DOCUMENTARY

DAVE SAUNDERS' SPIRITED INTRODUCTION TO DOCUMENTARY COVERS ITS HISTORY, CULTURAL CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT, AND THE APPROACHES, CONTROVERSIES AND FUNCTIONS PERTAINING TO NON-FICTION FILMMAKING. SAUNDERS EXAMINES THE MANY METHODS BY WHICH DOCUMENTARY CONVEYS MEANING, WHILST EXPLORING ITS DIFFERING SOCIETAL PURPOSES. AFTER A HISTORICAL CONSIDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION, THE AUTHOR EXAMINES THE IMPACT OF RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS ON THE PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND VIEWING OF NON-FICTION. IN ADDITION, HE EXPLORES THE INCREASINGLY HAZY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN FACTUAL AND DRAMATIC FORMATS, DISCUSSING 'REALITY TELEVISION', THE 'DOCU-DRAMA', AND LESS ORTHODOX APPROACHES INCLUDING ANIMATED AND FANTASTICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF REALITY. DOCUMENTARY ENCOMPASSES A BROAD RANGE OF ACADEMIC DISCOURSE AROUND NON-FICTION FILMMAKING, INTRODUCING READERS TO THE KEY FILMMAKERS, MAJOR SCHOLARS, CENTRAL DEBATES AND CRITICAL IDEAS RELATING TO THE FORM. THIS WIDE-RANGING GUIDEBOOK FEATUR