I . History of Documentary Film
A. Pre-1900-Early film was dominated by the novelty of showing an event. They were single-shot moments captured on film: a train entering a station, a boat docking, or factory workers leaving work. These short films were called "actuality" films; the term "documentary" was not refered until 1926.
B. 1900–1920-Travelogue film were very popular in the early part of the 20th century. They were often referred to by distributors as "scenics." Scenics were among the most popular sort of films at the time.
C. 1920s-Different time period of change of documentries.
1) Romanticism-Flaherty filmed a number of heavily staged romantic films during this time period. Often showing how his subjects would have lived 100 years earlier and not how they lived right then.
2)The city symphony-The continental, or realist, tradition focused on humans within human-made environments. And included the so-called "city symphony". Such as Walters Ruttman's Berlin.
3) Kino-Pravda-Vertov believed the camera — with its varied lenses. Shot-counter shot editing. Ability to slow motion.
4) Newsreel tradition- The newsreel is a tradition. Newsreels were also sometimes staged but were usually re-enactments of events that had already happened. Not attempts to steer events as they were in the process of happening.
D. 1920s–1940s-The propagandist tradition consists of films made with the explicit purpose of persuading an audience of a point. One of the biggest film was leni Riefensthal's.
E. 1950s–1970s- Change of Documentaries again.
1) Cinéma-vérité- In other words it was also called Direct Media. Was dependent on some technical advances in order to exist: light, quiet and reliable cameras, and portable sync sound.
2) Political weapons-In the 1960s and 1970s, documentary film was often conceived as a political weapon against capitalism. Among the many political documentaries early 1970s; "Chile: A Special Report".
3) Modern documentaries- Box office analysts have noted that this film genre has become increasingly successful in theatrical release with films like " Super Size me". Compared to dramatic narrative films, documentaries typically have far lower budgets.
4) Documentaries without words-Films in the documentary form without words have been made from 1982 untill now.
