Sign-In
Cart
Doing Documentary Work
Paperback
Series: New York Public Library Lectures in Humanities
Writing InstructionFilmmakingGeneral Photography
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 0195124952
ISBN13: 9780195124958
Publisher: New York Public Library
Published: Nov 19 1998
Pages: 288
Weight: 0.55
Height: 0.56 Width: 5.30 Depth: 7.96
Language: English
ISBN13: 9780195124958
Publisher: New York Public Library
Published: Nov 19 1998
Pages: 288
Weight: 0.55
Height: 0.56 Width: 5.30 Depth: 7.96
Language: English
Sitting in his study, William Carlos Williams once revealed to Robert Coles what he considered to be his greatest problem in writing a documentary about his patients in New Jersey. When I'm there, sitting with those folks, listening and talking, he said to Coles, I'm part of that life, and I'm near it in my head, too.... Back here, sitting near this typewriter--its different. I'm a writer. I'm a doctor living in Rutherford who is describing 'a world elsewhere.' Williams captured the great difficulty in documentary writing--the gulf that separates the reality of the subject from the point of view of the observer .
Now, in this thought-provoking volume, the renowned child psychiatrist Robert Coles, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Children in Crisis series, offers a penetrating look into the nature of documentary work. Utilizing the documentaries of writers, photographers, and others, Coles shows how their prose and pictures are influenced by the observer's frame of reference: their social and educational background, personal morals, and political beliefs. He discusses literary documentaries: James Agee's searching portrait of Depression-era tenant farmers, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, and George Orwell's passionate description of England's coal-miners, The Road to Wigan Pier. Like many documentarians, Coles argues, Agee and Orwell did not try to be objective, but instead showered unadulterated praise on the noble poor and vituperative contempt on the more privileged classes (including themselves) for exploiting these workers. Documentary photographs could be equally revealing about the observer. Coles analyzes how famous photographers such as Walker Evans and Dorthea Lange edited and cropped their pictures to produce a desired effect. Even the shield of the camera could not hide the presence of the photographer. Coles also illuminates his points through his personal portraits of William Carlos Williams; Robert Moses, one of the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee during the 1960s; Erik H. Erikson, biographer of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther; and others. Documentary work, Coles concludes, is more a narrative constructed by the observer than a true slice of reality.
With the growth in popularity of films such as Ken Burns's The Civil War and the controversial basketball documentary Hoop Dreams, the question of what is real in documentary work is more pressing than ever. Through revealing discussions with documentarians and insightful analysis of their work, complemented by dramatic black-and-white photographs from Lange and Evans, Doing Documentary Work will provoke the reader into reconsidering how fine the line is between truth and fiction. It is an invaluable resource for students of the documentary and anyone interested in this important genre.
With the growth in popularity of films such as Ken Burns's The Civil War and the controversial basketball documentary Hoop Dreams, the question of what is real in documentary work is more pressing than ever. Through revealing discussions with documentarians and insightful analysis of their work, complemented by dramatic black-and-white photographs from Lange and Evans, Doing Documentary Work will provoke the reader into reconsidering how fine the line is between truth and fiction. It is an invaluable resource for students of the documentary and anyone interested in this important genre.
Also in
Filmmaking
Martin Scorsese All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Devillard, Arnaud
Schaller, Nicolas
Bousquet, Olivier
Hardcover
$54.00
Godzilla: The First 70 Years: The Official Illustrated History of the Japanese Productions
Ryfle, Steve
Godziszewski, Ed
Hardcover
$71.25
Home But Alone No More: A Memoir From the Owner of the House That Made Movie History
Abendshien, John
Paperback
$15.19
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
Iger, Robert
Hardcover
$28.50
Guillermo del Toro: Cabinet of Curiosities [Reissue]: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions
del Toro, Guillermo
Hardcover
$57.00
Creativity, Inc. (the Expanded Edition): Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Catmull, Ed
Wallace, Amy
Hardcover
$31.35
F1 the Movie: The Making of the Most Authentic Racing Film of All Time
Salisbury, Mark
Medland, Chris
Hardcover
$47.50
Wes Anderson All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Narbonne, Christophe
Hardcover
$38.00
Barrymore: The Spectacular, Tumultuous Life of America's Prince of Players
Shulman, Terry Chester
Hardcover
$56.00
Jurassic Park: The Official Script Book: Complete with Annotations and Illustrations
Mottram, James
Crichton, Michael
Koepp, David
Hardcover
$28.49
Directing Actors - 25th Anniversary Edition: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television
Weston, Judith
Paperback
$28.45
The Museum of Wes Anderson: His Movies and the Works That Inspired Them
Mathieu, Camille
Chiaramonte, Johan
Hardcover
$33.25
Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
Rodriguez, Robert
Paperback
$17.10
Shoot Like Wes: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Own Wes Anderson Photography
Woodward, Adam
Paperback
$20.90
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen
Katz, Steve D.
Paperback
$33.20
Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking
Atkins, Annie
Paperback
$37.95
The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: Fifth Edition
Ascher, Steven
Paperback
$42.75
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Library Edition)
Katz, Steve D.
Paperback
$61.70
Easy Riders Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-And Rock 'n Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
Biskind, Peter
Paperback
$19.80
Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood's Hidden Genius
Courogen, Carrie
Paperback
$18.90
Notes on Directing: 130 Lessons in Leadership from the Director's Chair
Hauser, Frank
Reich, Russell
Paperback
$22.75
Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America's First Black Filmmaker
McGilligan, Patrick
Paperback
$18.99
The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition
Mercado, Gustavo
Paperback
$60.71
Confessions of a Casting Director: Help Actors Land Any Role with Secrets from Inside the Audition Room
Rudin, Jen
Paperback
$22.99
Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Bousquet, Olivier
Devillard, Arnaud
Schaller, Nicolas
Hardcover
$57.00
Producer to Producer 2nd Edition: A Step-By-Step Guide to Low-Budget Independent Film Producing
Ryan, Maureen
Paperback
$39.85
The Making of Wicked: The Amazafying Behind-The-Scenes Magic of the Films Wicked & Wicked: For Good
Bennett, Tara
Hardcover
$47.50
The Making of Hoosiers: How a Small Movie from the Heartland Became One of America's Favorite Films
Johnson, Gayle L.
Paperback
$19.80
The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, Tv, and Digital Media
Block, Bruce
Paperback
$64.67
Jaws 2: The Making of the Hollywood Sequel: Updated and Expanded Edition (hardback)
Smith, Michael A.
Pisano, Louis R.
Hardcover
$61.25
Make Your Own Movies: A Beginner's Guide to Filmmaking with Whatever Equipment You Have
Parga, Migue
Paperback
$28.45
Nights of Dan Curtis, Second Edition: The Television Epics of the Dark Shadows Auteur
Thompson, Jeff
Paperback
$43.75
Be the Train: The Mindset and Tools You Need to Make Your First Feature Film
Ringel, Selina
Paperback
$19.00
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg's Classic Film
Morton, Ray
Paperback
$32.13
Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema
Sonnenschein, David
Paperback
$25.60
The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design
Yoon, Felix
Le, Khang
Yamada, Mike
Paperback
$28.45
Rise of the Filmtrepreneur: How to Turn Your Independent Film into a Profitable Business
Ferrari, Alex
Paperback
$23.70
Art of Cinematic Storytelling: A Visual Guide to Planning Shots, Cuts, and Transitions
Brine, Kelly Gordon
Paperback
$40.59
Future Perfect: An Imaginative Ethnography of Mediterranean Illegalised Migration
D'Onofrio, Alexandra
Hardcover
$53.58
Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director
Haaga, Trent
Kaufman, Lloyd
Jahnke, Adam
Paperback
$23.75
Directing the Narrative and Shot Design: The Art and Craft of Directing (Hardback, B&W)
Kocka, Lubomir
Hardcover
$103.75
Hollywood Dealmaking: Negotiating Rights and Talent Agreements for Film, Tv, and Digital Media (Fourth Edition)
Appleton, Dina
Yankelevits, Daniel
Paperback
$37.95