The Art of the Observer
A Personal View of Documentary
Published on 15. November 2022
256 pages
978-1-5261-6533-6 (ISBN)
Description
The art of the observer is a personal guide to documentary filmmaking, based on the author's years of pioneering work in the fields of ethnographic and documentary cinema. It stands in sharp contrast to books of academic film criticism and handbooks on visual research methods, being based extensively on concrete examples from the author's own filmmaking experience. The book places particular emphasis on observational filmmaking and the ways in which this approach is distinct from other forms of documentary. It offers both practical insights and reflections on what it means, in both emotional and intellectual terms, to attempt to represent the lives of others. The book makes clear that documentary cinema is not simply a matter of recording reality, but of artfully organising the filmmaker's observations in ways that reveal the complex patterns of social life. -- .
Reviews / Votes
'Particularly gratifying are the author's explorations of the work of his amateur collaborators, as in the chapter on films children in his video workshops made between 2011 and 2016. He respects their work and points of view and seems to have genuinely meditated on their insights without being patronizing. Mixing memory and analysis, this engaging book helps readers see the filmmaker and his craft anew.'Choice
Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association. -- .
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
42 black & white illustrations
File size
3,22 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-5261-6533-6 (9781526165336)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
10/2022
Manchester University Press
€31.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Book
10/2022
Manchester University Press
€105.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
David MacDougall is Honorary Professor in the Research School of Humanities and the Arts at the Australian National University, Canberra -- .
Content
Part I
1: The practice of documentary
2: How the visual makes sense
3: Observational Cinema: A Unique Practice
4: Ethnographic film: evolution of a concept
Part II
5: Structuring nonfiction films
6: Filming in a closed community
7: Seven types of collaboration
8: Microstructures of film editing
Part III
9: Films and feelings
10: The life of others
11: The strangers within us
12: How children see
Part IV
13: An encounter with Robert Gardner
14: The percentage of disaster
15: Clearing customs
Filmography
Bibliography
Index -- .
1: The practice of documentary
2: How the visual makes sense
3: Observational Cinema: A Unique Practice
4: Ethnographic film: evolution of a concept
Part II
5: Structuring nonfiction films
6: Filming in a closed community
7: Seven types of collaboration
8: Microstructures of film editing
Part III
9: Films and feelings
10: The life of others
11: The strangers within us
12: How children see
Part IV
13: An encounter with Robert Gardner
14: The percentage of disaster
15: Clearing customs
Filmography
Bibliography
Index -- .
