Directing the Documentary

8. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-78927-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 540 Seiten, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm

Directing the Documentary is the definitive book on the documentary form. Focusing on the hands-on work needed to make your concept a reality, it covers the filmmaking process from top to bottom, providing in-depth lessons on every stage of production from idea development, pre-production, production, and post-production, while also addressing the nuances of documentary aesthetics, ethics, and career-building.

The 8th edition’s new, user-friendly structure integrates what were previously divided introductory and advanced concepts into a single, unified volume that supports both comprehensive study and selective reference. It moves fluidly from context and concept to planning, production, editing, aesthetics, and professional practice—forming an organized and comprehensive guide that mirrors the filmmaker’s own evolution of process, understanding, and vocation. This edition features a wider diversity of films and directors, inclusive language and terminology, an expanded discussion of documentary ethics, and updated coverage of documentary distribution practices.

By combining expert advice on the storytelling process, the technical aspects of filmmaking, and commentary on the philosophical underpinnings of the art, this book provides the practical and holistic understanding you need to become a highly regarded, original, and ethical contributor to the genre. Ideal for both aspiring and established filmmakers, this book has it all.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate, Professional Practice & Development, and Undergraduate Core

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hermann, Courtney

Rabiger, Michael

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Filmwissenschaft, Fernsehen, Radio Filmproduktion, Filmtechnik
• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Filmwissenschaft, Fernsehen, Radio Filmgattungen, Filmgenre
• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Filmwissenschaft, Fernsehen, Radio Dokumentarfilme
• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Filmwissenschaft, Fernsehen, Radio Filmdrehbücher

Inhaltsverzeichnis

0. Preface to the Eighth Edition  PART 1: YOU AND YOUR IDEAS  1. You and Film Authorship  2. The Nature of Documentary  PART 2: DOCUMENTARIES AND FILM LANGUAGE 3. How the Documentary Developed  4. Contemporary Documentary  5. Constructing Reality  6. Story Elements and Film Grammar  PART 3: PRE-PRODUCTION 7. Developing Story Ideas 8. Research and Pre-Visualization 9. Shaping the Story 10. Production Planning  PART 4: PRODUCTION 11. Partnerships 12. Sound 13. Lighting 14. Camera 15. Optics and Perception 16. Camera, Coverage, and Point of View 17. Directing Participants 18. Interviewing PART 5: POST-PRODUCTION  19. Getting Started on the Edit 20. Developing the Edit 21. Refining and Delivering the Film 22. Narration 23. Music PART 6: DOCUMENTARY AESTHETICS  24. Dramatic Development 25. Time and Story Structure 26. Point of View and Storytelling 27. Form, Style, and Creativity 28. Reconstruction in Documentary  PART 7: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 29. Values and Ethics 30. Developing a Career

Über Autor(innen)

Michael Rabiger began in the cutting rooms of England’s Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, became an editor and BBC director of documentaries, and then specialized for many years in the US as a production and aesthetics educator. At Columbia College Chicago he was co-founder, then chair of the Film/Video Department and founded the Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary. He directed or edited more than 35 films, gave workshops in many countries, designed and led a multinational European documentary workshop for CILECT, won the International Documentary Association’s Scholarship and Preservation Award, and was also awarded the Genius/Career Achievement Award by the Chicago International Documentary Festival. He is the author of Developing Story Ideas and co-author of the enormously successful Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics.

Courtney Hermann is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and Associate Professor of Film at Portland State University. Her films are distributed by the Public Broadcasting Service and its affiliates, through educational film catalogs, at film festivals, and via impact distribution to community partners. Her filmmaking centers ethical collaboration and amplifies stories and communities underrepresented in mainstream media. Her documentaries include Standing Silent Nation (2007), Exotic World and the Burlesque Revival (2012), Crying Earth Rise Up (2015), Burton Before and After (2018), and Outliers and Outlaws (2024).