Debate on Starting Documentary with News Footage

First I wanted to let folks know about my upcoming seminar at the San Francisco Film Society, “Structuring the Character Driven Documentary”, on July 10 and 11. It’s $180-$200 and you can register here: 

http://www.sffs.org/classes-and-workshops/upcoming-classes-and-workshops.aspx

If live outside the Bay Area or can’t make the date, the seminar is available online, so email me if you are interested.

Onward to the debate!

Last week I blogged about the benefits of starting your documentary with news footage, and a talented colleague begged to differ.

Ken Schneider, co-editor of the Academy-nominated “Regret to Inform“, emailed me saying, “I find the news opening a bit, um…pedestrian.  I want to know, in the first scene of the film-in the first SHOT of the film-that I am in the hands of a filmmaker.”

Ken goes on to say that it’s precisely this evidence of artistry early in the film that distinguishes us from TV journalists.

And I couldn’t agree with him more! End of debate.

So I am officially clarifying my stance.  Placing news footage near the top of your documentary will give your topic or character credibility with your viewers, and it can also seduce them with sexy, exciting footage.  However, your first shots are critical in conveying your authoring of the film.  So delay that news footage a bit.  (There are exceptions; see the newsreel footage of Lyndon Johnson in “Chicago Ten“, which acts as a great inciting incident.)

For more examples, Ken suggests looking at the soundwaves at the head of “Sound and Fury,” the POV into the darkened shack of “Brother’s Keeper,” the bees at the start of “Colony.”  These images all convey a sense of artistry, letting viewers know they are in the hands of a talented filmmaker, not a TV journalist.

Thanks, Ken, for the tip!

You can find a more in-depth discussion of this topic at:

https://newdocediting.com/2010/06/editing-a-sexy-news-hook-in-your-documentary/