Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In a new edition of this popular guidebook, filmmakers Alan Rosenthal and Ned Eckhardt show readers how to utilize the latest innovations in equipment, technologies, and production techniques for success in the digital, web-based world of documentary film.



All twenty-four chapters of the volume have been revised to reflect the latest advances in documentary filmmaking. Rosenthal and Eckhardt discuss the myriad ways in which technological changes have impacted the creation process of documentary films, including how these evolving technologies both complicate and enrich filmmaking today. The book provides crucial insights for the filmmaker from the film's conception to distribution of the finished film. Topics include creating dynamic proposals, writing narration, and navigating the murky world of contracts. Also included are many practical tips for first-time filmmakers. To provide context and to illustrate techniques, Rosenthal and Eckhardt reference more than one hundred documentaries in detail.



A new appendix, "Using the Web and Social Media to Prepare for Your Career," guides filmmakers through the process of leveraging social media and crowdsourcing for success in filmmaking, fund-raising, and promotion. A day-to-day field manual packed with invaluable lessons, this volume is essential reading for both novice and experienced documentary filmmakers.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface to the Fifth Edition (p. ix)
• Preface to the First Edition (p. xiii)
• 1 Introduction (p. 1)
• Part 1 From Idea to First Draft
• 2 Clearing the Decks (p. 7)
• 3 Getting to Work (p. 17)
• 4 Writing the Proposal (p. 30)
• 5 Research (p. 60)
• 6 Shaping the Film (p. 69)
• 7 Beginning the First Draft (p. 84)
• 8 Completing the First Draft (p. 99)
• Part 2 Preproduction
• 9 Budget and Contract (p. 119)
• 10 Preproduction Survey (p. 151)
• Part 3 Production
• 11 The Director Prepares (p. 169)
• 12 Directing the Interview (p. 182)
• 13 On Location (p. 197)
• Part 4 Postproduction
• 14 Editing (p. 209)
• 15 Writing the Final Narration (p. 228)
• 16 Finishing the Film (p. 265)
• Part 5 Special Cases
• 17 Making Your First Film (p. 273)
• 18 Cinema Verite (p. 279)
• 19 Documentary Drama (p. 291)
• 20 The History Documentary (p. 311)
• 21 Family Films (p. 327)
• 22 Industrial and Public Relations Films (p. 345)
• 23 Staying Alive: The Producer's Role, the Web, and Social Media (p. 360)
• 24 Conclusion: Problems and Challenges (p. 379)
• Appendixes
• A Using the Web and Social Media to Prepare for Your Career (p. 389)
• B Select Websites (p. 395)
• Select Bibliography (p. 399)
• Index (p. 403)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The recent TV documentary series "The Civil War," produced for PBS by Ken Burns, is sure to have an impact on the quality and number of documentary films produced in the next few years. One would suspect that as the Watergate investigations of Woodward and Bernstein in the 1970s influenced many students to pursue degrees in journalism, Burns's popularity may also increase enrollment in film and video programs all over the country. This book will become a helpful guide for these legions of students as they study the art and craft of documentary film. Rosenthal, with more than 60 films to his credit, writes about documentary film conceptualization and production with skill and authority from his many hours in the trenches. His use of personal experiences and those of his contemporaries successfully illustrates the planning, writing, and production phases of documentary film. The chapters covering cinema verite, documentary drama, historical documentary, and industrial public relations films will be particularly useful to the prospective film producer. Should be added to any library's collection on film and video production. J. M. King University of Georgia