Documentary Films Essay
Throughout the years, documentary films have gain esteem by viewers.
In contrary to a stage or screen performance, a documentary film displays real people living everyday life. For many viewers, the notion of documentary film is based on the genuineness of a normal individual playing his or her role in society; without being staged or designed by a producer. However, documentary films, in the aim to portray a daily routine, may encompass professional actors to reenact such performance. Bill Nichols, professor of Cinema at San Francisco State University and author of Introduction to Documentary, helps us distinguish the differences between a social and professional actor. Nichols explained that a social actor “presents themselves in everyday …show more content…
Based on Nichol’s definitions, we aim to compare both social and Social Actors, as Bill Nichols points out, is “the presentation of self in everyday life” which “involves how a person goes about expressing his or her personality, character, and individual traits, rather than suppressing them to adopt a role”. [Page 9] In other words, all that is required to be a social actor is the willingness to be a member of society. Individuals, whether they are peasants, landlords or bureaucrats, attempt to come to grips with the changing world around them by remodeling their behavior on the basis of existing cultural categories, ideologies, and formal background knowledge, in order to better interact with other individuals. Timothy Treadwell documented his journey while he lived with the grizzly bears of Katmai Park in Alaska for thirteen summers. His films portray his social role while living in the National Park. During the scene, The Lord's Humble Servant on Grizzly Man, Timothy, although talking to the camera, reflects his personal concerns and true personality. At this point, he projects his true concern of rain without filtering any emotion, or adjusting to fit into a role necessary to please his producer, which had none. In this scene, he shows himself on an ordinary day while living in the National Park. As an actor, Timothy’s performance was a self-presentation allowing him to be frank (while needing rain),
In contrary to a stage or screen performance, a documentary film displays real people living everyday life. For many viewers, the notion of documentary film is based on the genuineness of a normal individual playing his or her role in society; without being staged or designed by a producer. However, documentary films, in the aim to portray a daily routine, may encompass professional actors to reenact such performance. Bill Nichols, professor of Cinema at San Francisco State University and author of Introduction to Documentary, helps us distinguish the differences between a social and professional actor. Nichols explained that a social actor “presents themselves in everyday …show more content…
Based on Nichol’s definitions, we aim to compare both social and Social Actors, as Bill Nichols points out, is “the presentation of self in everyday life” which “involves how a person goes about expressing his or her personality, character, and individual traits, rather than suppressing them to adopt a role”. [Page 9] In other words, all that is required to be a social actor is the willingness to be a member of society. Individuals, whether they are peasants, landlords or bureaucrats, attempt to come to grips with the changing world around them by remodeling their behavior on the basis of existing cultural categories, ideologies, and formal background knowledge, in order to better interact with other individuals. Timothy Treadwell documented his journey while he lived with the grizzly bears of Katmai Park in Alaska for thirteen summers. His films portray his social role while living in the National Park. During the scene, The Lord's Humble Servant on Grizzly Man, Timothy, although talking to the camera, reflects his personal concerns and true personality. At this point, he projects his true concern of rain without filtering any emotion, or adjusting to fit into a role necessary to please his producer, which had none. In this scene, he shows himself on an ordinary day while living in the National Park. As an actor, Timothy’s performance was a self-presentation allowing him to be frank (while needing rain),