Observational Filmmaking: A Unique Practice

Documentary and ethnographic filmmaking have spawned a wide range of practices, but until fairly recently most of them have relied on fictional techniques, with each scene being acted out for the camera. Observational filmmaking has diverged from this in its attempts to film spontaneous human behavior. Further, it emphasizes the role of the filmmaker as an observer, sharing this perspective with the audience. This short article discusses the qualities that make observational filmmaking unique, and how these are experienced by the filmmaker, with particular reference to the author’s filmmaking at an elite boys’ boarding school in India.