9781422287088

Chapter One

Creating Fi lms and Documentar ies

W hether we’re sitting in front of television or in a movie theater, most of us spend a lot of time watching movies and documen- taries. We can be entertained by them, terrified by others, educated by some, and even spurred to action by some films. When we are lucky, more than one of those things can happen with the same movie. When we watch a movie, the actors on the screen capture our atten- tion. We get caught up in the plot and action. And unless there are top- notch special effects, we might forget that many parts go into making films and documentaries that do not directly involve actors.

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