Bill Nicols modes of documentary:
Reflective Mode
Questioning the authenticity of documentary in general (fits to the brief: make a “fictional” documentary)
Challenge the form and expectations you have by watching a documentary
Form in this mode: the mockumentary
Depicting an observational/expository documentary but completely fictional.
we will be subjective, getting across an absurd point, poking fun at all the tropes and play with convention
Eg. ‘What We Do in the Shadows’, ‘7 Days in Hell’, ‘Tour de Pharmacy’, ‘the Office’
Participatory Mode
‘When the encounter between filmmaker and subject is recorded and the filmmaker actively engages with the situation they are documenting’ (Nicols, 2010)
The filmmakers are as well the subjects of our doc as the sloth they are filming
Eg. Michael Moore, Louis Theroux
This allows for us to get our “subject” viewpoint across – and tell the narrative we want to tell
Documentary form & styles:
- the interview (authenticity & authority) off-camera & formal + informal interview style (sloth tending it’s plants, showing the special toilet procedure)
- ‘voice of god’ narrator style
- B roll (location shots of apartment, sloth going outside, close up of front pack, crew setting up/having discussions) providing visual variety and showing what’s being talked about and give pace to the doc and topics
- scenes (sloth running into friend) making the audience feel like they are there
- archival footage (old pictures of sloths, giving some backstory in introduction (giving historical context of development of community), also to explain certain features of the modified human sloth eg the 4 stomaches)
OUR MOVIE
Interior of the sloth apartment
The Sloth
Camera
Storyboards
Schedule:
Until Jan. 8th: Finish terrariums, finish costume and finalize dialogue
Jan. 8th-11th: Filming
11th-16th: Cutting and post production
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