The Art of the Observer

A Personal View of Documentary

David MacDougall author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Manchester University Press

Published:25th Oct '22

Should be back in stock very soon

The Art of the Observer cover

The art of the observer is a personal guide to documentary filmmaking, based on the author’s years of pioneering work in the fields of ethnographic and documentary cinema. It stands in sharp contrast to books of academic film criticism and handbooks on visual research methods, being based extensively on concrete examples from the author’s own filmmaking experience. The book places particular emphasis on observational filmmaking and the ways in which this approach is distinct from other forms of documentary. It offers both practical insights and reflections on what it means, in both emotional and intellectual terms, to attempt to represent the lives of others. The book makes clear that documentary cinema is not simply a matter of recording reality, but of artfully organising the filmmaker’s observations in ways that reveal the complex patterns of social life.

'Particularly gratifying are the author's explorations of the work of his amateur collaborators, as in the chapter on films children in his video workshops made between 2011 and 2016. He respects their work and points of view and seems to have genuinely meditated on their insights without being patronizing. Mixing memory and analysis, this engaging book helps readers see the filmmaker and his craft anew.'
Choice
Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association.

ISBN: 9781526165350

Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 15mm

Weight: 399g

256 pages