ISSUE 24

Films I must watch:

ALL ERROL MORRIS DOCOS INCLUDING

 +THIN BLUE LINE

+MR. DEATH

+TABLOID

I went to see 'Page One: Inside The New York Times'(Andrew Rossi) yesterday. The documentary examines the demise of print journalism in the USA. It is carried largely by one particular reporter. He is the perfect protagonist for the documentary as he has an interesting but not an irritating voice, a great face for camera, and has lead what he calls a 'textured' life. He is likeable and funny and intelligent. If it weren't for him, the film might've lost its appeal after 30 or so minutes. I learnt a lot from watching this film:

+Open the film with an arresting image. This film could've chosen a better first image, I felt. The opening sequence of the dreary factory in which the paper was printed did not excite me at all.

+Use one particular person to revolve your story around. A documentary that follows too many different people, or vaguely follows someone will not work. Use someone who is interesting - whether it is their history, their humour, their face etc.

+Make sure what ever is included in the film is somehow able to be brought back to the main point you are trying to make. Much of this film felt lost to me - like there wasn't a real awareness of the underlying message throughout every story.

+Sometimes, in documentaries, it is best to finish withholding a little bit of information from the audience. This keeps things interesting and keeps the audience guessing, thinking about the film even once they've left the theatre.