Documentaries in Journalism: Books on Documentaries

Surveys the history of the genre from 1895 to the present day. With the myriad social upheavals over the past decade, documentaries have enjoyed an international renaissance; here Barnouw considers the medium in the light of an entirely new political and social climate.

Examines documentary's political function, looking at issues such as gender, ethnicity and class. Explores the role of emotion and affect in contemporary documentary film, arguing that analysis of the sociality of the emotions is integral to advancing our understanding of the formulation of selfhood in documentary.

A step-by-step portable guide to creating documentary films, from the initial idea phase to postproduction processes and distribution.

The classic guide to making documentaries, now expanded for today's filmmaker. It traces two main approaches: recording behavior and re-creating past events. Covers all the steps from concept to completion.

McEnteer parses the politics of nonfiction films of recent decades, which together constitute an alternative history to many official stories offered by the government and its media minions. Shows how a strong independent documentary tradition grew from television's failure to sustain a commitment to the public interest.

Tracing the history of the documentary, this book addresses topics such as how documentary film language works, the problems of the soundtrack, first-person film-making, and more. Chanan argues that, without documentary, the public sphere is unable to function.

Drawing on the narrative tools of the creative writer, the strengths of a visual and aural media, and the power of real-world content truthfully presented, this book offers advice for producers, directors, editors, and cinematographers seeking to make ethical and effective nonfiction films.