What does it mean to be a documentary filmmaker in today’s world?

How are new technologies changing documentary filmmaking?

What new forms of documentary are emerging?

Recent technological developments have made the making and distribution of documentary films easier and more widespread than ever before. Creative Documentary: Theory and Practice is an innovative and essential guide that comprehensively embraces these changing contexts and provides you with the ideas, methods, and critical understanding to support successful documentary making. It helps the aspiring ‘total filmmaker’ understand the contemporary contexts for production, equipping you also with the understanding of creativity and visual storytelling you’ll need to excel. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, it outlines the contemporary, institutional, practical and financial contexts for production - always encouraging innovation and originality.

Key features

• Five sections covering creativity and creative documentary and the contemporary creative industries: strategies for developing documentary ideas; the art of documentary narrative; digital production methods; new documentary forms; distribution and financing.
• Provides a comprehensive overview of critical thought and techniques in digital documentary filmmaking.
• Authors and specialist contributors combine the experience, knowledge and skills of academics and media professionals working in the industry.
• Practical case studies support analysis and reflection.
• Exercises, checklists, interviews with professionals and further reading materials accompany each chapter.
• A historical overview of world documentary.

Creative Documentary: Theory and Practice is an essential guide for those engaged in the study and practice of documentary theory and making, as well as key reading for those more broadly interested in video, film and media theory and production.

Visit our media and journalism website at www.pearsoned.co.uk/mediajournalism to find links and resources for this and other Pearson titles.

Wilma de Jong is a documentary filmmaker and teaches documentary theory and practice in higher education. Prior to this Wilma ran her own independent production company for 14 years.

Erik Knudsen is a filmmaker and teacher in higher education, working across fiction and documentary, and also runs his own company.

Jerry Rothwell is a documentary director who has worked within television, interactive production and cinema. His work also draws on participatory and community arts practices.