Balance of the perspective: Use social issues as part of the documentary's objective perspective

Citation: 

• Rosenthal, A., & Eckhardt, N. (2016). Writing, directing, and producing documentary films and digital videos (Fifth ed.). Southern Illinois University Press.

Annotation:

•  In the fifth section, "Family Films," the author primarily delves into the methodology of producing family documentaries. The author posits that family documentaries predominantly manifest in two distinct forms: insider films and diary films.
• Insider Film: Here, filmmakers adopt the role of impartial observers, employing authentic recording techniques to capture intimate scenes and moments.
• Diary Film: In this approach, filmmakers transition from a third-person to a first-person narrative, documenting their own stories and scrutinizing the evolution of character traits over time. Filmmakers engage in introspective analysis of their past experiences, endeavoring to reconcile with their personal histories, while also addressing pertinent societal issues within the film's narrative.
• Family documentaries often carry a strong subjective consciousness, which can lead to imbalance in the documentary's objectivity. The author proposes the establishment of a clear concept prior to commencement (what filmmakers aim to achieve from the documentary). This concept should not only be personal but also relevant to certain societal issues:
• For instance, if the documentary revolves around children from single-parent households, associated societal issues could include divorce rates and the psychological well-being of children in such family structures. 
• Family documentaries ought to provide broader social observations, integrating sensitive societal issues into familial contexts. By incorporating societal issues as an objective perspective, this approach enhances the documentary's authenticity and aids viewers in comprehending the subjective behaviors of filmmakers within the depicted social context.
• 在第五部分“家庭电影”中，笔者主要探讨了家庭纪录片的制作方法。作者认为，家庭纪录片主要表现为两种截然不同的形式：内幕电影和日记电影。
• 内幕电影：在这里，电影人扮演公正的观察者的角色，采用真实的记录技术来捕捉亲密的场景和时刻。
• 日记电影：在这种方法中，电影人从第三人称叙事过渡到第一人称叙事，记录他们自己的故事，并仔细检查人物特征随时间的演变。电影人对他们过去的经历进行内省分析，努力与他们的个人历史和解，同时也在电影的叙事中解决相关的社会问题。
• 家庭纪录片往往带有强烈的主观意识，这会导致纪录片客观性的失衡。作者建议在开始之前建立一个清晰的概念（电影人想要从纪录片中达到的目标）。这个概念不仅是个人的，而且应该与某些社会问题有关：
• 例如，如果纪录片围绕单亲家庭的孩子展开，相关的社会问题可能包括离婚率和这种家庭结构中孩子的心理健康问题。
• 家庭纪录片应该提供更广泛的社会观察，将敏感的社会问题融入家庭背景。通过将社会问题作为客观视角，这种方法增强了纪录片的真实性，并帮助观众理解在所描绘的社会环境中电影人的主观行为。

Film Example:

• The Tillman Story (2010) - Amir Bar-Lev 
• Bar-Lev, A. (Director). (2010, August 20). The Tillman Story. The Weinstein Company. 
• The objective societal issue: The Afghanistan War - The imperative for the U.S. military to maintain a favorable public perception amid the conflict.
• In terms of subjective documentation, the film predominantly focuses on narrating the personal life story of Pat Tillman, including his military experiences and family background. Additionally, it employs authentic footage and interviews to depict the genuine emotions and reactions of Pat Tillman's family members, comrades, and others. This emotive presentation facilitates a deeper understanding of the characters' inner worlds and emotional experiences.
• Regarding objective documentation, the film utilizes the Afghanistan War as the primary objective perspective to expose various governmental misconducts. It reveals the government's concealment and cover-up in the Pat Tillman death incident. This objective presentation style enables viewers to gain insights into more truths and critically evaluate the government's actions.
• 客观的社会问题:阿富汗战争——美军必须在冲突中保持良好的公众形象。
• 在主观记录方面，影片主要侧重于讲述帕特·蒂尔曼的个人生活故事，包括他的军事经历和家庭背景。此外，它还采用了真实的镜头和采访来描绘帕特·蒂尔曼的家人、同志和其他人的真实情绪和反应。这种情感的呈现有助于更深入地理解人物的内心世界和情感体验。
• 在客观文献方面，影片利用阿富汗战争作为主要的客观视角来揭露各种政府的不当行为。它揭示了政府对帕特·蒂尔曼死亡事件的隐瞒和掩盖。这种客观的呈现方式使观众能够洞察更多的真相，并批判性地评价政府的行为。

Test in my film:

• In my documentary research, I diverge from the conventional view that documentaries should attain objectivity through a macroscopic societal lens. Rather, I advocate for a narrative approach that emphasizes the individual perspective, enabling viewers to comprehend the full scope of the story by observing each character's narrative arc. Through this method, audiences are encouraged to contemplate the existence of analogous societal groups and experiences. The objectivity pertaining to societal dynamics is inherently linked to audience reception, thereby establishing a symbiotic relationship between personal documentaries and their societal context through the diverse interpretations of viewers.
• 在我的纪录片测试中，我并不认同纪录片需要从社会的宏观视角出发来完善故事的客观性.我希望观众从观察每一个个体的叙事角度考试，进而了解故事全貌，并反思是否社会中是否有同样遭遇的群体存在.社会层面的客观性必然与观众的反应联系，也将由无数观众完成个人纪录片与社会环境的连通.