Museum of TV & Radio: Session on Verite

Cinema verite is a documentary movement in the late 1950’s that made reality its mandate. Basically, it wanted to capture life as it was unfolding and be as truthful as possible. Originally they used lightweight film equipment so the filmmakers could record events without judgment or intrusion. The films commonly had no narration, music, or interviews. With panelists Robert Drew, Don Pennebaker, Jon Alpert, Brett Morgan and Rory Kennedy, this session of Museum of TV and Radio covered the evolution of cinema verite over four decades. As well as answered the most important question when it comes to verite, “can you capture real life on camera?”

To begin, they showed a clip from one of each panelist’s cinema verite films. The first was Robert Drew’s film “Primary” about President Kennedy. The clip contained innovative movements of the camera. Drew says, “If the camera moves that’s fine, as long as it moves with the character in the story.” Within the clip, the camera is lifted over the cameraman’s head and carried behind Kennedy. It was incredible to see from Kennedy’s perspective. Next was Don Pennebaker’s “The War Room,” which follows a man named George championing for Bill Clinton in 1992. Again, we see a lot of movement with the camera, as well as lots of close ups and zooms. Next, Jon Alpert showed two different clips, a before and an after “he got over the hump.” I think his greatest innovation was the direct connection with the audience. When the subjects in his film would answer a question because he was behind the camera they looked as though they were looking into the camera and speaking to the audience directly. The effect of this technic is obvious in the second film and makes it much more realistic to the viewer because you feel as though you’re there. Next, Brett Morgan showed a clip from his film “On the Ropes,” about three boxers in Brooklyn. He pointed out that sports and politics have a built in natural arc, which gave them the opportunity to not use narration or interviews and let the images, and subjects tell their story. This meant they had to be with their subjects seven days a week for eighteen months, so they could catch the action as it happen instead of having the subjects tell them afterwards. Lastly, they showed Rory Kennedy’s American Hollow which she first intend to be an advocacy film about welfare and poverty but then found a story within a poor family and their lives.

Through more discussion with the panelist I realized the similarities between the films that made them work. First, camera movement is important; like Drew said camera movement is good if your character moves with the camera. Within each film there were lots of movement of camera angles as well as zooms. Next, all of them agreed that the original idea of verite was to make a film that would tell the story without narration or as little as possible. This is an idea that most of them followed within their films. Cards also help some of them bridge the narrative gaps within their stories. Lastly and most importantly, is finding good characters, like Morgan said, “there are some people who aren’t good subject and then there are those who lend themselves to the medium.” Actors and preachers are the most difficult people to work with according to Drew. Finding those people who don’t act in front of the camera but don’t notice they’re there either are the keys to making a good piece of cinema verite.

So, can you actually capture real life on camera? After this video I truly believe you can through certain technics that these innovative filmmakers have provided over the years. If you follow the similar patterns of these and other similar films, I think you can capture real life on camera. The bottom line, though, is that trust between the filmmaker and the subjects is the most important thing. The key is to be able to make the characters comfortable enough to let the filmmakers all the way into their lives whether what they see is good or bad.