Andy Grace Presentation

Andy Grace’s presentation was interesting and offered a new light on documentaries. I’m very used to the typical documentaries with a beginning and end. The old fashioned documentaries opens up by proposing a problem and then walking the viewer through what has been done about it, and what needs to be done. However, this new interactive documentary leaves it up to the viewer; they are able to view what they want, and ignore what they do not want to see. They can extract the specific information they want to hear and leave behind the leftover information they deem as not useful. This may seem like an intelligent way to engage with the younger viewers who have a shorter attention span and a bigger demand for more specific information; however, this is not the best answer to the demand posed by millennials. I believe that traditional documentaries allows viewers to obtain a wider perspective of the topic and see the whole story, as opposed to an interactive documentary. Even further, a documentary offers a whole topic, instead of just tidbits of information. I agree that this is the new path documentaries will take, however, I do not think that they interactive documentaries will overtake the arena. I do believe that millennials want more visually appealing information, instead of staring at a screen and ingesting information.

Documentaries have inspired movements and ignited change. If they were all online and set up as an assortment of facts, they will never reach full potential. A recent documentary, Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, discusses killer whales and how holding them captive in places like SeaWorld is dangerous and should not be done. Viewers went on a journey as they discovered hidden details about SeaWorld that never made it to the public. The documentary focused on one killer whale and his story from the beginning of his captivity to where he currently resides. The audience receives a beginning to end, informational narrative that offers an emotional storyline of this killer whale while also receiving other facts and viewpoints about SeaWorld and killer whales in captivity. From that documentary, a growing movement started, and SeaWorld is suffering, both financially, and with their public relations. I do not believe that if this documentary was an interactive piece online, that it would cause such an impact. Documentaries have the ability to tell a story, but also inform the public about a social justice issue that they may not recognize or understand. They should be visual and incorporate data and graphics, but they also be consumed in full, instead of just tidbits. Even further, when the viewer is in charge and actively choosing the information they view, it is less emotional than watching a full length documentary,

Abi Wright director of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, offers her thoughts after attending the future of documentary storytelling hosted by ONA-NYC. A main takeaway was the importance of good storytelling and using digital tools to enhance the story, not overshadow it. She believes documentaries are certainly evolving, but it’s no less important to make sure that you have a good story to tell, and you are telling it well.

Another article by Deniz Tortum explains how virtual storytelling is changing documentaries and how they are made. He discusses how storytellers are coming up with new ways to tell stories, and one of those ways is through virtual realities. At the Sundance film festival, several of these types of documentaries made an appearance. He makes it appoint to explain how virtual reality documentaries is more like video games, and less like actual films. It puts the audience right into the heart of the action, making them feel as if they are part of the story. While I admire the fact that they are utilizing this type of new technology, I agree with him that documentaries are moving away from being informative non fictions, and moving closer to entertaining video games. I believe this is the most concerning fact and that viewers need to treat them as sources of information instead of entertainment. Documentaries do pose serious issues and if they are solely treated as entertainment, that message loses its seriousness.

Another takeaway from Andy Grace’s visit was his comments on being called content creators instead of filmmakers. This new descriptive word is very vague. Who is considered content creators? In this digitized world where everyone has access to a computer, there are many people who create content, either for a blog or website. In fact, certain websites are solely based on content created by its audience. Websites such as reddit compile the content made by its audience which creates a very interactive community. I believe that society has too much content; the internet is suffering from content overload, where we now have to sift through and pick out the good content. Thus, I found that statement quite interesting, and how at a lecture, he would be told to start using that word instead of an “outdated” word like filmmaker. It appears that making films is less respected and perhaps less glamorous than before. Instead, a filmmaker joins the rest of the online society, creating content to add to the massive amounts already uploaded.

Thus, in this digital world, it appears that documentaries will now have to conform to the standards of today’s society. This means that traditional documentaries will be replaced with interactive ones. Although, I do not like, or agree with the latter type of documentary, both are great ways to engage those who do not have a TV, and those who do not like sitting through an entire presentation. Also, the term “content creators” is growing in popularity. The web is full of content, whether created professionally with an official camera, or on iPhone by young people who just want to make a video. I do agree that both types have a purpose and a place. I agree with Andy’s notion that both can, and should be done, for the same documentary. That would give viewers a chance to watch a film from start to finish, but also have that interactive, virtual experience, at their own pace. Different types of people do need to hear stories told in different ways. Once again, the most important aspect is that the story is told accurately.