Re: Making nature natural

[P3D Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

Marvin Jones wrote:
> but every single moment of
> every single nature show you watch is entirely manipulated by the filmmakers.
_______________________________
> Eric Goldstein comments:
>
>This is simply not true. There are true documentary-style filmmakers who
>set up cameras in blinds for months, even years, and shoot in
>unspeakably high ratios so that they might capture action as a true
>observer. In fact, some of them are conducting and documenting
>scientific research as well, and any "entire" manipulation of reality
>would not be tolerated by the scientific community.
__________________________

I think Marvin's point is that however natural the film footage originally,
it is edited before you see it. That is manipulation and it affects every
second of the finished product. When you see a nature film, you see a
condensation of events which necessarily places events out of context with
each other. We wouldn't watch the shows if it was 20 hours of inaction
between each item of interest.

If 3D nature shows catch on they are likely to be even more manipulated. The
manipulation would be necessary to provide optimum parallax and depth
placement in scenes where natural footage might not have the best arrangement. 

Film making is less about accurate documentation than it is a medium of
story telling. We will always find ways to emphasize and enhance the
elements of the story we wish to tell. It's OK to insist that the stories be
accurate and true to life. Arguably, the well edited, manipulated,
documentary is far more true to life than the traditional and perhaps more
natural story telling around the campfire used in ancient times.

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/


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