Use of abstraction in composition and focal length, potentially to achieve moments of access for the viewer to insert elements of self into the scene and to cultivate empathy.
Potential use of long-form video portratiure as observational material.
Poor Bob.
Use of domestic spaces as ‘stages’ for interviews and play scenes. Intentional and subtly dramatized use of personal objects and spaces. The acknowledgement that the act of viewing alters an act or a space, an engagement with this as documentarians and subjects.
Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
The film is one of the few documentary projects we’ve come across that treats BDSM with respect, humour, and intimacy, and makes some suggestions about things you might do with it other than be a pervert. Which it doesn’t suggest ain’t a great thing to be.
She Male Snails
Beautiful, slow-moving, emotive film about transfemininity and becoming. Incredible compositions and colour casts, several re-creations of stories told in interviews. Blend of vignette and more traditional interview and observational scenes.
American Splendor
While the trailer does not include any footage from the actual interviews with its subject, Harvey Pekar, this is a hybrid documentary / biopic, which intrigues us in its blend of narrative types and by including both the people the film is about and the people who represent them as characters in the film. A good reference for layering versions of the same story, for uses of domestic space, and for the stylistic quality of the interviews, which create a blank stage into which are placed props representing several key elements of the story being told. The engagement of the filmmakers are apparent yet non-invasive.
Vernon, Florida
Vernon Florida is a beautifully shot documentary and piece of portraiture, and is primarily an aesthetic reference. Lots of long shots and a slow edit which serves the subject stylistically and structurally. We don’t expect that our subjects will be quite this weird, but if they are, fantastic.
Zucht und Ordnung
Another good example of documentary / portraiture that addresses BDSM play artfully, respectfully, and with a degree of curiosity and a lack of judgment. The full film can be viewed here: http://cb-player.com/en_EN/52599/ikf
Interviews on The Act of Killing
These interviews are of interest to us because they articulate sentiments on and theory about documentary which resonate with us – particularly around ideas of ‘truth’ and what it means to tell and re-tell stories, and to whom they belong.
Indie Game
The filmmakers here used a very similar kit to what we’ve got, and they use it well. The subject matter is very different and the aesthetic is rather different, but in terms of production quality this will give you some idea of where we expect to be. Reference this alongside our composition and colour casting diary.
