Is Reportage Documentary Obsolete - Research Proposal Example

Is reportage documentary obsolete? Why? Introduction The invention of the photo camera during the 19th century had radically changed the world of visual presentation. With each subsequent period of development, photo journalism created stepping stones for new generations to evolve visual reportage. The use of the photographic camera and video camera during the 20th century likewise had provided better means to document, narrate and report the reality as it was. Today, as the medium of communication evolved technologically, so has the tools used for its dissemination. Traditional documentary reportage which could be defined as "a reconstruction or a re-enactment of another or place for a different audience, a graphing of history in and through the cinematic image and taped sound onto the present" (Rabinowitz 16) has proven useful a few years ago in reportage documentary but its usefulness has been superseded by other forms of documentary. For this reason, critics are of the view that reportage documentary has become obsolete while others argue its value still stands the test of time. Thesis Statement In the following section, the researcher shall explore the challenges facing reportage documentary, and prove that reportage documentary has become obsolete in the face of changing mass media and depreciation of factual sustenance. Discussion Contemporary documentary practices are strived with the rhetoric of truth, and the strategies for authenticity. In modern environment, where reality TV, camcorder autobiography, and YouTube’s are prevalent, the value of documentaries has become lost within the amateur images of "real life" stories. The essence of documentary could only be found in certain segments of the media where authenticity and reportage are still appreciated, and necessary. According to Maria Lind documentary film production mechanisms has transferred from the hands of the professionals with focused goals to reconstruct reality, to the ambivalent amateur teenagers. While journalism continues to be a mainstream reportage mechanism, documentaries has waned in value and content due to the culture of "truth production" sponsored by reality TV production houses (Lind 15). Indeed, Rabinowitz (2) is of the view that the bizarre movements from reportage to reality documentary have degraded the value of true documentary works. Instead, documentaries are nowadays reserved for creating notorious video films. More simply, documentaries are being used as the means for creating commercial projects on reels. For example Bonny Kleins Not a Love Story is a documentary which has been designed to create awareness about pornography and social degradation of women. While the documentary has been created with a specific purpose, it used commercial actors to construct the narrative thereby degrading the quality of reportage (Rabinowitz 2). On the other hand, modern day media has specific sets of standard for documentaries which are implemented to censor exploitation and vulgarity in content. Indeed, critics applaud such censorship with the view to curb the 19th century realist manipulation of filmic narrative. They believe that in order to cut down on the invasion of manipulation and exploitation of the film genre, censorship should be established to stop the excessive use of explicit contents. These radical views stemmed from the reality documentaries which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. Documentaries at the time recorded images of hungry migrants, deprived children and the images of poverty of the liberal society in urban America, caught on camera by the Farm Security Administration photographers (Rabinowitz 3). While at the time reportage documentary of these natures were appreciated, and considered to be valuable material for communicating social and economic woes of America, they were considered to be too "real" and highly repulsive to the high class society. Thus, the discourse behind reportage documentary a century ago was inherent in the fact that journalistic reportage enlightened audiences, and drove them towards change. The realities recorded within films like Henry Mayhews London Labor and London Poor, The Conditions of the Working Class in England by Engels, and Robert Flahertys Moana, contributed towards some form of social applications or the other. They accounted for real life situations, with real life people and real life actions, and involved the photo journalists (Rabinowiz 4). Today, the discourse for documentary differs from the yester years. Technological change has enabled photographers and film makers to transform the way the audience sees things. The different media technology such as television, Internet, radio, photography and newspapers demand interpretation of the truth. Historical documentaries have gained more popularity while reportage documentary of current events have become reduced in value to the reportage of news items. Narrative has become a problematic area especially when audiences require dramatic elements in interpretation and story telling attached to the documentaries. PBS American Civil War and the WGBH Columbus and the Age of Discovery all have been the result of interpretation and recounting of historical events rather than reportage. These documentaries have been designed with special commercial purposes, involving biased viewpoints of the filmmakers rather than based on facts alone. The element of reportage therefore has been diminished from the media scenario by the end of the 20th century. The problem has been inherent in the audiences exposure and the filmmakers treatment of their audience which has given rise to the production of movie documentaries such as Alistair Cookes "America" which represented modern interpretation of the United States (Rosenthal 251). Other challenges for reportage documentary genre have been ethical considerations for practical film production, topics for documentaries, problem of audience, and more importantly commercial value to the producers. The dimension of real life reportage has consequently become reduced and instead, documentary framework encompasses drama, vulgarity, explicitness, performances, monologues, and acting out of "real life" stories. Harper (69) is of the view that the conventional reportage documentary form has become obsolete in the face of subjectivity. As more and more documentary makers change their professional course from conventional to contemporary video making, their work has been greatly affected too. For Marlon Riggs for example, reality reportage can be recorded on video recorders, with minimal theory or ideology behind the concept of the documentary. Tongue Untied by Riggs has challenged the premise of reportage documentary and standard for televised documentary. For many Riggs work has little value while others consider it a professional feature documentary which coincidentally has commercial and public value. On the other hand, Tongue Untied is also considered to be the production of unprofessional approach to documentary in which the film maker engaged actors to deliver dialogues, monologues and poetry readings, and footage standards have been unrelated to the theme of the documentary (Harper 69). These aspects lead one to question to the cause for the change in attitude, professionalism and manifestation of reality TV type of documentaries. According to John Grierson (Aitken 1), the documentary movement has many competing and challenging accounts. Its interpretation and theories are inherent in the genre of films and its relationship with modernity, democracy and society. Modern documentary movement demonstrates that there has been a gradual growth of the realist paradigm which demands film makers to adapt to the changing environment. The essence of change in modes of documentary lies in the issues that plague modern day mass communications. The significance of public relations, propaganda, and egalitarian principles which underlies democratic regimes has given rise to a mass society. This society is hungry for public information whether constructed or realistic. When the medium of film has been taken up for the purpose of building democratic political framework, its outcomes have become tarnished with biased reportage. Moreover, since mass communication mechanism and framework are governed by the authority and producers, they are likely to present only what they interpret as relevant (Aitken 4). Another challenge that documentary practitioners face is the desire to deviate from factual sustenance. The emergence of cinematic motion, the implication of scientific projects and the desire for subjectivity all contributed towards the deviation from objective documentary which is the essence of reportage documentary. The arguments of subjectivity and objectivity can be explained thus: subjective documentary represent the subject or things as impressions while objective documentary is the result of the actual consciousness as perceived by the documentary maker. The distinction between the two is that subjective films are the result of impressions rather than facts while objective films rely on factual evidence. Journalistic reportage documentary is linked with objective construction which is difficult to achieve in contemporary settings as practitioners are used to subjective construction contaminated by observations and common knowledge (Renov 174). Moreover, contemporary films and photography is considered to be an art more than a tool for reporting. Films and photographs are being used to recreate layers of imagery to denote the perception of the "artist". Workmanship is considered to be inherent in the art of abstraction while the essence of the documentary has been lost. The absence of objective and subject are widely accepted as a form of lure to activate mental imagery, and to be used to forcefully induce stimulation for creating an audience. Thus, the visible trap according to experts is critical for creating nonfiction films. By contrast, reportage documentary films are holistically dependent on subjects in the narrative, and the real circumstances the basis of which the documentary is made. Reportage documentary therefore lacks dramatization; it stands for fundamental evidence; and it does not attract audiences. This approach to filming is no longer appreciated as compared to the drama-induced camcorder recorded reality films which uses the element of suspense, action and complexity in plots to appeal to a vast audience (Renov 95). Even though, documentary is linked with modernity, it is today considered to be a projection of social engineering. The search for universal truth, standards, justice, and beauty led documentary has given birth to handy cam documentaries. There is little left of the legible documentaries which report of events, pinnacle moments, autobiography or the elaboration of social malaise. Instead, contemporary reportage documentary refers to practices which engage digital and interactive technologies to present their version of nonfiction films. The modern documentary is more a padded narrative of the individual rather than the scientific evidence of reality and true knowledge. Documentaries therefore have deeper connotation in the face of changing mass media society laced with false pretenses, reasonable doubts, characterization and narrow intellectual input (Renov 132). Therefore critics often stress on the ethical concerns related with reportage documentaries such as evidence, primary good, morality etc. which call for social screening. Instead, it would be better to have recreated documentaries which are guaranteed to have presented with a purpose and audience. Conclusion From the above discussion the researcher established that reportage documentary has become obsolete with the advent of new technological development and usage of mass communication media. The new mass media environment demand subjective image presentation involving ethical subjects and contents. The new type of audience thrives on drama, suspense and interesting content rather than face the morbidity of reality. Moreover, they can relate to documentary of ordinary events of life which can be recorded on handheld cameras rather than the heavy dose subject of gays, pornography or abuse etc. This type of audience does not have an appreciation for in-depth documentary which journalistic reportage is made of. Not only this but professionals are also deviating from their traditional roles of reporters. Instead, they tend to focus on the subject which interest mass audiences rather than go into the intricate details of reportage. Challenges in society proliferated to documentary genre in the second half of the 20th century, and breed a new generation of documentary film makers and photographers who use their training to create art rather than documenting of facts of life. Thus, the tools for making documentaries have become the tools for artistic endeavors. As a result, one observes there are more documentaries which uses layers of imagery, perception and representation of the consciousness rather than the events of history. These aspects consequently led to the demise of reportage documentary even though contemporary society could make use of reportage documentary to create awareness, initiate social change and to report history. References Aitken, Ian. The Documentary Film Movement: An Anthology. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh 1998. Harper, Phillip Brian. Marlon Riggs: The Subjective Position of Documentary Video. Art Journal Volume: 54. Issue: 4. Publication Year: 1995: 69+ Lind, Maria. The Greenroom: Reconsidering the Documentary and Contemporary Art. CCS Bard Hessel Museum. 2008. Rabinowitz, Paula. They Must Be Represented: The Politics of Documentary. Verso: London. 1994. Renov, Michael. The Subject of Documentary. University of Minnesota Press: Minneapolis, 2004. Rosenthal, Alan. Writing, Directing and Producing Documentary Films and Videos. Southern Illinois University Press: Carbondale, IL. 1996: 251. Read More