The Art of the Observer

The Art of the observer is an intimate look at how observational documentary films are made, by one of today's leading ethnographic filmmakers and writers on film. In over a dozen chapters, MacDougall explores the intricacies of form and feeling that are involved in responding with a camera to the lives of others. In engaging and accessible writing, the book provides personal insights into a wide range of topics: structuring observational films, working with collaborators, the technical and personal difficulties that arise in production, the nuances of film editing and the challenges of conveying the magnitude of individual lives. While acknowledging the wide range of documentary cinema, MacDougall draws attention to the particular characteristics of the observational approach, in which the filmmaker's perspective is shared with the viewer and the filmmaker's relationship to the film subjects remains paramount. As in his previous volumes of essays, this book is grounded in concrete examples from the author's own filmmaking experience.