This week’s Film & TV reading stems from Megan Cunningham’s Art of Documentary.
Looking into the filmic concept of Cinema Verite, which stems off from the French “Cahiers du Cinema”, it is amusing to read 
cinematographer Haskell Wexler speak about initiating the drama by creating a trigger. Despite the term ‘fly on the wall’, the filmmakers must provide stimulus for the social actors to interact with in order to create tension. In the case of the film Salesman, by calling the wife of one of the Bible salesman and telling her about his supposed wild activities in the city of Las Vegas. Despite its lack of truth, tension is born within the scene and there is conflict to be resolved. Wexler also claims that “there is no reality”…that whatever the image is, as long as it is presented in its media, is no longer reality.
On the other hand, Cinematographer Kirsten Johnston shares a three-step formula in creating a successful documentary film; beginning with the presentation of visually appealing imagery for the audience. Regardless of the content the film is based upon, the audience watches the film and is more appealed to engage with the content by the aesthetics of its shots. Secondly, Johnston devotes an artistic sensibility to an innate passion of the material. She submerges herself within the story and creates characters within stories that are isolated from real life issues. Lastly, her collaborative style helps her to understand the direction of her director, that is, “her humility, focus, generosity and careful consideration of the subject.”
“I like to connect how I’m shooting to what I’m shooting…”