Achieve nonlinear storytelling in a documentary - Organization Footage

Citation: 

• Walsh, S. (2024). The documentary filmmaker's intuition: Creating ethical & impactful non-fiction films. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003320296

Annotation:

• In Chapter 16, the author mentions that during the post-production phase, filmmakers can establish the narrative structure of a film by organizing the footage
• If a documentary is driven by characters, the editing process can involve organizing narrative arcs through the characters or items related to them, thereby structuring chapter themes or facilitating temporal transitions.  This approach helps the audience understand the content you have filmed, the story you intend to tell, and the overall structure of the film.
• Finally, the author notes that it is not necessary for the editing process to be entirely linear.  Filmmakers can begin the narrative with a key scene, creating a nexus between scenes and the narrative space.  However, it is crucial to consider the overall structure and ensure meaningful connections between shots, as poor transitions can hinder the audience's comprehension of the story.
• 在第16章，作者提到在后期剪辑中，电影制作者可以通过组织素材来建立电影的叙事结构。
• 如果一部纪录片是由角色驱动故事的，在剪辑过程中可以通过人物或与人物有关的物品来组织叙事弧线，即组织章节主题或完成时空转换。这样可以帮助观众理解你拍摄的内容、你想传达的故事以及电影的整体结构。 
• 最后，作者提到剪辑过程中不必从头到尾都是线性的。电影制作者可以从一个关键场景切入叙事，建立场景和叙事空间之间的枢纽。前提是处理镜头时要注意整体结构，确保镜头与镜头之间的衔接有意义，否则会影响观众对故事的理解。

Film Citation:

• Polley, S. (Director). (2012, August 29). Stories We Tell. Mongrel Media.

        

Annotation:

• First, in the film, the director transitions between past recollections and present-day interviews.  This multi-perspective narrative approach breaks the constraints of a single linear timeline, allowing the audience to understand the story's complexity and depth from multiple angles.
• Second, the consistency of characters in both past and present segments ensures that the audience's comprehension of the characters' stories remains intact.  This consistency enhances the coherence of the narrative, and the logical connection between scenes is well maintained.  The interweaving of different timelines enables the audience to perceive the profound impact of the passage of time on the characters and events.
• Third, the film incorporates a substantial amount of home videos and photographs.  These authentic materials not only enhance the narrative's authenticity but also make the story across different timelines more credible and immersive.  These elements provide valuable visual evidence for the audience, ensuring the documentary's authenticity and credibility across its various narrative timelines.
• 在影片中，导演在过去的回忆片段与现在的采访之间来回切换。这种多视角的叙事方式打破了单一线性时间的限制，使观众能够从多个角度理解故事的复杂性和深度。
• 同时每个片段中过去和当下的人物素材是一致的，因此不会影响观众对当前片段中人物故事的理解。这种一致性使得叙事更加连贯，镜头之间的衔接也具有合理的逻辑性。不同时间线的交织使得观众能够感受到时间流逝对人物和事件的深远影响。
• 最后影片还使用了大量的家庭录像和照片，这些真实的素材不仅增加了叙事的真实性，也使得不同时间线下的故事更加可信和有代入感。这些素材为观众提供了宝贵的视觉证据，确保了纪录片在不同叙事时间线下的真实性和可信度。

Test in my Film:

• In my film, the narrative development is also character-driven, primarily focusing on my father and me. To achieve nonlinear storytelling between scenes, I chose to use photographs from a diary in conjunction with photos previously placed on a table to facilitate temporal transitions.
• Unlike "Stories We Tell," which employs interviews and footage to achieve temporal shifts, my film uses personal narration combined with transitions between photographs to transport the current narrative space back to the diary's initial time point. The filmmaker's own narration effectively conveys attitudes and emotions regarding the theme. Additionally, the relationships depicted in the photographs more effectively highlight the film's themes, providing visual support for the narrative while enhancing the story's authenticity and emotional depth through detailed and emotional connections.
• 在我的影片中，故事的发展也是通过角色驱动的，主要围绕我的爸爸和我。为了在镜头和镜头之间实现非线性叙事，我选择使用日记本里的照片与之前桌子上的照片相结合，以完成时空的转换。
• 与《Stories We Tell》中通过采访和素材的衔接来实现时空转换的方式不同，我在影片中通过自己的旁白结合照片之间的转换，将当前的叙事空间带回到日记本开篇的时间点。通过电影人本身的旁白，能够更好地传达对主题的态度和情感。同时，照片所反映的关系可以更有效地突出影片的主题，不仅为叙事提供了视觉支持，还通过细节和情感联结增强了故事的真实感和情感深度。