A New History of Documentary Film: Second Edition - Paperback

by Betsy A. McLane (Author)

A New History of Documentary Film, Second Edition offers a much-needed resource, considering the very rapid changes taking place within documentary media. Building upon the best-selling 2005 edition, Betsy McLane keeps the same chronological examination, factual reliability, ease of use and accessible prose style as before, while also weaving three new threads - Experimental Documentary, Visual Anthropology and Environmental/Nature Films - into the discussion. She provides emphasis on archival and preservation history, present practices, and future needs for documentaries. Along with preservation information, specific problems of copyright and fair use, as they relate to documentary, are considered.
Finally, A History of Documentary Film retains and updates the recommended readings and important films and the end of each chapter from the first edition, including the bibliography and appendices. Impossible to talk learnedly about documentary film without an audio-visual component, a companion website will increase its depth of information and overall usefulness to students, teachers and film enthusiasts.

Author Biography

Betsy A. McLane is the Director Emerita of the International Documentary Association. She holds degrees in cinema: a BFA from Ithaca College, MA and Ph.D. from The University of Southern California School of Media Arts. She has taught courses on film and documentary at Loyola Marymount University, The University of Vermont, Emerson College, The University of Southern California and California State University, San Bernadino, Palm Desert Campus. She is a Past President of the University Film and Video Association, and most recently served as the Project Director for The American Documentary Showcase, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.