The Future of Documentary
What changes will documentary face in the future? It has seen many technical changes in the past with smaller and more portable cameras, the ability to record clear sound and the shift from film, to analogue, to digital. I have spoken to documentary maker and teacher Sharon Woodward about how she thinks documentary may evolve and how this may affect her. Nick Mirsky, Head of documentary at Channel 4, sparks the discussion with his predictions. Nick - A shift to digital will only accelerate and scheduling programmes for channels will matter much less in a digital world. And that is an issue. That means there’s more premium on how you get audiences to documentaries. Marketing? Recognisable brands? Talent (like Louis Theroux)? Very strong ideas? How do you think a lack of television scheduling will affect things? Sharon - I can see a time when TV as we know it doesn't exist. That also might have an impact on the style of films because if we’re watching something on ou...
