Documentary in Practice Filmmakers and Production Choices

Documentary in Practice provides a unique approach to practical documentary-making. Through fascinating analysis of real-life production situations, Jane Chapman shows the challenges and issues faced during the filmmaking process by a range of both well-known and up-and-coming documentary-makers. She also brings her own personal experience as a seasoned documentary producer and teacher to advise on how students can gain invaluable insight from these projects. Throughout this compelling text, a variety of producers past and present provide their inside project stories and production records, including scripts, fundraising proposals, budgets, diagrams, post-production records and reviews. Across continents, every project and its makers are different whether they are famous names from the canon', television freelances, art-house directors, documentary-maker activists or first-time filmmakers but they all face a range of challenges: * how to connect visual approach to content idea * morality of camera presence * complaints and ethical challenges * legal issues and censorship * budgetary factors influencing choices * conflict with commissioning editors All students of media studies as well as aspiring documentary-makers will find this book a refreshing introduction to the choices available for filmmaking and the issues that may emerge during the process.

Jane Chapman is Reader in Media Studies at the University of Lincoln.