I spent Thanksgiving with my subjects, and although I was there officially as a guest, I found myself wishing I had my recording equipment. It was a unique opportunity to see my subject interacting with a different group of people, outside the usual settings of home and work. I was left with the question [...]
Author Archive
No “and then”!
11.7.09 by Liz Leave a reply »This past Friday, I had the distinct pleasure of somewhat surreptitiously attending a session for the radio students, focused on the topic of “Life After Salt.”
The discussion contained some great information that applies to folks outside of radio (for example: Salt alums should be your new best friends. Wine them, dine, them, schmooze them up [...]
the ‘holy grail’ of documentaries . . .
10.26.09 by Liz Leave a reply »For those of you lucky enough to have access to IFC, last week featured the six part Monty Python documentary series, Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut). As I do not have access to this calibre of cable programming (not to denigrate the quality programming provided by public access stations), I am hoping that [...]
Music as Documentary: Blue Scholars
10.15.09 by Liz Leave a reply »The conversation in class today got me thinking: if Stan Rogers’ Northwest Passage is a type of documentary, what other types of “documentary songs” are out there? Since folk songs don’t quite carry the torch as the music of our generation (though there are notable exceptions) I turned instead to a younger musical genre: hip [...]
Documentary Resources
10.11.09 by Liz Leave a reply »And even more important, remember that there is one thing that you owe your subjects, be they your roommates or a group of developmentally disabled adults -Honesty: honesty in your vision; honesty in what you tell your subjects about your project and its purpose; honesty in your approach to your subject; and honesty in what you present to your viewers.
if i were a boy . . .
10.11.09 by Liz Leave a reply »It’s the end of a long day shadowing my subject, and as I gather my things, I mention that I would like to come back the following week. My subject hesitates, and a sudden dread rushes through me. While I do my best to reassure him that I only want to observe his daily routine, he admits that my very presence causes him concern. Not concern that I am watching, but concern for my well-being. Am I warm enough? Am I getting everything I need? Am I hungry? These are the questions that plague him throughout the day, and I realize, with dismay, that my subject does not view me as a documentarian.
the freedom to be meaningless
10.6.09 by Liz Leave a reply »In her book The Writing Life, Annie Dillard writes of the “freedom” of writing, freedom to “select your materials, invert your task, and pace yourself.” Writers, unlike practitioners of radio or photography, are not confined to what occurs “in the moment.” We can tell our subject’s story as it happens, as they remember it, or [...]
Protected: WMPG Global Dance Party
09.30.09 by Liz Leave a reply »There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
