Aspects of Documentary Form - Essay Example

Student’s Name Street Address City, ST ZIP Code e-mail phone fax Aspects of Documentary Form Student’s Name 1. Introduction. This paper will focus on an evaluation of the documentary series Modern Marvels. The documentary series was pulled from VIDEO.AOL.COM and was released in 2006. This documentary series episode was played on The History Channel and can be viewed in its archives or on VIDEO.AOL.COM. The approach to evaluating this documentary included viewing the episode several times, noting specifics on textual form and organization and overall form and dynamic. A specific aspect of the documentary was chosen and the effects it produced were noted. The intended outcome of this examination is a clear understanding of how Modern Marvels successfully conveys its message. What follows is a detailed essay of the evaluation. 2. Form and Function. The function of the Modern Marvels episodes are to educate and entertain an audience who are mostly history buffs. This documentary series is shown primarily on The History Channel but is also shown on the Arts and Entertainment Channel (A&E) and is viewed by students through The History Channel’s History in the Classroom series. The episode is fast paced both musically and pictorially. It is designed to keep the watcher’s attention from beginning to end. There are no dead spaces in the episodes that leave the viewer lost. The Documentary series “Modern Marvels” produces programs about the history of different commonplace items or tools (or toys) that are present in everyday life that have their origins in history and how they evolved. The show in the series studied presented the history of modern day surfing, development of video games, sword forging, backyard observatory (boys-toys), the first video game: Pong, and the invention of copy machines (Xerox 914 model). Each segment was between 3 and 6 minutes long and began with music unique to Modern Marvels. The episodes were in a narrative format based on a chronological look at the development of each item and how other items evolved from the original. For example, the surfing episode showed the connections between surfing, skateboarding, and wind surfing. Each item examined was explored using an unseen narrator who guided the viewer through flashbacks, drawn renditions (cartoon like), and interviews with specialists in their fields or historians. There was clear progression through the stages of development of each item profiled with clear ending point being the modern device, tool, or toy. There was a clear integration of music with each episode. For example, during the history of surfing episode Hawaiian music played while drawings and photos of the first surfers and their boards were shown. The similarity and repetition (motif) in this episode was the music. The changes in the music changed as each new stage of development of an item was presented. Parallelism helped get the viewer ready for the next step of development. A change in music meant a move on to the next stage of development of the item. The variation of the motif was the different kinds of music used. The music consisted of instrumentals with no voice (singing). This documentary series has unity and does not leave the viewer hanging at the end of the presentation. It has a logical beginning, uses the same narrator throughout, and ends at a logical point (modern item such as modern surfboard). As this documentary ages, it may appear to have disunity because the item profiled in the show may have further evolved. Say, for example, since the episode on surfing the boogie board was invented. Then the viewer of the surfing episode may be left hanging expecting the presentation of the boogie board next in the sequence of the episode. The duration of the episode is approximately 20 minutes with the presentation of several items in 3-6 minute intervals with commercials in between. The documentary can cover a long timeline in a few minutes. As earlier stated, this is a fast paced presentation that holds the viewer’s attention throughout. Each episode presents quickly with even flow from beginning to end. The show can show great periods of time (history) in a short time period. The short duration for each item profiled might be by design because Modern Marvels is often shown on the “History Channel Classroom” which is viewed in public school classrooms nationwide. Teachers have access to study guides online for each episode. Sound in each episode is primarily narrator with music in the background. This type of sound is nondiegetic because does not come from a character or object in the story. The narrator remains the same throughout the episode but the specialists or historians interviewed change from episode to episode to support the item being profiled. The background music starts loud then quiets while the narrator speaks. At the end of the episode the music becomes louder. Modern Marvels uses the same music each time to introduce the series and the same bright visuals are used as well. The introduction shows modern tools (wrench) turning the screws of time and an architects pen following a strait line. The introduction is fast paced and sets the stage for the episode. The beginning of each episode is the same The Mise-en-scene for this documentary series is mostly locations where the item profiled exists or where the expert is (office, observatory). There are no costumes, make-up or acting. Those interviewed are genuine and believable. 3. Specific Aspect of Documentary Form. Documentaries are stories that are true. Making a documentary is, in essence, telling the story. Making a documentary is creating a non-fiction program, a true story for all to view. One of the most important aspects of making a documentary are the narrated portions and interviews. Often a documentary is a balance of narrated portions and interviews. What comes to mind are the World War II documentaries that consist of pictorial footage, interviews, story telling, and narration. In the 1980’s and 90’s there was a rush in the documentary film making world to get the first hand information for the World War II documentaries before all the WWII veterans had passed away. There was also a push to get the first hand accounts of concentration camp survivors before they passed away. Their personal stories make the events believable and give an oral history to our youth. The making of a good documentary often lies in the hands of the interviewers and narrators. The story may be good, but the telling of the story makes or breaks it. The interviewers need to come prepared to ask relevant questions but be flexible to follow a story as it emerges from the person being interviewed. The narrator takes a topic and guides the viewers through its presentation. Use of voice and tone, and inflection can make a documentary believable. In the American style the narrator is never seen. In the British style the narrator is seen and adds a character to the documentary. The narrator lets you know what is going on in the film you are viewing. Narration is most often done as a voice-over where the narrator records his part in an audio studio. Another type of narrator may speak on camera as a guide through the production. “The “Guest Expert” is the guy who explains to the camera what he does1” The last style of narration is eavesdropping on someone actually doing the job. How the narrator does his job affects how the audience perceives the message of the documentary. The authoritative narrator uses formal speech and carefully enunciates his words. He is recorded in an audio studio and reads from a script. He is often the most direct. Two examples of great narrators are Morgan Freeman and Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford recently narrated the Dalai Lama Renaissance, a documentary that follows the rise of the most recent Dalai Lama2. Morgan Freeman has narrated numerous documentaries3. In the case of famous narrators (Freeman and Ford) the audience has to look past the familiarity to hear the narrator’s message. Having an unseen narrator gives the production control over what is said and when in the documentary. The narrator is not considered as a person in the documentary but as words in a book to be read and understood by the audience. The interviewer in a documentary plays a special role. The best type of interviewer is hardly ever seen or heard in the documentary. In the Modern Marvels documentary series when the experts are interviewed you can tell that they are speaking to someone but the interviewer is never seen or heard. The interviewer succeeded in drawing the information out of the experts with little spoken by the interviewer. It is also possible that in the making of Modern Marvels the interviewer was edited out of the documentary leaving only the experts answers. According to Cindy and Mickey Grant of the Creative Hat interviewers need good listening and research skills4. Preparation is very important before conducting a documentary interview. Knowing what you are going to ask ahead of time puts you at ease and if the person being interviewed knows what they are going to be asked then the interview can be even better. The most important part of the documentary interview process is finding the right person to interview. The interviewer should have a theme for the interview and know when to step back and let the person talk and finish his/her answer. Also, the interviewer must also be able to step away from the questions planned when the interview is going in another good direction. The interviewer must be flexible. The interview may well be the most important part of the documentary. First hand accounts give credence to the documentary. These accounts can convey an emotional message that can’t otherwise be captured in the documentary. First hand accounts are often used in documentaries to educate about an event and how to react to it. For example, after the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center a documentary was made that gave personal accounts of evacuations, how the evacuations compared to the 1993 attack, and what didn’t work5. Interviewing those actually affected by the attack made the training documentary all that more believable and interesting to the audience. The emergency action plan was explained by experts and helped prevent more deaths and injuries in the cleanup of ground zero. What made these training documentaries credible and important was the use of experts and the interview process and interviewing victims with first hand accounts. The same documentary if made at a studio set in Hollywood would be useless because it would lack credibility. Another great example of the power of the interview and first hand accounts is Spike Lee’s When The Levees Broke. He took the interview and first hand accounts method of gathering information to a higher level. The documentary was believable because the people and their struggles were very real. The four hour documentary showed all the emotions of Katrina through usage of interview and narrative. The people affected by Katrina and the flooding were interviewed and their stories profiled using narration that matched the footage shot6. Documentaries with no narrative, no interviews, and no sound would only be evaluated by what the viewer saw. Sound, narrative, and the interview bring so much to the documentary. A documentary done professionally is truthful and objective. The narrator tells the story while the interviewer gathers the story through first hand accounts and interviews. The interviews and narratives help frame the story. They can tell much more than what the viewer can see on the screen. The narrative and interview can give a different perspective about what is happening or has happened. 4. Conclusion. Modern Marvels is an atypical documentary series that uses a fast paced format backed with music throughout. The documentary series presents using past footage, narration, and interviews. The music associated with each topic is often related to the topic (Hawaiian music as background for surfing). The pace of the show keeps interest while remaining informative. The narrator remains the same throughout and the interviewer is never seen or heard. There is sound throughout the documentary and the viewer is informed using music, narration, interviews, and first hand accounts. Most documentaries are designed to educate and entertain. Documentaries are used in schools to educate students, in work environments to educate the workforce, and in the home (TV) to educate and entertain. The editing is designed to provide an even flow of relevant information from beginning to end. The documentary series Modern Marvels format has a logical beginning and a logical ending point. As this documentary ages the ending may not be logical as the item profiled might have further evolved. The documentary is someone’s opportunity to tell a story. Different aspects of the documentary are important for different reasons. Narration and interviewing are two opportunities for the documentary to tell its story. The narrator usually voices over in a studio and his/her narrative is formal and professional. The interviewer is most often in the field where the story is/has taken place. For historical events oftentimes the most important aspect of the documentary is the first hand account. This gives the documentary credibility by presenting a first hand account of what happened and the emotions that went along with it. Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke was a combination narrative and interview documentary that attempted to show all aspects of the Katrina story. It is interesting to note that Spike Lee had five hours of documentary film left over after he edited When the Levees Broke down to two two hour segments (Four hours total). Narration in a documentary usually takes one of four forms: voice-over, guide, guest expert, and eavesdropping on someone performing a task. With an unseen narrator the editor can change or edit out scenes to better tell the story or to fit a time limit. In Modern Marvels the interviewer was most probably edited out leaving the specialists as the only speakers in the film. This serves to shorten the film without leaving out any important information. Interviewing for a documentary is an art. The interviewer needs to research and be prepared for the interview. The subject may be provided with questions ahead of time. Lastly, the interviewer has to have the ability to follow the flow of the interview by veering away from his listed questions when the subject goes in a different direction. Interviewing, narration, music, and other sounds supplement the other aspects of the documentary. The footage shot, pictures drawn, and animations combined with the narration, interviews, and other sounds provide the structure of the documentary. Take one aspect away and you take away from or change the intended story. Documentary films are constructed and fit into time limitations by editing. The creators of the documentary film try to tell their story while staying within the constraints dictated by the project. Again I think of Spike Lee’s five hours left over and what was not shown. Perhaps he’ll get a chance to show the rest of the story. Works Cited The History Channel. Study Guides. Retrieved Feb 24th 2007. Gershon, Robert. PHD. Four Ways to do Narrations in Documentary-Style Programs. Retrieved February 24, 2007 http://www.csc.vsc.edu/Com.web/Doc.nar.html Dalai Lama Renaissance Documentary. Retrieved 2007-02-24 http://www.dalailamafilm.com/ MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Retrieved 2007-02-24. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/14/60minutes/main1127684.shtml Grant, Cindy & Mickey. The Creative Hat. Documentary Interview Technique. 2007-02-25 http://www.creativehat.com/Filmmaking/a081101a.htm Coastal Training Technologies Corp. Ground Zero: Two Part Training Documentary. Retrieved 2007-02-25 http://www.does.org/coastal/GroundZero.htm Landoli, Kathy. Gentle Jones’ World News Report. Spike Lee: Katrina Revisited. 12/08/2006 Retrieved 2007-02-25. http://gentlejones.blogspot.com/2006/12/spike-lee-katrina-revisited.html Read More