DVInfo already has forums for:
- Film Looks Methods and Techniques;
- Techniques for Independent (narrative) Productionsl;
- Under Water, Over Land (nature videography) techniques, and;
- Wedding/Event Videography Techniques.

What about setting up a similar forum for those of us interested in Documentary and Video Journalism techniques?

Could be a nice addition, and I know there's lots of experience in ENG, long-form docs and other nonfiction forms on this board.

If I were going to ask a question about long-form docs, I'm not sure where I'd post it.

What do you think, Chris and other DVInfo gurus?

I'm no guru but I'd support the creation of a News/Documentary/Training/Real World section to differentiate the Digital Cinema folks from the Documentary folks for more topic specific insight and discussion.

I totally agree. a forum for documentaries, citizen journalism and videomagazine type of features. That would be great.

This is a rich resource for all who visit & contribute. Documentary Techniques would be very helpful. Maybe I'm jumping the gun but a forum covering corporate video production techniques would also be great.

Thanks,

Mario

I am for, hope to see this forum soon...

Yes, a documentary sections sounds like a great idea. Of course, some folks will tend to post techie stuff here that might be best located elsewhere on dvinfo, but hopefully most would stay focused more on documenary-specific discussions. I think discussions on the documentary filming process (from concept although the way through post-production to media distribution) and business issues (funding all the way through distributor contracts) would be of prime interest to most of us. And travel-related aspects would be another key area, things like ATA Carnet, etc. ATA Carnet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATA_Carnet)

Oh yeah, discussions about directing would also be an interesting area to include:
Amazon.com: Directing the Documentary: Michael Rabiger: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Directing-Documentary-Michael-Rabiger/dp/0240802705)
Amazon.com: Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Videos Third Edition: Alan Rosenthal: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Directing-Producing-Documentary-Videos/dp/0809324482)

Warm Regards, Michael

I would definitely enjoy that forum if it were created!

And travel-related aspects would be another key area, things like ATA Carnet, etc.Well, actually we already have a forum dedicated to that:

Home, Away From Home - The Digital Video Information Network (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/home-away-home/)

Meanwhile I'll check on the number of pre-existing documentary-related topics to see if we have a body of them with which to jump-start such a forum. I don't like launching empty boards...

On a related note, would there be any interest in a dedicated forum for ENG (news gathering)? I know there are other sites already covering it, but that hasn't stopped us before.

If there's enough support for both a documentary forum AND an ENG forum, I'd be O.K. with that. On the other hand, I'd also be O.K. with starting out with a broader nonfiction forum and then creating subfora or separate fora as the demand dictates.

Basically, Chris, I'd leave it up to your impeccable judgement.

I always thought of ENG work as documentary anyway, just a particular short form of it. But yeah, I'd like to see a doc forum, as long as tech questions stay in their proper fora.

Hmmm, now that I think of it, Wedding and Event work is a subforum of "Documentary" work as well... So maybe you ALREADY have subforums of 'doc work', you just need an overall "Documentary" forum??? Wedding, Event, ENG, Corporate, "Issue", Nature???? Basically, anything that is NOT experimental or narrative fiction could be considered 'doc' work, no?

I'd go along with this as long as I don't have to call myself a videographer :-)

That seems be a self-defined subset of documentary but I've never understood what it is ie what's the difference between a videographer and a film maker.

So maybe you ALREADY have subforums of 'doc work', you just need an overall "Documentary" forum??? Wedding, Event, ENG, Corporate, "Issue", Nature???? Basically, anything that is NOT experimental or narrative fiction could be considered 'doc' work, no?

It's certainly all "nonfiction." You'd still need a forum specifically for long-form and short artistic interpretations of actual events, what most people think of when they think of "documentary film."

Maybe a "Nonfiction Techniques" uber-category with the following subfora:
- Documentary and Nonfiction Essay (call it "Doc Soup" or "What's Up Doc?", maybe?)
- ENG /EFP
- UWOL
- Wedding and Event Videography Techniques
- Training and Educational

Whatcha think?
-

bring it on! I would be very happy to see this non fiction forum soon!!

I think you'll see it happen very soon... it's just a question of what titles to give to the new fora.

I'd love to see it as well... and an ENG forum would be fantastic. I'd also be interested in seeing a forum specifically for live productions.

I'd also be interested in seeing a forum specifically for live productions.But we've had one for years:

Wedding / Event Videography Techniques - The Digital Video Information Network (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/wedding-event-videography-techniques/)

I'd almost forgotten I'm a member of "D-Word" - a forum dedicated specifically to documentary filmmakers. http://www.d-word.com/ Unfortunately, I don't like the way their board is set up - I find it difficult to navigate and follow threads - unlike this one.

So yeah, bring it on Chris.

Go for it Chris. There is a crowd of print journalists moving to video, it seems to be a market particularly targetted by Canon , they are in need of a good forum with a practical and can do approach to find their way in the video world.
Call it ENG, may indeed be a better word if you want to avoid the pitfalls of to much emphasis on aesthetic and theory (fascinating subjects , already largely cover elsewhere).
Thanks.

Call it ENG, may indeed be a better word if you want to avoid the pitfalls of to much emphasis on aesthetic and theory (fascinating subjects , already largely cover elsewhere).
Thanks.
Electronic News Gathering is a lot narrower than documentary. Seems too narrow to me.

I'm all for it too - please!

Done (you are here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/documentary-techniques/).

Awesome! Now, that's what I call service!

Thanks, Chris!