Opportunities And Innovations Introduced by Digital Age in Documentary Films

Abstract

It is not possible to evaluate development of the documentary film separately from social developments that emerged in the historical process and innovations in media technology. Answers on what the role of documentaries and documentary filmmakers are revised again and again in this historical perspective. The documentaries that have produced to be watched on different platforms (such as movie screen, television or online media) have important and ongoing social, political, aesthetic and technological changes. These changes include new digital production, new editing equipment, booming in cinematic features, and sharing footage on different video sharing sites. The innovations of the digital age to the documentary film world can be summarized as, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution stages. Relatively inexpensive digital technology increased the number and diversity of those who want to be included in the documentary production process. Filmmakers, activists, wannabes and entrepreneurs from different parts of the World acces to the production of documentary field in order to gain an active role. In addition, digital technologies in terms of production as well as the distribution and exhibition, is providing a platform to documentaries. Finding potential audience is now possible without relying on traditional channels. This paper focuses on the innovations that come with the digital technology to the traditional documentary filmmaking. In the digital age, production and post-production of documentary film costs has fallen. it’s observed that producing low budget documentaries is possible. Although we need to consider that the internet has been criticized by the scholars about its limitations on being an alternative public sphere. At the present day, the audience who become more sophisticated as a result of increased number of media channels seek for the challenging documentaries not for the entertaining content.