DOCUMENTARI

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LEARNIN

G GOALS

Develop analytical vocabulary

Apply vocabulary to different mediums

WHAT IS A DOCUMENTARY?A category of non-fi ction movies with some aspect of real ity.

The purpose is often to inform or educate, or to maintain a historical record.

The main idea is that “original” actors and scenes are better guides than fi ctional accounts.

Documentaries have become increasingly popular, and do quite well in theatres.

There is some overlap between documentaries and real ity television, but the “real ity” in real ity TV is often staged.

MODERN DOCUMENTARIES

GLOSSARY OF FILM TERMS

Foreground BackgroundSymmetry

The part of the The scenery be-When a picture

picture that is hind the object is arranged with

closest to the that is the focus near perfect

viewer. of the picture. balance.

Assymmetry- lack of balance

Tone- The intensity of light

and dark

Shape- Basic geometric

shapes appearing in the

composition.

GLOSSARY OF FILM TERMS

COMPARE AND CONTRASTUsing the terms we’ve just looked at, discuss the composition of these two pictures.

Which picture do you think is more effective? Explain your answer.

Sebastião SalgadoA community above Chimborazo, Ecuador, 1982

Sebastião SalgadoRefugees in the Korem Camp, Ethiopia, 1984

Aerial ShotA shot from high

above,

giving a bird’s eye view of

a scene or place.

GLOSSARY OF FILM TERMS CONTINUED—SHOT TYPES

SHOT TYPESExtreme Wide Shot

The view is so far from the subject that he isn’t

visible.

Wide Shot

The subject takes up the full frame, or at least

as much as comfortably possible. AKA long/full

shot.

SHOT TYPESMid Shot

Shows some part of the subject in more detail while

still giving an impression of the whole subject.

Close UpA certain feature or part of the subject

takes up the

whole frame.

Extreme Close UpShows extreme details.

GROUP TASK

With the people in your group, brainstorm what each shot type would

be used for.

Aerial Shot

Extreme Wide Shot

Wide Shot

Mid Shot

Close Up

Extreme Close Up

DIFFERENT SHOT TYPES

Dolly Shot- The camera is mounted on a dolly and moves smoothly.

Hand-Held Shot:- The camera operator carries the camera while filming the action.

Subjective Shot- The camera is positioned at an angle, or has something about its content (distortion through misfocus or strange color, etc.) to suggest that the shot is seen from the viewpoint of the subject (e.g., through drunkenness, or fear, or heightened sensitivity).

In Groups: When would you use each type of shot? Can you think of an example from films of each type of shot?

MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER

Lighting- Illumination of the set. Lighting includes where the light is coming from, what the light highlights, or what the darkness conceals.

Music- Any music that is played during a film. Often music will play in the foreground at the beginning and end of films, but be played in the background during the action.