Intro to Documentary Response

The observational documentary is very interesting to me. The article describes this type as a "persuasive argument." Most people don't usually associate persuasion with film that isn't advertisement, or even an argument--we think of persuasion arguments belonging in writing. But, observational works in a similar way, presenting argument, or footage in the case of the documentary, that supports their thesis, or message. Although, it almost works reversely--the filmmaker might form an idea only after they have observed the evidence "through the lens." It seems that one might not even know quite what they're looking for, or what they might find prior to documenting. This is because live experience is spontaneous. Despite this information, a documentary can still be persuasive, depending on how the footage is presented. Another interesting bit that was mentioned in the article (concerning the observational type) is that the scenes are real, but tended like fiction. Everyday events can be formulated into a story, which can only be done from a observational perspective. Although some implications might be that there is a blur between fiction and reality, which is what caused much controversy in the documentary "Armadillo" (2010). There is also moral conflict concerning what should and should not be captured.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcwrLV-H5UU