Customer Reviews

Directing the Documentary, Third Edition

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An excellent book, especially for those who are new in the field. Among other things, Michael Rabiger guides you through a brief history of the documentary genre, helps you discover your creative identity, acquaintes you with the film vocabulary, and introduces you to the genre through a variety of projects that you are encouraged to undertake. Directing the Documentary is definitely a textbook (no wonder it's one of the "must read" books at the Department of TV Documentary in Goldsmith's College in London) and Michael Rabiger is an excellent teacher. Lacking the pretentiousness of many other teachers, he uses simple language to describe various aspects of the documentary and never underestimates his reader / student. A lover of the genre himself, he knows how to make you feel confident for having chosen the documentary as a career. He never patronizes you and all the advice that he gives is given with a friendly and generous tone. Mr Rabiger is a thoughtful and sensitive teacher, but also an excellent author, or "storyteller," as he prefers to call the documentarist. His words flow, like in a good novel, making you want to read on and on, while at the same time they are so pregnant with meaning that they make you stop and think about them. Having read his book, and being a student myself, I would like to say a warm "thank you" to Mr Rabiger for his sensitivity and generosity as a teacher.

This is probably the best book on directing and producing a documentary film that I've come across.  A lot of books on filmmaking seem to be written by people who've never really made any films but can rehash what others have written on the subject and sell their advice.  Rabiger's text is different, this is a text written by a seasoned documentary filmmaker that makes every chapter an insightful and useful reading experience.  It may price a bit more than other documentary texts but it's worth the money spent in what you'll learn over the other books

Rabinger as a writer has a superbly no-nonsense approach to his subject matter, and the book covers every aspect of the life of the documentary film. He explores the key elements of creating the the work (or body of work) and fits a series of practical steps and tips for each element.

These elements include: Historical Background, Preproduction, Production, Post-Production, Technical Basics, Projects for Developing Skills, and Career Track.

The appendices and the annotated bibliography are very useful, and the book is worth the price just for these additions.

Directing the Documentary is an essential for a student of film.

This guide gives an excellent, step by step, overview of film making in general. It examines in detail the three stages of production and gives good examples of useful forms for the organization of production. The pre-production section was most valuable. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the making of documentary films.

Now in its fourth edition, Directing The Documentary is a no-nonsense guide by veteran documentary director Michael Rabinger, who has directed or edited more than 35 films including many documentaires for the BBC. A comprehensive resource, Directing The Documentary covers issues of aesthetics and authorship, how to develop one's artistic identity while staying true to the source material, skills of screencraft, issues to keep a close eye on in preproduction, production, and postproduction, the educational background needed to direct documentaries and how to go about getting work in one's chosen field, and more. From knowing when to use narration and when to be aware of its drawbacks, to being acutely aware of schedule logistics with respect to different types and lengths of documentaries, to important legal issues to remain aware of - not the least of which is the personal release form in which signatory individuals allow one to make public the material that has been shot - Directing The Documentary is an absolute "must-have" for any would-be nonfiction movie director. An in-depth resource that spares no detail, positive or negative, about the highlights (and headaches) of documentary direction.

Rabiger is simply one of the basics for any willing filmaker. His insigth and the way he handdles documentaries goes beyond anything that I have seen before. I belive the most impotant thing on the book is his emphasis on the human side of this kind of films.
The last chappters of the book really fall a little, but I belive it is an excusable flaw because of the high quality of the rest of the book. Thanks to Mr. Rabiger I am very ahead of the rest of my documentary class in production, language and structure.

This book contemplates the full scope of documentary film or video making, from coming up with the idea through to post production. Rabinger is a good writer and film historian, who is able to draw upon examples from both his own work and from the work of others to illustrate his gospel. The book is clear and well laid out - and although expensive it is well worth the investment for anyone contemplating making their own documentary films.

Although structured as a textbook, there is a great deal of advice and basic information for the independent filmmaker as well. Particularly helpful is advice on choosing a crew and on stages of post-production, that area filmmakers are most likely to underestimate in terms of time committment and importance!

I already use Rabinger's "Directing" tome as my filmmaking bible, and always refer to it when planning productions and right before shooting. So when I started a documentary project, I knew I had to get this version dedicated to that aspect of filmmaking. I was not disappointed. Right away, his advice improved my project planning and helped me make a much better project pitch than I originally had. And once again, it's loaded with practical advice that's very easy to read and use. Rabinger knows how to put together a great reference resource. Too bad all books weren't put together like these.

I am currently writing a documentary for a feature length film, and found Michael Rabiger's book informative, subtle, and well structured. Having received a documentary film class at University, I had already learned about the basic tools of the medium. This book provides a masterclass in documentary filmmaking, and prepares you for the demands of documentary filmmaking. I recommend it to students and professionals alike.