Books by Bill Nichols

The third edition of Bill Nichols's best-selling text provides an up-to-date introduction to the most important issues in documentary history and criticism. A new chapter, "e;I Want to Make a Documentary: Where Do I Start?"e; guides readers through the steps of planning and preproduction and includes an example of a project proposal for a film that went on to win awards at major festivals. Designed for students in any field that makes use of visual evidence and persuasive strategies, Introduction to Documentary identifies the genre's distinguishing qualities and teaches the viewer how to read documentary film. Each chapter takes up a discrete question, from "e;How did documentary filmmaking get started?"e; to "e;Why are ethical issues central to documentary filmmaking?"e; Here Nichols has fully rewritten each chapter for greater clarity and ease of use, including revised discussions of earlier films and new commentary on dozens of recent films from The Cove to The Act of Killing and from Gasland to Restrepo.

Can you imagine what it must be like to stand in the presence of God? The Gospels give us stories of that very thing. All through the Gospels people found themselves face to face with God in the form of Jesus Christ. As the encounters developed, the people found themselves confronted with their needs and desires. Jesus was ready to do something about their needs. He was not only ready, but he had the authority and power.  Lives were changed by these encounters with Jesus. The people who encountered Jesus were asked to believe and let their lives be changed. Not all did that. As we read the stories of encounters with Jesus, we may find our own stories in there somewhere. As Jesus moved through the days of his ministry, the blind were able to see. The lame were able to walk. People gave up their old ways for new life. The hungry ate. People who were dead were given life. As we read these stories, we can ask ourselves a question, “Does Jesus still do these things?” It is up to you to read about the encounters and decide for yourselves.

How do issues of form and content shape the documentary film? What role does visual evidence play in relation to a documentary's arguments about the world we live in? In what ways do documentaries abide by or subvert ethical expectations? Are mockumentaries a form of subversion? Can the documentary be an aesthetic experience and at the same time have political or social impact? And how can such impacts be empirically measured? Pioneering film scholar Bill Nichols investigates the ways documentaries strive for accuracy and truthfulness and simultaneously fabricate a form that shapes reality. Such films may rely on reenactment to re-create the past, storytelling to provide satisfying narratives, and rhetorical figures such as metaphor or devices such as irony to make a point. Documentaries are truly a fiction unlike any other. With clarity and passion, Nichols offers incisive commentaries on the basic questions of documentary's distinct relationship to the reality it represents, as well as close readings of provocative documentaries from this forms earliest days to its most recent incarnations. These essays offer a definitive account of what makes documentary film such a vital part of our cultural landscape.

Explores decisive moments when the traditional boundaries of fiction/nonfiction, truth, and falsehood blur. This book argues that a history of social representation in film, television, and video requires an understanding of the fate of both contemporary and older work.

Offers a conceptual overview of documentary filmmaking practice