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.
