Kapadia:
- Linear narrative
- Hero and villain narrative structure- form archetypes
- Extreme juxtaposition of high and lows- when Amy wins the Grammy award
- Guided viewing experience- opinions rather than facts
- ‘True fiction’ – more related to fiction as it follows the narrative structure
- Kapadia starts as a fictional filmmaker
Michael Moore filmmaking: 8 key traits
- Moore is always front and centre in his films ‘star’- (Bill Nichols’ modes- performative, participant, expository- uses voiceover) (different to Amy)
- Manipulates the viewer- uses film form- music, sound, voiceover- guided viewing experience (Similar to Amy)- Paparazzi scene/ – Belgrade concert– feels sympathetic towards Amy
- Satire- uses dark comedy and humour to attack government and companies- political propaganda (Different) – Amy is more tragic
- Talking heads- conventional interviews on screen (Different)- Paparazzi scene/ – Belgrade concert
- Controversial issues/people (Different/ similar)- media exaggeration- Paparazzi scene/ – Belgrade concert
- Balanced- justifies his own work (Same)
- Uses different forms- animation (Different)
- Archive footage (Similar)- Paparazzi scene/ – Belgrade concert
What would ‘Amy’ look like if Michael Moore directed it?
- Interviews with Amy’s friends and family- sit down interviews
- Interviews with media sources- magazines, paparazzi, press, news paper editors- accusing/ enlightening them to what they did to Amy
- His own investigation- deeper research into drugs/ school abuse
- More background on her family- establish a clear villain/ someone to blame or that is responsible- perhaps Amy’s father
- Question what she did and how it was felt with- rehab and the concerts
- Use voice over to commentate
- Focus more on wider issues like drugs, media, alcohol, depression- rather than Amy as a person
- Less prominent archive footage- more current day interviews and Moore as the star of the documentary
- Mix of film form- animation, archive, current footage, interviews, investigation- become an investigator to reveal the truth- uncover information from the past
- More opinion based- give his opinion rather than facts or archive footage- guided viewing experience
- More fragmented- less focus linear
- Link to current affairs- more on modern stars/celebrities
Kim Longinotto filmmaking: 8 key traits
- Observational film maker (Bill Nichols) (Different/ similar to Amy)- gives the people on camera a presence and voice- Paparazzi scene- Amy leading the story
- Women are the main focus (Similar)- highlights female victims of oppression – Paparazzi scene– also humanises Blake /– Belgrade concert
- Paints men as villains (Similar) – Paparazzi scene ‘sex like a man’- misogyny/ – Belgrade concert– shows how her manager forced her to do the concert
- Focus on victims- uses subjects you can identify and sympathise with (similar)
- Rejection of voiceover (similar)
- True fiction- story-like narrative- subjects talk without promoting and the filmmaker is behind the camera (similar)- Paparazzi scene (highly constructed cinematic)
- Controversial /unique people- less talked about issues- more interest in what they do and what they represent rather than who they are (similar/different- Amy is famous and well known) – Paparazzi scene (Blake talks about self harm/ domestic abuse)/ – Belgrade concert
- Rejects the use of archive footage (Difference)
- Long takes- – Belgrade concert– footage of Amy on stage as she refuses to sing
What would ‘Amy’ look like if Kim Longinotto directed it?
- Presents Amy as the victim of addiction- shows women as the victim
- Focus more on addiction
- Gives Amy a voice
- Less editing- long takes and less emphasise on narrative
- Objective- less opinion and more observational
- Focus on true fiction
- Show the affects of her death on her family and friends- friends or mum
Emma Coe Film Studies 