Media: Documentary Film

Documentary films are no more or less creative than other genres of film. Think about it. Every film is based on a story. There is usually a theme, a plot, an introduction, climax and descent. There is always an agenda. There is always a degree of honesty and not. There is always a mad creator behind the scenes spinning a tale, taking the audience on a journey through the dark recesses of his own mind. Pulp Fiction originated from the same place inside the skull of QT as Ken Burns' Brooklyn Bridge. This is not a criticism on documentary film--quite the opposite. Every filmmaker is first captivated by an idea--an idea he falls in love with, and his imagination leads him to create a world to encapsulate that love--film. This is the fabric of the best documentaries.

Sure, documentaries are different than most film genres in that they are films that capture subjects happeneing in reality, or past realities... even speculation on future realities. They are a nonfiction film genre meant to "document" reality. There are subgeres such as historical, journalistic, ecological, social and biographical to name a few. While creativity is essential, the best documentaries are based on extensive credible research. Forgive me, but this is important so I'm going to repeat it: Credible documentaries are research-based.

Because documentaries are considered a cridible source based on the research utilized, they are an unusually powerful and profound film genre, which has played an increasingly powerful position on the global platform. Film is able to bring global issues to light, in a believable, credible fashion, showing the world what crisis and injustice truly is and what can be done to help change it.

At its best, documentaries celebrate the diversity of life and engage audiences with compelling stories of the actual, inviting them to explore the significant issues of our time. They can give a powerful presence to the most powerless and impart grand magnifience on that which often goes unseen or overlooked.

Creativity + Research = Power to Change