Introduction to Documentary Video Storytelling

Learn about the history and importance of documentary filmmaking. Explore the narrative building blocks of documentaries, with examples of nonfiction filmmaking over 120 years.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. Defining Documentary

• What is a documentary?
• Exploring documentary storytelling

2. A Brief History of Documentaries

• The first documentaries: Actuality films
• Documentaries of the early 20th century: Creating standards for nonfiction films
• Midcentury documentaries: Newsreels, propaganda, poetry, and educational films
• Changing culture and technology: Exploring direct cinema and beyond

3. The Modern Documentary: Borrowing from the Past and Shaping the Future

• The rise of the modern documentary
• The modern documentary: Classic expository techniques
• The modern documentary: Exploring the modes of documentary storytelling

Conclusion

• Next steps