Op-Docs

     In class, our teacher introduced us to the New York Times Op-Docs. These are short documentaries made by independent filmmakers that can be uploaded to the New York Times official website. While they are not episodic, being just short documentaries, I think there is still a lot I can learn from them. 

    Out of the ones I saw, in class and on my own time. One truly stuck out to me, Pickle. 

    I will admit, at first I only watched it because of the name, I thought it was funny. But this simple, 14 minute documentary really stuck with me. I want my documentary to have similar vibes to it. Simple, a little goofy, but still heartfelt and meaningful. I really loved the short animated segments the documentary had, acting as b-roll that illustrated what the subjects were talking about. It's so good, I highly recommend it! As well as other Op-Docs, these people are super talented. 

    We had also watched an Op-Doc in class, that for the life of me I couldn't find when I looked and forgot the name of. But it resonated with me because it was so creative. The filmmaker used objects around their house to reenact scenes from their life as a voiceover essentially explained the death of his mother. It was so emotional and unique, I love it and hope to find something equally as unique that I can bring to the table with my documentary. 

    Here is a link to the NY Times Op-Doc page: 

    https://www.nytimes.com/video/op-docs

    Here is a link to watch Pickle:

    https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004769329/pickle.html?playlistId=video/opdocs-season-5