Please blog a bit about documentaries as an art form/mode of teaching and learning. You can write about whatever you choose…some possibilities: the documentarian’s role in shaping the presentation of reality, their potential to create social change, their relationship to other forms of pop culture.
I believe documentaries are a direct product of pop culture, as they often focus on relevant topics and people. Documentaries are a powerful form of entertainment known to evoke the emotions of its audience. If more effort were put into using documentaries for social change, I think it would be highly effective because of this.
ReplyDeleteAs a mode of teaching and learning, documentaries provide facts that allow viewers to form their own opinions and interpretations, which is why I don’t think they play a crucial role in shaping reality. Nonetheless, they do raise awareness about many pressing societal issues by reflecting real-life situations, whether intentional or not. I remember watching the Ted Bundy documentary and I was appalled by how he committed so many crimes without being caught. But, when viewing it from a different stance, I realized his success was partially due to being an attractive white straight male. This one scenario highlights societal biases.
Documentaries are special because they show real-life stories and issues while adding the filmmaker’s unique view. The person who makes the documentary carefully chooses what to show, guiding us through big topics and often giving attention to voices we don’t usually hear. Watching documentaries isn’t just about learning, it can also change how we think by showing us injustices, sharing stories of strength, and challenging common beliefs. Unlike movies that might exaggerate or make things up, documentaries mix truth with creativity, connecting education with entertainment. This way, we think deeply and invite ourselves to join important conversations.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary I chose was Pushout, this film highlights the disturbing patterns of exclusion and mistreatment that young Black girls face within the U.S. educational system. Documentaries like Pushout offer a unique vantage point, allowing viewers to confront realities that might otherwise go unseen. In this film, the documentarian’s role is crucial, they bridge the gap between lived experiences and statistical data, shaping the presentation of reality to advocate for awareness and change. This form of media also has a profound relationship with pop culture, as it often aligns with and amplifies social movements, tapping into a larger dialogue and challenging perceptions. By creating an emotional and intellectual connection with audiences, documentaries wield the potential to spur social change, offering both a reflective and educational experience.
ReplyDeleteAs some people have said, documentaries have a close relation to aspects of pop culture. A lot of the documentaries that do well are because they are about relevant topics or unfold/give details about a recent event. Before this module, I knew that documentaries were mostly non-fiction and discussed real-life stories, history, events, etc. However, I never took into account the effect of the documentarian’s artistic choices on the presentation of the film. This would be obvious, but I don’t think it’s something that people think about often, if they aren’t critical about the things they watch. It’s like how we naturally gravitate to sources of entertainment or news that fit our political leanings.
ReplyDeleteRegarding social change and adding to my previous point, social change documentaries have a great amount of artistic manipulation because the documentarian is trying to get a particular view or point across to the audience. This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s important to highlight other perspectives or solutions to a social justice issue because it makes the documentarian’s argument stronger. For example, the Pushout documentary was about the criminalization of Black girls in schools. Even though a lot of the issues stem from the social constructs and stereotypes historically made by White people, the documentary failed to acknowledge that some of the issues come within our own communities as well (the Black community).
The documentary I watched, The Revisionaries, was one of the first that actually caught my attention. Part of this was because of the very far out views that one of the main people had. The director of the documentary said that it wasn't swayed one way or the other, but a middle ground introspection into the people making the decisions on the board of education. I think he did the best he could given how extreme some of the views were. He also did a good job of using it to push a message for change. In it he shows the result of an election for the board of education, which has a massive impact on textbooks nationwide since texas is such a big seller. The election however only had a 20% turnout. He emphasized the importance of voting for every position because you never know how much impact one position can hold.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are in interesting type of media since they are usually meant for not only entertainment but also to convey information. I think that they exists in an interesting space because there is a wide variety of types of documentaries, you have ones that are mainly focused on showing actual clips from real life events and trying to completely and accurately describe an event or time in history.While on the opposite side, you have people retelling a story with a focus of trying to entertain people. What I think really determines a documentary is the director, the director plays an integral role in deciding how they want to convey the story and ultimately have the most power in the final product. For example in the case of Gypsy Rose and her munchausen by proxy situation, multiple documentaries and shows have been made about the situation. Gypsy herself has said a lot of them do not accurately portray her experience, showing some directors care more about entertainment and the financial success of their project. While other pieces of media Gypsy has said are more accurate. I think having a director whose goals are clear to the audience is important, it should be clear whether there is embellishment of a story or it is putley made out of facts.
ReplyDeleteOne example of how a documentary might shed light on particular social issues while embodying these connections to popular culture is the movie "Precious Knowledge," which centers on the fight for ethnic studies programs in Tucson, Arizona. The film makes a strong case for the value of varied educational perspectives by documenting the experiences of both instructors and students.
ReplyDeleteI watched the Homeroom and I enjoyed the way the movie tried their best to show this movie as a documentary. The lives of students can be hard to show as realistic as possible, but I think this movie did well on it. The movie shows the lives of different students throughout the movie and how their school lives are. One of the main characters is in the student council and is fighting for the removement of police in the school. The movie was made in 2020 so most students had phones and were scrolling on tik tok or some other social network while in class. These students would see things happening on the internet such as police brutality's and began to fear and request the removement of them from schooling. The movie then switches to covid and shows more on the students home lives as they now needed to be seperated due to covid. Overall I thought this was a great attempt at a documentary however I don't believe its possible to create a documentary on students without placing cameras everywhere. A documentary must be made in a way were people are natural, as everyone will act different when there are cameras on them 24/7.
ReplyDeleteThis question is too open for me, but looking at documentaries as an art form is much smarter than as an educational/learning tool. Our hot takes in class were that the primary goal of documentaries was not to inform but to persuade. Maybe now, I wouldn't say the main purpose is to persuade but rather to entertain---a documentary is showing a specific person/party's view on a topic they are covering. The facts they choose, the scenes they film, who they interview, the tone, the soundtrack---these are all things that give insight into how an author views a subject. If I learn something new along the way, that's great, but after what we talked about in class the way I would watch a documentary from now on is the same as how I would listen to my friend talk about one of his interests; maybe they're much more educated than I am on the topic, but there's definitely things they're missing or a bias present.
ReplyDeleteRachel Wolburg
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are educational, but their only goal isn't solely to educate but also to entertain. Most documentary makers do not aim to purely throw boring information at the viewer but to feed it to its audience in a way that makes in alluring. The art of documentaries is that it gets its audience to care or be absorbed into something they normally wouldn’t take the time to educate themselves on. Because of this, they also hold great power in shaping a narrative to their liking. Some may be purely informative with good intentions, and others may choose to omit certain things in order to paint a certain picture in the viewer's mind. It’s an art in itself to be able to portray otherwise uninteresting information in such a way that brings an audience to care about it and remember that knowledge. It takes multiple tools to accomplish that: music, different angel shots, lenses, and sometimes even a narrator. Not to mention, you must make your subject appealing an interesting. The person in the documentary could be the most plane Jane to ever exist. However, it is the film's job to cast it’s subject in a light that can make others want to know their story.
Documentaries is an powerful art form that involves storytelling with education, allowing viewers to engage deeply with these real-world issues. Through their choices of narrative and focus, documentarians have a huge role in determining how reality is presented and how we perceive it. Documentaries have the power to significantly impact society by getting minorities and drawing attention to social injustices, inspiring viewers to think and take action. This relationship to pop culture further enhances this impact, as the docuseries and streaming platforms brings intense topics into entertainment with critical learning to create a better informed audience by bringing serious issues into the public.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries can be a very influential form of storytelling to me. I always feel moved and informed after watching one. I’m always trying to catch any inconsistencies to tell if there were any staged scenes or major dramatized scenes that weren’t relevant to the message. The true role of a documentarian is to just capture moments in life and not interfere but it can be hard to do that without altering the film to make it short and interesting enough to capture an audience and portray a specific message to the viewers. The documentary called “Homeroom” was very influential to me and really gained my interest. It showed a very important year in society's timeline, with the BLM movement picking up and everyone having to go through the COVID-19 pandemic and deal with that amount of change. There are some moments when I could tell that a clip might have been rerecorded or “staged” but they all helped in furthering the impact of the message and show the social change that was happening. I think documentaries are important to pop culture because they focus on certain topics that others may not be aware of to the full extent. Certain documentaries like these can only inform more people and not have a negative effect because that’s not the purpose of this style of film, it’s to show people's stories and give them an outlet.
ReplyDeleteI feel like documentaries are a form of a lot of aspects about how the world really is and about peoples lives. to which documentaries have a bunch of all kinds of backstory about things weather it is about a person on how they live their life, the history about certain events of things that happened in the past, or a whole outlook on how the real world actually is which definitely ties and relates to the pop culture of the real world.
ReplyDeleteI feel like documentaries are a form of a lot of aspects about how the world really is and about peoples lives. to which documentaries have a bunch of all kinds of backstory about things weather it is about a person on how they live their life, the history about certain events of things that happened in the past, or a whole outlook on how the real world actually is which definitely ties and relates to the pop culture of the real world.
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Documentaries are a reflection of the era's culture, especially when based on education or pop culture trends of the time. The focus on the backstory of people's lives alongside film making techniques can allow one's story to be engaging and leave a lasting mark on viewers. They help describe and document (ha) different perspectives and environments that are not easily explored or informed about without having people in that moment or environment describe their experiences.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries mix art and education by presenting real stories creatively in a new way to consume. They make complex topics easier to digest and highlight diverse perspectives. As a learning tool are really helpful.
ReplyDeleteAs we have discussed in class, documentaries may have certain narratives that can be created by the director, film crew or editors, and can never be 100% factual, but I generally like documentaires. Documentaries are a good way to easily digest information on a topic. Even though they are often meant for entertainment good documentaries can still teach a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary really promotes the powers students have, especially when they work together as one. It’s important to note this documentary was filmed between 2019 and 2020, when there was a mass cultural and societal shift. This was during a time of injustice, where people came together and protested against injustice. This documentary shows people, particularly students, are more capable than they realize and can and should advocate for change for the betterment of society.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are a great way to put the spotlight on the greatest and worst of humankind, while informing the audience of the context that surrounds that particular piece. For example when I was 10 I watched the Allen Iverson documentary with my uncle, it had a detailed report of every move Iverson had made from his high school days, up untill his retirement from the NBA, in fact this documentary was s detailed and moving that allen iverson has been since that day my favorite NBA player of all time.
ReplyDeleteBy fusing fiction with actual occurrences, documentaries are a potent art form that provide a distinctive perspective on the world. The goal of documentaries, as opposed to typical movies or fictional stories, is to offer factual information, but the documentarian's job is vital in determining how that reality is presented. The viewer's impression and emotional reaction can be greatly influenced by their decisions regarding what to include, how to structure interviews, the music, and the editing style.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries use real peoples stories and share them with millions of viewers. These stories are told and broadcast to people worldwide as a form of art. The directors use non-fiction films to show an event or someone's life story and attempt to make a change or bring awareness to said person. This differs from actual movies because there is usually no script or flashy scenes, and it is less dramatized than a high-budget Hollywood film.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are a unique art form that help us understand real-life events while teaching important lessons. Even though they show true stories, filmmakers make choices about how to tell them, which can shape how we see the world. Documentaries can raise awareness about big issues like social justice or the environment, encouraging people to take action. They also use movie-like techniques to keep audiences engaged, making education fun and interesting. With platforms like Netflix, documentaries have become popular entertainment, showing that learning about the world can be just as captivating as any fictional story.
ReplyDeleteChristine:
ReplyDeleteGoing into this module, I had a negative connotation with documentaries. Editing holds so much power in terms of shaping the narrative. Additionally the act of recording automatically shows a certain perspective, as I feel like things like camera position/angle in relation to subject, time of day, lighting, what’s being captured vs what isn’t are all factors that come into play when recording something which also affect how we see the subject. What’s being recorded might also be slightly different from reality simply due to the fact that it is being recorded. However, I’ve realized that if the documentarian is genuine and isn’t hell-bent on forcefully showing solely their desired narrative/agenda, documentaries can maybe serve as a way to help people learn about things they didn’t know before or learn about a topic from a different perspective. In that sense, I think even if the topics covered in a documentary get embellished or dramatized a little to form a narrative and therefore is a little like fiction, I think it can still speak to the reality and truths of the topic (assuming that the documentarian isn’t blatantly manipulating the footage in order to specifically spread their opinion or agenda). I guess it just needs to be clear that the documentary’s perspective is unlikely to speak for everyone and it shouldn’t masquerade as such. In terms of pop culture, it seems like documentaries get a bad rap, as people might consider them boring (at least based on our class discussion). Although it is true that I’ve never really chosen to watch a documentary outside of school, I think I’ve found the documentaries to be interesting. I think the only thing that might have thrown me off is maybe what could have been cut out or edited a certain way, which I’ve already talked about at length earlier Besides that, I don’t really have a problem with them, especially since the few I’ve watched done a good job in being informational to people’s experiences while also showing why we should care and engaging the audience with their emotions. I think this can be especially important since I feel like a lot of people tend to stray away from non-fiction stories in favor of fiction or fantasy stories (myself included), so documentaries can have an important job of trying to make people care about issues in real life (again, assuming the documentarian is responsible and sincere). Precious Knowledge was a documentary I loved and felt completely engrossed in while watching; part of it could be because I wholeheartedly agree with the ideas and beliefs behind the ethnic studies program, but I also think that the documentarians did a fantastic job in making a well-made documentary.
Before diving into the documentaries as presented by the class and into the subject as a whole, I believe documentaries to be sources of historical and present day fact. I believe documentaries to be unbiased almost and that they were almost like history books and could be taken as such. After reviewing my own documentary, "The Revisonaries," and listening to my fellow classmates presentations on their documentaries, I have a had a change of opinion. I now can see more clearly that documentaries do indeed pursue a bias and cannot always be taken as fully accurate or without methods of persuasion. For my documentary, I saw explicit and implicit biases against one side of the aisle as documented. This being said, I do think documentaries are a good source of education but should not go without watching realizing that in any form of media or art, there are included opinions and bias perspectives.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are a form of art I which an entire story and its context is layed out for an audience, often to inform, sway public opinion, and or follow the life of a public figure. Often documentaries are produced as videos narrated by a voice actor/ narrator. Documentaries have been around since 1922 and willl continue to exist as long as athletes, countrymen/women, so on a so forth, continue to shine and inspire in public spaces, and continue to make generations of legends to come.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are form of art that tells true stories in creative ways. They are real events stylized through the eyes of the director and through the narrative style they have chosen.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are a specific way to talk about world issues or nature. I personally don't like documentaries because they can be very slow paced, but they are informational for the most part. They use techniques to dramatize the scenes by music, sound effects, etc. Overall, documentaries are good for informational purposes.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries can be great tools to teach and learn from, but this also begs the question of to what degree is the documentary biased? Since many documentaries are trying to be informative about a singular subject, I do not think that there is an objective film. There is always some license in what gets cut out and what goes in. Learning is much more difficult when you only get one side of the story.
ReplyDeleteDocumentaries are a powerful and versatile art form for blending storytelling with representation towards education, to inspire, and to provoke emotion out of audiences. While researching for my group project documentary "Push-out", seeing those girls react their stories and see them physical go back into those emotions that they felt at the time was such a roll coaster. I appreciate documentaries focusing more on factual realities than fiction to provoke the audience.
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