Documentary in Practice

"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.