Comments on: ———– Does Documentary = Film? —- ………………leave your comments…………… http://blog.hellasolutions.com/2007/01/does-documentary-film-leave-your-comments/ Documenting the documentor. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:33:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sarah http://blog.hellasolutions.com/2007/01/does-documentary-film-leave-your-comments/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Sarah Sat, 20 Jan 2007 07:10:00 +0000 http://blog.hellasolutions.com/?p=26#comment-2 I couldn't agree more Noah. I spend a lot of time feeling like I have to justify to people why I do audio instead of film and I'm tired of trying to prove that radio's a legitimate medium. First of all, that pisses me off. But secondly, I think audio has really different things to offer than film. Not to sound like a technological determinist, but I think it's a more intimate medium, I think radio pieces can create empathy more easily. There's something about having someone's voice in your head that's different than hearing their story while looking at them. When I'm listening to a really powerful radio documentary I feel like they're talking to me, just me, and I feel some sort of responsibility towards them because of it. Does that make any sense? <br />And the thing that's so frustrating is that right now there are only a few institutions that produce audio documentaries and they have their own particular style. And that style can be really stifling. <br />I'm jealous of people who do film not because of their medium, I like mine thank you, but because of the institutional supports they have for telling stories in NEW and innovative ways. There are all sorts of interesting alternative film festivals and communities but when I produce a story it's NPR or I just play it for my friends.<br />And I feel like we audio producers have to keep reinventing the wheel. <br />And I also think our culture emphasizes sight over everything else and different things happen when you have to create your own picture in your head. You're invested in a different way. <br />So not to make this a kind of theoretical question but I think it's more than does documentary=film. I think it's also why do we as a culture emphasize sight over all of the other senses and ways of experiencing the world. <br /><br />Just some ramblings from your fellow frustrated audio producer<br />---Sarah I couldn’t agree more Noah. I spend a lot of time feeling like I have to justify to people why I do audio instead of film and I’m tired of trying to prove that radio’s a legitimate medium. First of all, that pisses me off. But secondly, I think audio has really different things to offer than film. Not to sound like a technological determinist, but I think it’s a more intimate medium, I think radio pieces can create empathy more easily. There’s something about having someone’s voice in your head that’s different than hearing their story while looking at them. When I’m listening to a really powerful radio documentary I feel like they’re talking to me, just me, and I feel some sort of responsibility towards them because of it. Does that make any sense?
And the thing that’s so frustrating is that right now there are only a few institutions that produce audio documentaries and they have their own particular style. And that style can be really stifling.
I’m jealous of people who do film not because of their medium, I like mine thank you, but because of the institutional supports they have for telling stories in NEW and innovative ways. There are all sorts of interesting alternative film festivals and communities but when I produce a story it’s NPR or I just play it for my friends.
And I feel like we audio producers have to keep reinventing the wheel.
And I also think our culture emphasizes sight over everything else and different things happen when you have to create your own picture in your head. You’re invested in a different way.
So not to make this a kind of theoretical question but I think it’s more than does documentary=film. I think it’s also why do we as a culture emphasize sight over all of the other senses and ways of experiencing the world.

Just some ramblings from your fellow frustrated audio producer
—Sarah

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