ABSTRACT
Readers will learn how to distinguish between different types of media assets (verité, archival, stock, title cards, narration, re-enactments, etc.) and how to decide which of these elements to employ for the most successful storytelling results. A “hierarchy of experience” chart helps readers to identify footage on a scale of how close it brings the audience to first-hand experience. A “hierarchy of intervention” chart helps readers to identify footage on a scale of how much intervention from the filmmaker each type of footage betrays. A third chart gives a detailed rendering of the potential advantages and disadvantages of all documentary assets. Finally, a discussion on the “limits of verité” gives important examples of situations in which verité footage is limited in its usefulness, and where elements like title cards and re-enactments may be highly effective.
