1) Go to the following website and read about the History of Documentary Films http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film
2) Take notes for each of the following topics. A minimum of 3 sentences per topic, IN YOUR OWN WORDS.Documentary Film Note Outline:
I . History of Documentary Film
A. Pre-1900-
The early film was brought due to the novelty of showing an event. There wasn't manny emotion in them they were mostly all single-shot moments. Instead of being called a documentary the short films were called actuality.
B. 1900–1920-
In the early 20th century travelogue films were very popular. The common name due to disturbutors were scenics with mast the most popular film during the time. A film that then was important was "The Land of the Head Hunters.
C. 1920s-
1) Romanticism-
In 1922 Robert J. Flaherty made a film "Nanook of the North" this is romanticism started. Then he kept on succeeding with filming even more romanticism. Then later Paramount Pictures came out with two romanticism hopping to succeed like Flaherty.
2)The city symphony-
This focused on humans within human made environments. This films were made to film people as products.
3) Kino-Pravda-
Vertov believed the camera can catch more footage the a normal human eye, and made it a film philosophy out of it.
4) Newsreel tradition-
Newsreel were actual scenes that later were re-enacments of events that had been happening. An example is the battles footage that was later acted out all over again.
D. 1920s–1940s-
Films were starting to be made for propaganda. These films persuade the people in many ways. One example was to "Why we Fight" witch was used to convince the public that it was time to go to war.
E. 1950s–1970s-
1) Cinéma-vérité-
Cińema-vériteté was due to she technical progress like light, and reliable cameras, and portable sync sound. This technology allowed handheld cameras to shoot events as they are happening on the spot. This helped catch more emotional reaction of what the issue is about.
2) Political weapons-
Political weapons were documentary film against neocolonialism and capitalism. This was mostly latin america. For example "La Hora de los Hornos" witch influenced a whole generation of film makers.
3) Modern documentaries-
Modern documentaries was usually helpful in theatrical release. The nature of documentary films have been gone long threw the past 20 years. Recent documentaries were television forms of "reality television".
4) Documentaries without words-
With no words being said they tend to be as visual tone poems. Even thought no words were said, music was replaced to show emotion. This showed many slow motion and time lapse photography.
