Any good books on shooting documentaries?

C

Cube

Member
Hey guys,

I'm pretty new to everything, but documentaries seem like a nice start. Are there any legendary books on how to shoot a documentary?

'Cause I found tons of documentary books on Amazon, but I would like to know which ones are actually good. DOes anybody have a recommendation?

Thanks.
 
just got done with this one in a documentary film class. great read, cool insight, definitely not a "text book" feel to it. highly recommended
 
adamrahn said:
just got done with this one in a documentary film class. great read, cool insight, definitely not a "text book" feel to it. highly recommended
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thanks! i like the fact that it will cover filming live as well as reconstructing past events. i think i'll just get both.
 
yea, it is the lazy way of attaching yourself to a post...hehehe

you could also just click on the forum menu and subscribe, but posting to the thread is easier, and sinc ei have nothing to say, i just say subbin...hehehe
 
October Black said:
I like Shut Up and Shoot . It outlines everything you need to make a doc.
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When I saw this thread I knew I had to recommend this book, but it already has been! This book taught me EVERYTHING! There are so many good tips and lessons about not only documentary filmmaking, but filmmaking in general including camerawork, sound, lighting, dealing with people, finding locations, etc... I would definitely recommend this book over any other film book I have ever read...
 
My recommendations (I own all of these books myself):

Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary

Interactive documentary/website about documentary. It features interviews with many famous documentary makers which you can watch for free online. They also arranged it in way similair to shooting a documentary. Very well done. Over 4-hours of interviews. You can also buy it on DVD.

http://films.nfb.ca/capturing-reality/

The books I recommend:

Shut up and Shoot documentary guide

- Sheila Curran Bernard
Documentary Storytelling For Video and Filmmakers

- Michael Rabiger,
Directing the Documentary

- Anthony Artis
Shut UP and Shoot Documentary Guide

Those cover everything you need to know about documentary filmmaking. Rabiger's book features a lot of historical/background information on documentary filmmaking. The other two are more practical, especially the Shut Up and Shoot documentary guide, which is extremely practical with large color pictures.

I would buy all three but that might stretch your budget.
 
So I got the Shut up and Shoot Documentary Guide, and I had to say I was a little disappointed. It covered many obvious things, not really related to the actual making of the documentary (what to bring to feed your crew!? seriously?), but left out (a.k.a. just gave 2 pages to that topic) things like editing, and as far as i know it didn't even mention color grading at all, just as an example.
 
Re "Shut Up and Shoot" - I think the assumption is the reader is a first time filmmaker with minimal production knowledge. So you're right, Cube, a lot of his points are fairly obvious. For the basics, this is a good book. But you'll probably want something else if you're more advanced with your skills. (On a sidenote, I attended a seminar with Anthony Artis last year and he seems like a really great guy. Down to earth and very helpful!)

Re: Barnouw's "Documentary: A History of the Non-Fiction Film" - I heartily agree with dudeguy37. I was a teaching assistant for a documentary class in grad school and this was our main text book. Some students found it boring, but this is a must-read for those with a genuine interest in documentaries.

Has anyone read Barry Hempe's book, "Making Documentary Films and Videos"? (Edit: Oops, I see now that it's already been recommended! Was thinking of picking that book up for myself.)
 
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