Documentarian Research
Michael Moore
Nick Broomfield
Louis Theroux
Brief Biography:
Louis Theroux was born on May 20, 1970 in Singapore, to a British mother and an American father, Paul Theroux - a screenwriter. He started as a journalist, and bears influences from notable writers in his family, such as his brother and father. He currently works with the BBC, producing his documentaries and television series. Examples of Documentaries:
Filmmaking Style: Theroux is one of the most well-known participatory documentary film-makers in the UK. He is often on camera, interacting and interviewing the subjects. These interviews are usual very informal and often take place while the subject is on the movie. The camera work in his documentaries are reguarlly handheld and due to the realistic nature of the participartory mode, long shots often dominate. Theroux is also renowned for creating documentaries concerning controversial issues or people. Yet on camera, he never comes across as doing polemic or being strident. He remains passive and respectful of the subjects of the documentary, allowing the construction of a relationship to be the reason for getting to the truth. This is particularly visible in his documentary regard the Westboro Baptist Church: The Most Hated Family In America, where audiences might find themselves despising the subjects of the documentary, even though Theroux continues to act emotionally unattached and unbiased to an opinion. Theroux allows for his documentaries have a relaxed editing style. The conventional long shorts often consist of moments that would likely be abruptly cut in a more sharply edited documentary. Examples of this included time of significant undesirable camera shake, or during scenes in small spaces in which the presence of the camera as a bulky piece of equipment, rather than the tool of capture video, is glaringly obvious. However, in my personal opinion, this only aids in the realism of the whole documentary and acts as a frequent reminder to the audience that they action they are watching unfold on screen - is real. |