Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Videos, Revised Edition

In this text the moral, ethical, aesthetic and communicative problems of documentary filmmaking are explored through knowledge and experience in the field, studio, editing room, theatre and television. This revised edition increases the discussion of video and adds new chapters.



In this text, the moral, ethical, aesthetic and communicative problems of documentary film-making are explored through knowledge and experience in the field, studio, editing room, theatre and television. This revised edition increases the discussion of video, adds a new chapter on fundraising and international marketing, provides more writing examples, and gives more attention to production development. An internationally renowned documentary film-maker with more than 60 films to his credit, including the Peabody Award-winning "Out of the Ashes", Rosenthal has written a book which addresses the realities involved in the making of a documentary. Rather than dealing with theory or hardware, Rosenthal tackles the day-to-day problems from initial concept through distribution. The organization of the book follows the process of making a documentary. Part 1 discusses ideas, research and script structure; parts 2 and 3 go over preproduction and production; part 4 explores editing and narration writing; and part 5 discusses distinctive forms of documentary, including cinema verite and documentary drama. The concluding chapter offers a perspective on the entire process involved in the making of a documentary.