Documentary research paper

Three to five-page (or 2000 to 3500-word) research paper on a documentary of your choice.

I INTRO

Name of film, costs of film, profit of film, thesis of film. Was there an event or social movement that may have inspired the director?

II BACKGROUND

Who is the director and/or production company, where are they from, any student work of note, work before researched film.

Who is the DP, other notable crew members who had work or would go own to work on other important(?) documentaries or film works.

How was this this film financed? Who financed it? Did it win any awards?

III FORM

What was the method of filming — what kinds of storytelling devices are used e.g. narrative, camera-work, et al. Use academic film language to designate and discuss.

Is there a compilation of footage? Is it film, video, newsreel or other?

What is the nature of the score? Is it composed for the film (by whom?) or is it a compilation of pop music, classic music or other well-known works? Who are the artists behind the music?

IV FUNCTION

Did the films thesis resonate with its intended audience? How did critics (online, newspaper, TV, etc al) respond.

Was it the impetus for a movement unto itself? Was it the impetus for blowback?

Sensational or anti-climatic?

What did the director and/or production company do after this film — another movie on a similar subject or something altogether different?

V CONCLUSION

Using film language and academic scholarship, offer an informed critique of the documentary — the merit of its thesis, the execution within its form, and the impact of its function.