well as how he uses visual display to generate meaning. And do the film's style and sensibility - as well as its main nonfictional performer - contribute to your understanding of its theme (which is...)? How?

Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line; Fog of War) is one of the most influential directors working today. Before his death, Roger Ebert wrote, "After twenty years of reviewing films, I haven't found another filmmaker who intrigues me more...Errol Morris is like a magician, and as great a filmmaker as Hitchcock or Fellini.”

Write whatever you'd like, but please be sure to address your feelings about the way Tabloid utilizes the aesthetics of filmmaking to tell its story - Morris himself says Tabloid is in many ways a story about the way stories are told. Is the film authentic? Was the filmmaker responsible to its subject and main character? Would you have made it differently? If so, how?

Finally, do you think the film's main subject Joyce McKinney was right to file a lawsuit against Morris (article here) and travel around the country attending several screenings in protest (even more amazing article here)? Needless to say, this story is a hoot, Morris is a genius, and I look forward to discussing both with you in more detail when we next meet.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy Tabloid and can't wait to read your thoughts about the film and its aesthetics - by no later than 5pm next Tuesday of course.