Documentary Reflection

1.) What has been your experience with documentary films? Have you seen many? Why? Why not? Do you have a favorite? Why? 


I do not have much experience watching documentaries, because usually when I am watching a movie, I am usually with friends or family, and most people do not consider watching a documentary as something that is fun or interesting to watch. Although I have not seen many, I do overall like documentaries very much. This is because documentaries, most of the time, have one main subject and focus on that throughout, so you do not have to worry about multiple story lines, or figure out what symbols or messages mean. I also like how documentaries are usually simplified and directly tell you what they want you to take away from the film, unlike most conventional films where you have to find the meaning thru inferring and subtle clues. Documentaries are also good way to get out information about activist causes and raising awareness.


2.) How can using documentary films as subject matter for this course help you as a writer? Relate to things we have discussed, or add new ideas from your deep reflection.


Documentaries can get you thinking about things you never would have before or introduce you to new ideas or art forms. These new ideas will then resonate in your head and come into play while writing. For instance, if you were doing a paper on the effects early child labor has on adulthood, and you lived in the US, you would not have much to go off of in your real life experiences because child labor is illegal in the US (except on farmland). Therefore a documentary would help in such a case, because you could watch a film on the extensive use of child labor in third world countries, that would have been impossible for you to see or hear of, and with this new found knowledge, you would have much more information to write about in a paper and make an educated discussion out of it, instead of blindly making accusations, thinking no one will fact check it. 

3.) Assuming you have watched your film for the Documentary Project, tell us a bit about your response to it, adding some reflective writing on how watching the documentary will help you as a writer and communicator (aka "rhetor"). 


The documentary I watched was Super Size Me,  and I have a very negative outlook on fast food after watching it. As someone who eats fast food about twice a week, I have always wanted to watch Super Size Me to see what the long-term affects of eating fast food would do. Even though what Morgan Spurlock, the main character, did was very extreme, (eating McDonald's only for a month straight) it gives a good insight into what fast food does to the body. After just a few days, Spurlock's cholesterol and blood pressure were severely more high than they were at the beginning, before eating any fast food. His doctor even recommended he not continue with the experiment over health concerns. After seeing this film, I thought very differently about the way I eat and where I eat. I already rarely go to McDonald's, but now it will be very hard for me to go there again. I think documentaries would help me as a writer because they usually explain things in a very precise and coherent manner, in a language that anyone could understand. I could apply these attributes to my writing to make it more clear and concise. 



This video does not have to do with documentaries, but I do believe it fits in with the idea of slacktivism and raising awareness via the web.