The Art of the Observer - (Anthropology, Creative Practice and Ethnography) by David MacDougall (Paperback)

About the Book

A personal perspective on documentary filmmaking, based on the author's own experiences and reflections on the genre, with a particular emphasis on observational cinema. It includes both practical insights into filmmaking methods and discussions of the intellectual, ethical and emotional challenges of attempting to portray others on film.

Book Synopsis

The art of the observer is a personal guide to documentary filmmaking, based on the author's years of pioneering work in the fields of ethnographic and documentary cinema. It stands in sharp contrast to books of academic film criticism and handbooks on visual research methods, being based extensively on concrete examples from the author's own filmmaking experience. The book places particular emphasis on observational filmmaking and the ways in which this approach is distinct from other forms of documentary. It offers both practical insights and reflections on what it means, in both emotional and intellectual terms, to attempt to represent the lives of others. The book makes clear that documentary cinema is not simply a matter of recording reality, but of artfully organising the filmmaker's observations in ways that reveal the complex patterns of social life.

From the Back Cover

The Art of the observer is an intimate look at how observational documentary films are made, by one of today's leading ethnographic filmmakers and writers on film. In over a dozen chapters, MacDougall explores the intricacies of form and feeling that are involved in responding with a camera to the lives of others. In engaging and accessible writing, the book provides personal insights into a wide range of topics: structuring observational films, working with collaborators, the technical and personal difficulties that arise in production, the nuances of film editing and the challenges of conveying the magnitude of individual lives. While acknowledging the wide range of documentary cinema, MacDougall draws attention to the particular characteristics of the observational approach, in which the filmmaker's perspective is shared with the viewer and the filmmaker's relationship to the film subjects remains paramount. As in his previous volumes of essays, this book is grounded in concrete examples from the author's own filmmaking experience.

Review Quotes

'Particularly gratifying are the author's explorations of the work of his amateur collaborators, as in the chapter on films children in his video workshops made between 2011 and 2016. He respects their work and points of view and seems to have genuinely meditated on their insights without being patronizing. Mixing memory and analysis, this engaging book helps readers see the filmmaker and his craft anew.'
Choice
Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association.

About the Author

David MacDougall is Honorary Professor in the Research School of Humanities and the Arts at the Australian National University, Canberra