The History section contextualises the development of documentary, and how this has lead to the emergence of online documentaries. We use an interactive timeline to illustrate the development of documentary as a media genre throughout the past century.

John Grierson first coined the term “documentary” in the 1920’s and now we are seeing the need for a new definition of a sister product the interactive online documentary.

From 1895 when the first camera was used to collect ethnographic research footage, to today when there is a rising emphasis on personal perspectives and histories – and representations or constructions of reality, just consider the longevity Big Brother has enjoyed. This has had as a consequence becomes more evident in film, and the rise of reality television increases.
Important developments, particularly over the last two decades – have opened up not only the platforms for documentaries but have on a wider scale, opened up who is considered a documentary filmmaker.

With the development of the Internet and online publishing, a changing environment is giving new possibilities for individual documentary filmmakers.
The move to personal video cameras in the 1980’s provided both affordable and accessible equipment for amateur filmmakers. With the improvements in digital technology: the physical size, output quality and affordability have encouraged the idea that anyone can produce content.

Ordinary people have access to mass media via the Internet.
Interactive online documentaries were further promoted through the Australian Film Commission and Australian Broadcast Corporation initiative program, which challenges the general form and structure of traditional documentary.

I will leave you with a quote that highlights the importance of the development of interactive online documentary.

Documentary originated by Lumiere brothers who took shoots of daily life, including their famous shot of the train entering the platform. Documentary was referred as non-fiction films.
Over the period of time, the original meaning or the definition of documentary had been re-invented. And new generations of documentary makers have challenged the forms and conventions by what documentary means for them.

“Documentary is the creative treatment of actuality.”
- John Grierson, Cinema Quarterly 22.1, 8.

Including a famous quote by John Grierson the producer of Nanook of the north.

In modern days, documentaries saw a possibility in success of theatrical release with films with examples like Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, March of the penguins and so on. Some argue that commercial success of the documentaries had changed the nature of documentary films in the past 20 years to which we call documentaries, however, majority accepted some creative treatment in the documentary.

“The web enables the unity of every medium in a multi-perspective presentation. When you have text, audio, video and photo imagery working in parity within a strong interactive design”(web) – Tom Kennedy

Documentary has evolved in its form and models of distribution due to the advent of “new media” in the past ten years. With the development of the Internet and online publishing, a changing environment is giving new possibilities especially for individual documentary filmmakers who require less funding. Documentary producing in Australia is at its peak due to growing number of people with broadband access, and with help of government initiatives and local and international festivals.
According to AFC’s report on Documentary production in Australia 2007,
Analysis of the producer for documentaries in the recent 15 years showed that over 60% of people had only one title with only about 10% having 5 and more credits.
And opportunity for filmmakers to broadcast their documentaries were highly limited as it only took up 3% of the total production and funding application was highly sophisticated that only people with lots of experiences could win.

In Australia, the FFC and film Australia provide the majority for production and smaller amounts are contributed by the state agencies and the AFC.
In the last 20 years, seven Australian documentaries were released each year on average while UK released five titles and US with sixteen, which indicates that Australia’s documentary market is quite large.

Even though the new media market evolved from ten years ago, it became active since last year. In April 2007 update, AFC have reported about the digital content industry with the impact it is having on the development of content for multiple delivery platforms.
AIDC 2006 hosted Frank Boyd to introduce skills and share his experience with new media and cross-platform for both BBC and for independent producers and developers.

“…has extended the possibilities of experience in older forms of media through non-linear interaction, perhaps one that would not be possible in the physical world. Navigation is the key to this experience as it provides users the ability to move around a space, and ultimately to “restructure fact, knowledge, and myth” by interacting with a narrative that the artist presents”
- New media artist Kathryn Board

Working across platforms allows the filmmakers to get a lager audience for the project with more exposure and more importantly they get to expand and experiment with the initial documentary concept.
Moreover, there’re numerous festivals and markets, including SBSi, Film Australia and MeetMarket and New Sydney film festivals, who will offer $5,000 to $10,000 not too hard, if you can only show them a minute domo with a good story written.
And Digital has also upgraded the communication technologies so that all these information are easily heard. AFC offers an calender with funding deadlines and festivals on their website.

Many filmmakers now work across platforms, some of the earliest example will be Debra Beattie’s ‘A wrong crowd’ which was produced on TV then online and Nell White’s ‘A year on the wing’ which was also produced for TV then for an online project.

According to AFC’s report on Documentary production in Australia 2007,
In the past, there were 1522 producers, 1336 Directors and 1462 writers within 2796 documentaries produced in Australia.
Currently, there are 385 producers, 311 directors and 281 writers making documentary films or programs.
Analysis of the producer, director and writer credits for documentaries made in the period between 1990 to 2005, over 60% had made only one title with only about 10% having 5 and more credits

Although Television broadcasters took a significant role in Australia, independent sector have produced almost twice as many hours of documentaries. In the nine years from 1996 to 2005 broadcasters produced 104 hours with $12 million production budget annually whereas independent sector produced 192 hours with $48 million production budget. In both sectors, similar production activity level changes occurred during the nine years.
Documentary production was at its peak in 1999, which fell until 2001 and picked it up again with production of documentary series.

From 1994 to 2005 Federal and state government agencies provided project development funding of an average of $1.3 million and production funding of an average of $18 million. The FFC and film Australia provide the majority for production and smaller amounts are contributed by the state agencies and the AFC.

The number of Australian documentaries screened at international film/TV festivals had been declining since 1999 till 2001 but the number slowly increased year by year reaching approximately 110 in 2005.
On the other hand, Sales of documentaries in VHS and DVD in the year between 2004 and 2006 showed a rise, from $2.4 million in 2004 to $4 million in 2006.

In the last 20 years, seven Australian documentaries were released each year on average while UK released five titles and US with sixteen. Recently there was an increase in the popularity of theatrical documentary and the top ranked Australian made documentaries were Antarctica, Africa’s Elephant Kingdom and Land Beyond Time all distributed through IMAX. 51 of the top 100 documentary titles were released in the past four years from 2003 to 2006.

In the AFC’s report on Documentary production in Australia 2007, the stats for online documentary weren’t specifically discussed as to Theatrical release or VHS and DVD release.

In April 2007 update, AFC have reported about the digital content industry with the impact it is having on the development of content for multiple delivery platforms.
In 2004/05 federal and state territory film agencies allocated $3.4 million to dedicated interactive media projects so that independent producers can develop their project through increased government funding in the area of multiplatform program. It will be a great possibility for current producers with one or two credits in terms of funding and a chance for new producers to enter the market.

There is growing number of people subscribing to the broadband, which totalled over 3million in June 2006; which means there’re more users by 2007, with Online documentary production it can operate as an independent project with less fund then other platforms or it can be multiple platform for producers.
Working across platforms allows the filmmakers to get a lager audience for the project with more exposure and more importantly they get to expand and experiment with the initial documentary concept.
Some of the earliest example will be Debra Beattie’s ‘A wrong crowd’ which was produced on TV then online and Nell White’s ‘A year on the wing’ which was also produced for TV then for an online project.

Australia’s documentary industry is seeing a brighter future with development of digital content industry.

“Documentary is the creative treatment of actuality.”
- John Grierson, Cinema Quarterly 22.1, 8.

“Documentary defines not subject or style, but approach. … Documentary approach to cinema differs from that of story-film not in its disregard for craftsmanship, but in the purpose to which that craftsmanship is put.”
-Paul Rotha, Cinema Quarterly, 2.2, 78.

“A non-fiction text using ‘actuality’ footage, which may include the live recording of events and relevant research materials (i.e. interviews, statistics, etc.). This kind of text is usually informed by a particular point of view, and seeks to address a particular social issue which is related to and potentially affects the audience.”
-Paul Wells, “The Documentary Form: Personal and Social ‘Realities,’” An Introduction to Film Studies, 2nd ed., ed. Jill Nelmes, 212.

“[A]ny film practice that has as its subject persons, events, or situations that exist outside the film in the real world.”
-Steve Blandford, Barry Keith Grant, and Jim Hillier, The Film Studies Dictionary, 73.

“A nonfiction film. Documentaries are usually shot on location, use actual persons rather than actors, and focus thematically on historical, scientific, social, or environmental subjects. Their principle purpose is to enlighten, inform, educate, persuade, and provide insight into the world in which we live.”
-Frank Beaver, Dictionary of Film Terms, 119.

“Unlike most fiction films, documentaries deal with facts–real people, places, and events rather than invented ones. Documentarists believe that they’re not creating a world so much as reporting on the one that already exists.”
-Louis Giannetti, Understanding Movies<, 7th ed., 339.

“A nonfiction film about real events and people, often avoiding traditional narrative structures.”
-Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing About Film, 4th ed., 206.

“Documentary should act on our hearts, not just our minds; it exists to change the way we feel about something”
-Michael Rabinger

“Film of actual events; the events are documented with the real people involved, not with actors.”
-Ralph S. Singleton and James A. Conrad, Filmmaker’s Dictionary, 2nd ed., 94.

“A documentary film purports to present factual information about the world outside the film.”
-David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction, 5th ed., 42.

“A type of film marked by its interpretative handling of realistic subjects and backgrounds. Sometimes the term is applied widely to include films that appear more realistic than conventional commercial pictures; at other times, so narrowly that only films with a narration track and a background of real life are so categorized.”
-Edmund F. Penney, Facts on File Film and Broadcast Terms, 73.

“A term with a wide latitude of meaning, basically used to refer to any film or program not wholly fictional in nature.”
-James Monaco, The Dictionary of New Media, 94.

“A film that deals directly with fact and not fiction, that tries to convey reality as it is instead of some fictional version of reality. These films are concerned with actual people, places, events, or activities.”
-Ira Konigsberg, The Complete Film Dictionary, 2nd ed., 103.

“A nonfiction film that organizes and presents factual materials to make a point.”
-Gerald Mast and Bruce F. Kawin, A Short History of the Movies, 7th ed., 646

Pre-1900, The French used the term documentary to refer to any non-fiction films, especially for travelogues and instructional films. The earliest non-fiction moving pictures were single-shot moments with a minute or less than a minute length of a train entering a station or a boat docking or a factory of people getting off work. Due to the limitations of the technological issues, very little stories could take place in a film.
From 1900-1920 Travelogue films were very popular as known as ‘scenics’. From 1920s to 1970s many different themes were introduced through the documentary such as Romanticism with Robert J. Flaherty’s nanook of the North in 1922, and Newsreel tradition. In the 1960s and 1970s documentaries were also used as a political weapon against neo-colonialism and capitalism in general for example The Hour of the Furnaces in 1968 directed by Octavio Getino and Fernando E. Solanas.
In modern days, documentaries saw a possibility in success of theatrical release with films with examples like Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, March of the penguins and so on. Some argue that commercial success of the documentaries had changed the nature of documentary films in the past 20 years as it was in cinema verite tradition. So some critics referred some of these films as ‘mondo films’ or ‘docu-ganda’, which is similar to mockumentary. Mockumentary is a documentary recording real life, but is in fact fictional.
The advent of DVDs and development of the Internet had made documentaries financially viable without a cinema release. Most recently, online presentation for the documentaries became a trend, whether it is made for television broadcasting or theatrical purposes.

¬There are 15 Websites, which broadcast or distribute films online.

# ABC Online (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
ABC Online provides a diverse range of information, entertainment and interaction drawing on the ABC’s television, radio and other production activities. Content includes daily news updates, program guides and highlights, youth, children’s, education, science, arts and culture, information for program makers (documentary) and the ABC Shop.
http://www.abc.net.au

# Anarchy: Slamdance’s online competition
Slamdance was founded on some of the same basic principles that have made the Internet what it is today — free expression, individual empowerment, and creative chaos outside the influential sphere of “The Man.” Screening three short films online every month, winning films compete again for the Global Anarchy Award.
http://www.slamdance.com/anarchy/

# Atom Films
AtomShockwave distributes entertainment properties across the Internet, broadband services, and mobile devices, as well as traditional outlets such as television, theaters, and airlines. Over 2,000 world-class game, film, and animation titles are available.
http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/home/

# Aussie Short Films
Aussie Short Films streams an award-winning selection of drama, documentary, comedy and corporate films over the net, and offers compilation packs for sale. Our aim is the creation of a professional microcinema specialising in Australian short films.
http://www.aussieshortfilms.com.au

# Filmwatcher.com
FilmWatcher’s mission is to serve the creators of independent entertainment (creators and fans), to provide a world-wide exhibition platform to showcase their material to a potential audience of millions. FilmWatcher also provides links to downloadable shorts.
http://www.filmwatcher.com/html/

# Flash Award
Flash animation competition held annually hosted by Edgar.de, Germany.
http://www.flash-award.com/index_e_new.html

# Indie Films
The independent branch of Hollywood.com, providing download capabilities for short films for subscribers.
http://indie.hollywood.com

# MovieFlix
MovieFlix.com is the leading broadband movie provider on the Web. Founded in 1998, MovieFlix.com, a privately held company based in Hollywood, CA, has developed and maintains a library of over 3,000 full-length movies, short films, independent films, television shows and more in over 30 popular categories.
http://www.movieflix.com

# Nice Shorts
Nice Shorts is an Australian-based short film website. Our goal is to help filmmakers get noticed by helping them reach an audience through the growing medium that is the internet. Nice Shorts is free and non-exclusive, meaning all artists are free to screen their films elsewhere.
http://www.niceshorts.com.au/

# Omni Short Film Distribution
A short film distributor based in Los Angeles. All genres are considered and any running time is accepted. They also accept features and series.
http://www.omnishortfilms.com/

# ReelTime Media Ltd
ReelTime is Australia’s leading broadband TV operator of legal movie downloads with an extensive range of feature length movie and television entertainment delivered direct to the PC and TV set. We offer Australia’s largest range of major Hollywood and independentstudio feature length movies and TV entertainment to the home via broadband connection. We are constantly adding to the library of top movies and classic TV episodes we offer, available 24/7, to Australian residents.
http://www.reeltime.tv

# Sputnik 7
Credited as the world’s first real-time audio/video Internet entertainment experience, sputnik7 is a broadcast network offering a sophisticated mix of independent music, film, and anime programming via interactive Video Stations, Audio Stations, Videos on Demand, and Digital Downloads.
http://www.sputnik7.com

# Switch TV
Switch.TV provides an interactive online service showcasing short films, animations, video clips and independent music videos from Australia’s up-and-coming filmmakers. It’s free to watch and to contribute, and the film image quality is high, both at quarter-screen size and soon at fullscreen.
http://www.switch.tv

# Upstart Films
Upstartfilms.com.au is a non-profit website that seeks to support the Australian Independent Film Community by providing an open platform for Australian filmmakers to screen their films to local and international audiences via the internet.
http://www.upstartfilms.com.au/

# Zoie Films
An online internet film festival.
http://www.zoiefilms.com/zffilm02.htm

In the beginning, we’ve had interest on the online documentaries. Since then, none of our group members had clear understanding of what the online documentaries were. so starting from the question of “How has online documentary changed the forms of content  and distribution?”. then  we have came up with “How has new media changed the forms of documentary content and distribution, with a focus on online documentary?” ” which looks similar but the question itself is very different. and it shows a little more understanding of the documentary industry because it’s not the online documentaries changed the contents nor the distribution model but it’s another way of the distributing model, and the contents won’t be just changed because whether it’s online or not. (that’s my assumption still)

As more information we get and our research digs into the real industry of docomentaries, i guess the secondary questions could be constantly be changing.  

- state your exact role in your research group

We didn’t allocate jobs or titles specifically, my role in the group is to research into the the question and parts and help the group to answer and complete the research question.

my initial question was “History of doco to contextualise the online documentary. How content of traditional doco differs in the model of online doco? What new voices emerge?”

and the question in focus that I have devided to is  http://ehjenny.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/questions-in-focus/

when I started the research I have found that there is not so much  relationship between the documentary being put online and the contents, but still.. while focusing on the development of the documentaries in Australia, I’ll be looking at the audiences reaction toward online documentaries  VS traditional distibution model. (DVD, television, Cinema etc). and find out if the online documentaries were the new kind of media or was it just another way of distributing, (in a cheaper and a faster way…) 

- the progress you have made so far ( what you have done)

I have started researching about the history of documentary by looking at various researches. coming up with some of the survey questions. and looking for some of the Australian documentary makers to do the interview. because my question is mostly about the history and developments, a lot of the research will be done on the existing and previous studies and statistics and so on. so for now, I’m looking to find interesting facts about Austrailan documentaries.

- what strategies you have utilised in your research?

mostly on-line, books, and I’m going to be involving interviews and surveys.

for online,

AFC had been helpful finding out about the Australian documentary market and the development.

there’re also many bloggers who had much knoledge and the information on Australian documentaries,

because my question is pretty much about the historical background, the research will be the matter of finding the right information and the skill of putting them together.

but, because I don’t want to just touch on the information that are already available to people.

I’ll be doing the survey and the interviews to create the new study.

-what problems you have encountered?

the depth of information that I had access with were just basic knowledges about documentaries, I wanted to find out something more eyecatching. and go beyond the current stats or studies. also, it had been hard finding about the individual documentary film maker so that my research is mostly, about the major broad casting stations like ABC SBS and so on.

- How you have resoved these?( or intend to resolve them)

by the survey and interview with people, I guess that’s one way of getting new information, not just another website introducing all the previous records. and there are I guess some of the association website with individual documentary film makers. so I might find them and get the interview or check them out.

- How you believe your project may connect and/or intesects with other research projects? (either in the course or elsewhere)

it will be a handy information for the documentary film makers if I could find out how audiences are experiencing with the documentaries online, it might will help them to think about their future projects???

Not sure about this question yet..

so overall, I’m still at the stage of gathering the information. haven’t created much from myself.

still getting the knowledge of the documentaries online, and trying to define “documentary” the word itself at the moment.

Tsilimidos, Alan, 1993/94, “A day in the life: The work of a film director”, Metro, No. 96, Summer, 53-4.

Stott, Jennifer, 1995, “Out of the mainstream: Australian Documentaries and shorts in the USA”, Media Information Australia, No. 76, May, 30-4.

During the 1980/81 financial year, which marked the beginning of the 10BA tax concession period for film and television production in Australia, total production expenditure was $60.33 million, of which 0.5% was spent on documentary productions, 96%, on features and 3.5% on telemovies and mini-series.

The peak of the 10BA period around 1984/85, saw funds secured for documentary production rise to 9.7% of the total gained through 10BA. Feature films took 36.3% of the total, with telemovies and mini-series up to 54%.

The actual dollar values of production budgets suggests that documentary production was low during the 10BA period. In part this is due to the differences in documentary and feature budgets, which makes it important to consider the actual number of projects financed during this period. From 1980 to 1993, of the total number of projects funded through Division 10BA, 55.7% were documentaries.

In 1986/87, documentaries took up 10.2% of prime time programming on ABC television, and an average of 4.5% of prime time on commercial television stations. In 1991, documentaries took up 14.8% of total programming time on the ABC and 2.6% of total programming time on the commercial stations.

Presale arrangements to television networks means that few documentaries have theatrical release. Returns are generally low on documentary productions which do get theatrical release.

Information presented at the third biennial Documentary Conference in Australia in 1993 suggested that rating results for documentaries screened on all commercial networks had come to “compare favourably” with other program categories. Despite this claim, documentary productions still receive comparatively low exposure on commercial television networks.

Australia is recognised internationally as a major supplier of documentary productions, with many productions receiving critical acclaim and awards at major festivals. During 1988 and 1993, the AFC tracked 266 overseas festivals which screened Australian documentaries and 280 which screened Austalian features.

In 1994, a survey of regularly watched film and television program catagories in Australia, found that documentary productions scored 41.2%, with news and current affairs highest at 80.8%.

 

source from AFC