Customer Reviews

Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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

 

 

This is an excellent guide for any potential filmmaker or fan of the Documentary Film genre.

Dr. Aufderheide is a leader in the field of documentary film (look her up on the web) and her affordable fact-filled guide is well worth the $10.

In a time when most authors write expensive 300-plus page texts, the "Very Short Introduction" series is a welcome alternative.

The text includes an insightful list of the best 100 documentaries, and an extensive list of reading resources.

I teach Advanced Documentary Film Production at the college level and Pat's guide is required reading for my course.

Aufderheide's small book is packed with information, but so beautifully organized you can actually find what you're looking for. Tight, cogent prose makes it both an excellent history of, and an inviting introduction to documentary film. And once you've read it, you have a nifty little handbook!

Patricia's short introduction is a great little book because the she hits all the biggies (film makers, modes, etc) of documentary film without the higher level conceptual stuff that makes Bill Nichols' book a hard read for my undergraduates. That is the good bit. On the down side, she cites a lot of non US films that are hard to get; that makes it less useful for small programs that don't have such an extensive film library. I will order this book again next time around. One thing is certain: The price is right!

This book fits in your pocket and covers the subject pretty well. Its tiny and so is the print but its definitely portable.

This brief book provides information about different types of documentaries and introduces some controversies (e.g., ethics and objectivity). The book might be better titled "an overview" rather than "an introduction". Its a bit difficult to read. Some of the vocabulary is understandable by the erudite or Brits only, unnecessarily hard to understand for an educated American unfamiliar with documentaries. There are many references to film titles and names appearing in sentences that were intended to explain concepts, making it a bit difficult to read for a novice who doesn't know the films. The list of a hundred great documentaries will be useful to follow up. However if the list was an annotated list, the reader would know something about the documentary, not just the title and year.