Documentary Filmmaking for Archaeologists

Pepe, Peter J; Zarzynski, Joseph W

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Forming the Archaeologist/Documentary Filmmaker Team; Chapter 2 A Brief History of the Documentary Film Genre; Chapter 3 The Introduction of Home Video, Television, and Documentary Filmmaking; Chapter 4 Production Equipment and Screen and Standards Formats; Chapter 5 The Popularity of Documentaries; Chapter 6 The Stages of Documentary Film Production; Chapter 7 Considering Making A Documentary—Your Idea and Title; Chapter 8 Pitching a Proposal and Writing a Treatment; Chapter 9 Developing a Budget and Securing a Contract; Chapter 10 Shaping Your Archaeological Documentary; Chapter 11 From Outline to First Script; Chapter 12 A Preproduction—Production Costs, Funding, Assembling the Crew, Compiling the Shot List, and on and On; Chapter 13 The Art of the Interview and B-Roll; Chapter 14 A Work Following the Interviews and B-Roll; Chapter 15 Choosing the Narrator and Other Voice Talent; Chapter 16 Shot Making; Chapter 17 Shooting Reenactments for your Documentary; Chapter 18 Using Still Photography, Historic Film Footage, Illustrations, Maps, Historic Newspapers, and Animation; Chapter 19 Postproduction and Editing; Chapter 20 Thoughts on the Beginning and the End of your Documentary Film; Chapter 21 The Digital Revolution and its Role in Documentary Filmmaking; Chapter 22 Television, Theatrical Release, Finding a Distributor, Self-Distribution, and Other Outlets; Chapter 23 Promoting your Documentary; Chapter 24 Documentaries in Miniature; Chapter 25 Creating Your Trailer; Chapter 26 Conclusion;

"Documentaries are now an essential part of an archaeologists' tool kit for sharing the relevance of their work. Peter Pepe and Joseph W. Zarzynski have done a tremendous service in writing this first ever guide to archaeological documentary film making. This is a must have book for every archaeologist who wants to reach a wide audience through the power of film."--James P. Delgado, Host, National Geographic's "...The Sea Hunters"..., 2001-2006 "This groundbreaking, highly readable book originated in a workshop conducted by coauthors Pepe (a documentary filmmaker) and Zarzynski (a historical archaeologist) at the Society for Historical Archaeology's 2008 conference in Albuquerque. The focus of that presentation was to provide archaeologists with a practical overview of the potential value of documentaries as a channel for transmitting the results of their work to a wide audience clearly and effectively. The 26 chapters of this book discuss all aspects of the process of writing, shooting, editing, and promoting a documentary centered on archaeological field work. Also discussed are the use of primary sources such as photographs, newspapers, and historic film footage; and the application of animation technologies. Illustrations are limited in number but effective. Appendixes provide a sample proposal for a documentary, examples of video scripts and project budgets, references, and a glossary defining the technical terms highlighted in the text. This volume will be a useful acquisition for college/university libraries and large public libraries wishing to augment their collections in both film studies and archaeology; and for local historical societies involved with the excavation and conservation of specific cultural heritage sites. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers."--CHOICE