Beyond The Screen: Bridging the Gap between Documentary Film and Audience to Enhance the Storytelling Experience By Maureen Ursino B.A. in Economics, May 2006, University of Maryland A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (formerly by Corcoran College of Art + Design) Of The George Washington University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts May 15, 2016 Thesis directed by Benjamin Ames Architect, American Institute of Architects i Abstract Beyond The Screen: Bridging the Gap between Documentary Film and Audience to Enhance the Storytelling Experience Documentary film is a vital part of culture. It is a form of media that offers a way of better understanding, reasoning, inspiring, or even altering a world that is continually becoming more complex and complicated. These films are a tool that can empower people to change the world, sometimes in ways so significant that thousands of lives are bettered, but usually change happens in smaller ways – ways that simply allow someone to follow their dreams or find the courage needed to face a difficult situation. However, there are boundaries between this medium and the audience. Where do audiences go to more deeply experience documentary film when feeling inspired by storytelling? With the belief that design can act as a platform to create a space that fosters shared experience, this thesis proposes the design of a documentary production studio that serves two primary functions. The first is simply the function of a production house that produces documentary film. The second, and more relevant function, is a space where viewers can go to more deeply experience narrative; a three dimensional space where audiences can attend events that allow them to move from passive viewer to active participant. The written thesis is organized into four main chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the premise of the issue and why it was pursued. Chapter 2 presents research on documentary film. It explores and highlights significant milestones of this medium’s theory and history, provides an analysis of documentary film in the 21st century, and ends with a study of the technical production of the documentary. Chapter 3 documents how ii this thesis is translated into a functional interior space. A holistic analysis is provided for the programming, site selection, materiality, and overall methodology of the production studio. Chapter 4 offers a reflection of the project, including successes and lessons learned, while also providing brief guidance on how this program could be translated into other interior spaces. iii Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Research Findings ............................................................................................. 2 2.1: Introduction to Documentary Theories & Philosophies ........................................... 3 2.2: An Historical Overview ........................................................................................... 4 2.2.1: Significance of Government Documentaries ..................................................... 6 2.2.2: Use of Documentaries in Times of War .......................................................... 10 2.2.3: Significance of Non-Government Documentaries .......................................... 11 2.2.4: Documentary for Television ............................................................................ 13 2.3: Documentaries in the 21st Century ......................................................................... 15 2.3.1: Rise in Popularity ............................................................................................ 16 2.3.2: Contributing Factors of Audience Satisfaction ............................................... 21 2.3.3: A Platform for Social Change ......................................................................... 23 2.3.4: An Analysis of Main Players in Documentary Business................................. 25 2.5: Technical Production ............................................................................................. 33 2.5.1: Example of an Effective Design ...................................................................... 38 Chapter 3: Design Components ........................................................................................ 43 iv 3.1: Concept, Mood, and Inspiration ............................................................................. 43 3.2 Site Analysis ............................................................................................................ 59 3.2.1: Considered sites ............................................................................................... 60 3.2.2: Selected Site (The Dunbar Theater) ................................................................ 68 3.3 Programmatic Case Studies ..................................................................................... 76 3.3.1: Sundance Institute ........................................................................................... 77 3.3.2: Fledgling Fund ................................................................................................ 80 3.3.3: Seattle International Film Festival ................................................................... 84 3.4: Outline of planned program ................................................................................... 86 Chapter 4: Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 99 NOTES ............................................................................................................................ 101 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 109 APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................... 113 v List of Figures Figure 1: Image from Nanook of the North ....................................................................... 5 Figure 2: Movie theater advertising, March of Time ......................................................... 7 Figure 3: Impact of the Dust Bowl shown in The Plow That Broke the Plains................. 8 Figure 4: Impact of the Dust Bowl shown in The Plow That Broke the Plains................. 9 Figure 5: A devastation scene in The River, 1937 ........................................................... 10 Figure 6: Text displayed on screen from The City. .......................................................... 12 Figure 7: An image taken from The City. ........................................................................ 12 Figure 8: An image taken from Harvest of Shame .......................................................... 14 Figure 9: Number of documentaries released statistic ..................................................... 16 Figure 10: Sundance Film Festival infographic ............................................................... 18 Figure 11: Number of TV viewers who typically watch documentaries in the U.S. ....... 19 Figure 12: A scene from For Neda .................................................................................. 27 Figure 13: A scene from Killing Cancer ......................................................................... 30 Figure 14: A scene from Our Rising Oceans ................................................................... 30 Figure 15: An example of a typical editing suite at a production studio ......................... 41 Figure 16: An example of a typical sound booth at a production studio ......................... 42 Figure 17: Venn diagram illustrating connection between thesis concepts. .................... 44 Figure 18: Thesis concept boards. ................................................................................... 44 Figure 19: Documentary word map. ................................................................................ 45 Figure 20: Marshall Murray, owner and operator of the Dunbar Theatre ....................... 47 Figure 21: Historical image of the Dunbar Theater ......................................................... 47 vi Figure 22: Image of the distressed Dunbar Theater in the 1990’s ................................... 47 Figure 23: Małopolska Garden of Arts, Poland ............................................................... 49 Figure 24: Intermediae Matadero Madrid, Spain ............................................................. 49 Figure 25: Sant Francesc Convent, Spain ........................................................................ 50 Figure 26: Exterior view of Alice Tully Hall .................................................................. 51 Figure 27: Interior view of Alice Tully Hall .................................................................... 52 Figure 28: Interior view of Alice Tully Hall .................................................................... 52 Figure 29: The International Academy, Amman, Jordan ................................................ 54 Figure 30: Torremadariaga Basque Biodiversity Centre ................................................. 54 Figure 31: Glass elevators at the Museo Reina Sofia ...................................................... 55 Figure 32: Exterior rendering of the Museum of Image and Sound ................................ 56 Figure 33: Exterior rendering