Use this space to do a little thinking/writing about your thinking so far about documentaries. Did our discussion in Wednesday's class make you rethink any that you've watched (or rethink how you think about reality TV, or related things?)? If you are at a loss about what to write, feel free to write about either or both of the two short videos we watched (the bachelorette preview or "About Employment"). They are both linked in our Canvas page from Wednesday's class.
I love documentaries and I think yesterday's discussion made me think about the many documentaries that I have watched and the different themes that are out there. I do not watch reality tv often as it isnt entertaining to me but I love documentaries or docuseries as they are interesting to me. I think the ones we will watch will be entertaining.
ReplyDeleteOur discussion in class definitely changed my perspective on documentaries and reality TV. Before, I thought there was an obvious distinction of what differentiates reality TV and documentaries but now its clear to me that most of the time the line between the two is blurred. Both attempt to capture real occurrences and real people and they also both have influences from whoever is creating them since the goal is to portray a certain narrative.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t watched a lot of documentaries, and I can’t remember the last one I watched. I always hear about new releases, but it’s not typically something I would watch. Our discussion in Wednesday’s class made me rethink what pieces would be considered documentaries. I would have never considered putting reality TV shows under the category of documentaries, or anything under an hour in time length would be a documentary. However, after watching The Bachelorette trailer and “About Employment,” I am reconsidering what exactly I think is under the umbrella of “documentaries.” Specifically, the reality TV show preview made me think about how fabricated documentaries may actually be while I’ve always thought they were close to authentic and lacked any influence from production. Additionally, the 5-minute run time of “About Employment” made me think about how some other longer form documentaries could be cut down to provide the same message. I probably still wouldn’t consider watching a documentary over a movie or TV show, but our discussion pointed to a great perspective which made me think if I watch documentaries more frequently than I think.
ReplyDeleteI watch a bit of reality tv, both American and foreign, but our discussion has changed a little bit of what I think about them. As far as documentaries go, I don't usually watch those. However, the "About Employment" documentary was interesting and made me want to watch more. I wish we could have watched "The Smartest Kids In The World" because it seemed so interesting.
ReplyDeleteI don’t watch many documentaries, however, in the past I watched a lot of crime documentaries which I was very fond about since it illustrated factual crime cases that have occurred in the United States. The short snippets of the documentaries we watched in class specifically the bachelorette I didn’t find that to be a “documentary” since I believe that the show is scripted and fake. However the other documentary about blind people having a hard time finding jobs I would technically consider it a documentary. Overall I believe that there are some documentaries that are factual and informative and others like ‘reality tv shows’ I wouldn’t consider them documentaries.
ReplyDeleteI have watched some documentaries before. They are not something I watch all the time. I only watch them if it is about something I am interested in. Last class really made me think about the information I was getting in these films. Everything really isn't what it seems like based on what these films portray them to be. I think it is cool to now think about shows like the bachelorette as sort of "documentary type." I can see both sides of the argument of if the bachelorette can be considered a documentary. It does give off documentary vibes with the personal interviews with the camera. However, these interviews could be made up. If that is the case then they would be less like a documentary.
ReplyDeleteI love documentaries and I find myself watching them all of the time. I really enjoy the crime documentaries. When thinking about the two videos we watched in class, I would not consider the Bachelorette trailer to be a documentary as I think of reality TV being very artificial and scripted, but the one about blindness and disabilities, I believe that can be considered a documentary since it was educational and taught me a little bit about whats it's like to live that way. Our discussion in class definitely changed my views about some documentaries that I have seen, like the Menendez brothers remake, "Monsters."
ReplyDeleteI think our conversation about documentaries on Wednesday was really interesting. We mentioned reality TV and how shows like The Bachelorette or Love Island should not be considered documentary because they're contrived situations, as opposed to "documenting" life. Whereas shows like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives or Keeping Up with the Kardashians lean more toward documentary because they are shows documenting lives. However, these shows are heavily edited for entertainment purposes. Documentaries can also be heavily edited, but typically for educational reasons as opposed to entertainment, although it can be otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI love documentaries because I enjoy the stories and sometimes connect with the people. Our conversation on Wednesday was a great introduction to documentaries. I liked the short clips we watched comparing and contrasting them. The Bachelorette documentary was definitely fascinating to watch. After we watched and discussed it, I realized how they manipulate or purposefully add music or effects to create a storyline. When talking about documentaries, I kept thinking about 'Quiet on Set' because that was the most recent documentary I watched. I tend to gravitate towards the documentaries that aren't heavily edited.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that I am the biggest documentary watcher. Usually when I am watching tv it is a drama but depending on what kind of documentary that you watch can sort of apply to that type of tv as well which I didn't really know until class. When I think documentary I think something along the lines of educational whether that is telling someone's story or talking about a group of people, so to find out that in my opinion trash reality tv can technically be considered a documentary kind of ruined the educational view I had about documentaries.
ReplyDeleteAliyah Ibrahim: I don’t watch documentaries that often but I do once in a while but I realized I lean towards more so entertainment documentaries rather than educational. Class made me realize the different type of documentaries because before I wouldn’t have really considered the bachelor one.
ReplyDeleteI don't really watch documentaries but Wednesday's class made me think of them differently. I've never even considered that Reality TV can be considered as a documentary and that they have so many of the same characteristics as them. I've always viewed documentaries as non-fiction fully real when in reality the producers are still controlling what they do and don't show. So in that way, they're calculated like Reality TV.
ReplyDeleteI like documentaries when the topic is something I enjoy; I don’t watch them very often, but when I do, it’s usually entertaining. Our discussion definitely had me rethinking about how clearly distinct documentaries vs. reality shows are. I always thought it was an obvious difference, but now I’m seeing that it is a little more blurred.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved national geographic documentaries. Ever since i was little i loved planet earth and dinosaur documentaries. I really never thought about a reality tv show as a documentary such as the bachelor-et. It never quite crossed my mind until it was mentioned in class and we talked about aspects that made it a documentary and vise versa. I will say that reality tv can be much more entertaining than planet earth or the other one we watched in class however its much more fictional than a real documentary. I can see now how some might think of the bachelor-et as a documentary based on some of the midway points between facts and entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not watch many documentaries, but this class has really opened me up to them. The film "The Bachelorrete," despite being billed as a reality show, uses framing, music, and editing to intensify drama and romance, steering viewers' emotions in a specific direction. It made me think about how reality TV frequently changes reality to fit a plot, making it difficult to tell the difference between entertainment and real events. This approach calls into question the notion that reality TV is simply a reflection of reality; rather, it is intended to elicit specific responses, much like a documentary.
ReplyDeleteFrancis Eshun-Baidoo
ReplyDeleteReflecting on our class discussions about documentaries, I’ve started to rethink how they shape our understanding of reality, especially in relation to reality TV. The Bachelorette preview illustrates how reality TV can distort perceptions of love, presenting an idealized version of relationships. This makes me question the authenticity of what we watch.
In contrast, the “About Employment” video provided a clearer, more straightforward view of real-life challenges, emphasizing the educational potential of documentaries. Overall, these insights remind me to critically evaluate the narratives we consume and recognize that they often reflect a specific viewpoint rather than an objective truth.
The discussion we had in class made me look at documentaries differently and made me appreciate them more. I wasn't really a fan of documentaries outside of serial killer ones but watching teach us all and seeing everyone's presentation made me be interested in other documentaries outside of my normal.
ReplyDeleteAs a history major I've always been very into watching history documentaries but I had never really branched outside of the history bubble. Not only the discussion we had in class but also being assigned to watch other documentaries forced me out of that bubble and it was a good experience. Since this class, I've dove into other documentaries exploring the facets of education in not only America but outside of the U.S. as well.
ReplyDeleteThe discussion really changed my perspective on documentaries and reality TV. I used to believe that documentaries were solely about presenting the truth, but now I understand how much filmmakers influence what we see and feel. Editing, music, and even the arrangement of scenes can entirely alter the narrative.
ReplyDeleteIt also caused me to rethink reality TV. I always believed it was merely scripted drama, but now I recognize its similarities to documentaries. Both are edited to evoke specific emotions or convey a particular version of events. The Bachelorette preview demonstrated this well; the dramatic music and rapid cuts were intentional.