What is bias?

Evan S

Evan S

Veteran
So the defintion of bias is this.

bi·as Audio pronunciation of "bias" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (bs)
n.

1. A line going diagonally across the grain of fabric: Cut the cloth on the bias.
2.
1. A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.
2. An unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice.
3. A statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others.
4. Sports.
1. A weight or irregularity in a ball that causes it to swerve, as in lawn bowling.
2. The tendency of such a ball to swerve.
5. The fixed voltage applied to an electrode.
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We want to look at the bolded part. So bias is basically "leaning to one-side". In the case of docu's they usually lean to one side. If doc's are considered unbias does that just mean the person reviewing it agrees with what the doc' is saying? So therefore they feel it is not being bias and rather unbias? How does someone make something that is unbias? In narritive and docu's? Is it even possible?

Maybe, I am looking to much into it. However, if I like a documentry and someone else doesn't does that mean the docu' is then bias?

It's endless!
 
Every person has a bias about most every subject. It is impossible to be completely impartial. The key is can you recognize your bias and attempt to put it aside and be as objective as possible. I think you can regard a docu as of quality with good research and forethought without agreeing to the content. For example, I dont agree with everything Michael Moore says but I think he has really giving a lot of attention to documentaries in recent years and sort of been the "Spielberg" of docu.
 
What they said....

You'll almost never find a documentary about a controversial (that being the key word here) subject that is unbiased. Politics, Religion, etc...people feel too strongly towards these subjects so when they make a doc about it, the doc tends to favor their opinion.

If you watch a straightforward animal documentary for example, that is, as Joe Friday would say, "just the facts ma'am", that is an unbiased documentary. The creators are just showing you with words and pictures the day in the life of this animal. Now if the creators took a side or had a strong opinion like, "ALL SNAKES SHOULD BE EXTINCT" and if they showed you that with pictures and words, favoring all of the negative connotations with which we sometimes attach to snakes (i.e. they are scary, they have fangs, they can bite and kill people) then you are getting an unbiased product. Its favoring one side and not delving into the opposing opinion that snakes are good...snakes eat bugs, snakes are harmless unless threatened...etc.

Does that make sense?

If you like a doc and your buddy hates it, it doesnt mean that its biased. It could mean that you loved the shooting style, the editing worked for you, or you felt the choices the director made were right on. Your buddy might have felt otherwise....
 
I'm trying to understand the steps to creating better work. I feel the less bias your work is the more people will like it. Obviously, you would have a wider range of audience. I believe speilberg makes generally unbias stuff (SOMETIMES). No one really like the film Troy. I did though, I thought the way it showed both sides was great. Much like the devil's rejects showed the good and bad of both side.
 
I think you are confusing points of view vs. creative license. When you or any filmmaker has a point of view and you want your work to convey this message, you are going to be creating a biased piece of work that reflects your political and social points of view.

However, if you are telling a story...your work can be as biased or unbiased as the script will allow. If you are telling a story about two people who meet at a busstop and fall in love...well, not much to go there in the way of bringing your own prejudices to tell the story...unless the storyline gave you license to do so...i.e., one of the characters had strong religious beliefs that differed from the other character and as a filmmaker you decided to favor the points of view of one character rather than give both points of view equal treatment.

Does any of this make sense or am I babbling? Where is John Hudson with his to-the-point and very direct one sentence answers, when you need him?
 
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