Gadgets, Phones and Drones: Multi-Perspective Documentary Storytelling

Documentary filmmakers have always been quick to adopt new semi-professional and consumer cameras. However, they have not replaced conventional professional cameras, but added to the vivid variety of documentary style. Today, multi-perspective storytelling in documentary forms is on the rise, as various cameras like cellphones, action-cams (GoPros) or drones are commonly used in addition to the classical single-perspective camera. Because the phenomenon is still young, there is very little research and literature on the influence of multi-perspective use of cameras in documentary. Our practice-led, comparative research project 'Gadgets, Phones and Drones' investigates the differences of single- and multi-camera storytelling in documentaries and aims to clarify how the use of multi-perspective in documentary is developing. Multi-perspective storytelling is examined by semi-structured interviews with experts in the field and by a practice-based comparative study. In a short documentary about a dog school, we aim to tell the same story in two different ways: We compare the classical shoulder-mounted single-camera-perspective with the multiple camera perspective documenting the very same events. This paper gives insight into questions that arose throughout this artistic research as well as into the discussion of multi-perspective storytelling among practitioners. The mixed method approach will not only add to scientific research, but will also serve as direct feedback for the artistic discussion in current documentary filmmaking.