a web documentary survival kit: the essentials (podcast version)

A WEB DOCUMENTARY SURVIVAL KIT:THE ESSENTIALS IN <10 MINUTES

INSTRUCTOR: JOANNE TEOH

HOSTED ON: HTTP://ERNIE.SG

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:AMIRAH

ERNIE

LIP TENG

ZHEN WEI

GROUNDS COVERED• Traditional documentary versus web documentary

• Linear versus non-linear• One-way versus interactive

• Possibilities

• Empowering self-representations• The audience as active participant

• Challenges

• Funding dilemmas• Collaborating for diverse skillsets• Difficulties with user-generated content and limitations of

bandwidth

HOW TO USE THIS• First, sit back and enjoy the show.

• Next, browse over to other topics for a deeper understanding by clicking on them in the final slide.

• YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED!

WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL DOCUMENTARY?• An official definition:

• A movie or a television or radio program that provides a factual record or report.

WHAT IS A WEB DOCUMENTARY?• An online documentary that employs multimedia tools as

a new way of telling stories on the internet

• Non-linear narratives

WHAT IS A WEB DOCUMENTARY?• Fundamentally changes the way the storyteller relates to

the perception of the viewer

WHAT IS A WEB DOCUMENTARY?• The internet is Twitter, that everything has to be short and

your video cannot exceed 5 minutes out of the window

• The web documentary supports narrative journalism by developing journalistic narratives with images at the centre

EXAMPLES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• Journey to the End of Coal

EXAMPLES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• The Places We Live

THE ADVANTAGES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• For individuals and communities: better self-

representations by making it possible to beyond the camera angle

• Example: Nowhere Safe - the narrative basically zooms into the same photo of a man's face over a span of 4 minutes

THE ADVANTAGES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• Deeper narratives for the audience, more autonomy to

subjects of documentaries

• For individuals and communities: speak and capture their own stories better

THE ADVANTAGES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• For the audience: from passive receiver into active

participant

• The audience’s participation and interaction is demanded• The audience can explore at own pace and liking

THE ADVANTAGES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• For the audience, one’s level of interest is greatly

enhanced

• For the activist journalist: a powerful tool for social change

THE CHALLENGES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• Production cost

• Prison Valley, a web documentary exploring the prison industry cost a hefty 240 000 euros

• Funding is particularly difficult for documentarians

• Problem further compounded since web documentarians’ work often defy traditional conceptions of film

• Fortunately, web documentaries can be cheaper to produce

• Highrise: Out My Window, a 360 degrees project which allows you to view real-life locations around the world would have cost $750000 if done as a film than the $150000 it had taken for the web documentary

THE CHALLENGES OF WEB DOCUMENTARIES• Technical Challenge

• The challenge of collaboration amongst a diverse group of individuals with different expertise

• Legal and ethical implications of crowdsourcing ideas

• Bandwidth

• More pros and cons

THE WEB DOCUMENTARY AS A GAME-CHANGER

• The Macro picture:

• How is web journalism changing and how is it impacting society?

• Issues and critical perspectives• The Micro picture:

• How to produce a web documentary? What is required in terms of team, skills and processes?

THE ESSENTIALS IN <10 MINUTES

HOSTED ON: HTTP://ERNIE.SG

A WEB DOCUMENTARY SURVIVAL KIT